Scales for Guitar – A Basic Introduction
Just the mention of scales often leads to guitar students raising their arms and running for the hills! Scales are amazing and you can learn just the minor pentatonic and not bother with anything else but there is the major pentatonic and then all the modal system to discover. So what are modes and all these scales all about?
Why should I learn Scales for Guitar
Let me give you an escape road right here ok! You don’t need to know all the scales. If your happy playing other peoples songs in a cover band and you don’t want to play solos or riffs then please click this link and come learn some songs with basic chords with me now!
Ok! All the chord players are gone so let me give you the lowdown on this scales and modes concept. Scales and modes give you the ability to express an idea or emotion through music. It just allows you different emotional or colors within the same key!
What Emotions can I express with Guitar Scales.
The emotional impact of guitar can be amazing so having at least a knowledge of major and minor pentatonic scales is the minimum as a guitarist solo guitar artist to be efficient.
Major and minor will give you bot a happy sounding scale and a sad sounding scale.
A Major pentatonic scale will give you a happy sound, bright positive feel to your solo. If you play the minor pentatonic scale you will get a sad sounding solo that fits with the chords in the song. Yes there is a time and a place for both scales and magically you can combine them at appropriate times in a song should you wish to.
Minor Pentatonic Scale – True Guitar Scale
The minor pentatonic scale is the most useful and most used scale in rock music. It fits right in with rock musc in 99% of occasions. Its makeup is not something I want to go into now but you will be able to go to the Pentatonic Scale lesson to get more.
Rock music is powerful even when its played gently and the light and shade between minor pentatonic and the makor scale is where the balance can be struck in creating the moods you want in your music.
A Minor Pentatonic Scale
A Major Pentatonic – Scale for Guitar
The Major pentatonic scale is all about a happy feel to your solo. Its amazingly easy to implement into your songs and solos.
The amazing thing it is the same as the Am pentatonic scale we are looking is the A Major Pentatonic scale is exactly the same format but moved back three frets from C Major.
Yes its that simple as far as its format.
Now we want to utilize the major pentatonic scale effectively its also very easy. As a basic rule over a 12 bar blues progression you can utilize the major pentatonic scale over the ONE chord in the progression about not over the FOUR or FIVE chord in the progression.
The difference is where you start and finish. If your playing in Am which is C Major relative minor then the focus is on C for a major scale and A for the minor for the sad sound.
Blues and when to use it – Guide
Launching into a magical solo over a Am Blues progression consisting of Am – Dm – Em. Guitar players common play blues progression using the A7 – D7 and E7 Chords as apposed to the minor variant because it is a little sadder in the way it sounds.
You have to know where the progression is at to be able to play this correctly. You can safely employ the Am Major Pentatonic scale over the one chord. It does not fit well with the 4th and 5th chords so be aware. Timing is whats important and keeping track of your place in the progression.
Lets Play the Blues Scales
A Minor 7 & A Major 7 Pentatonic Scales
Ok get your blues feel and solo over a great 12 Bar blues progression. You can use the Am Pentatonic scale over all the progression above with impunity. Just remember to end your licks on the major for now. The root note is our home plate.
Unleash the A Major Pentatonic scale over the 1 Chord in this case the Am7. This gives you 4 bars to get you major scale on before heading back to the minor pentatonic. Ensure your counting so your aware when you have to change or listen for the chord changes.
Lets Play!
I have included a great slow 12 bar blues backing track you can play along with and get you Major and Minor Pentatonic scales belting out of your guitar.
I hope you enjoy this lesson and it helps you to spend hours just melting away with the blues playing and your guitar in hand!
Alternative Pentatonic Solo Concept
You may be surprised to know there are more than one way to skin a cat when it comes to solo playing both Major or Pentatonic over a 12 Bar progression. If your interested I will give you another way to play all of the above in the next Guitar Scales Lesson.
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