How should i learn the guitar scales?

Question

in which ways, i plan to learn about 3-5, should i learn all of the ones from one scale then move on, or should i just go in a straight line down the scales repeating the scales

Answer 1

My teacher advises that scales are only worth so much, and not much by themselves.  It's much more useful to learn how they're used in actual pieces.  However, he concedes scales are good finger exercise to help improve speed and accuracy.  

Skip the big honkin' Aaron Shearer book; not that good.

Get yourself a copy of the Segovia scales and exercises.

Answer 2

Scales do help with finger dexterity and independence, especially if virtuosity in performance is your thing.  I agree with the above poster that it is more important to know how these scales and tonal "systems" are used in the music, especially if you plan to compose music.  However, I will also add that knowing all your scales will help you to build a strong foundation in tonality.  My music instruction (granted, I have 12 years of college level music education) has provided me the ability to notate by ear 45 minute symphonies with only one hearing.  That comes from having a well-trained ear in tonality, which begins with knowledge of scales.  

Additionally, if you plan to take your music instruction to a higher level, such as at the college level, you will need to know all, your major, minor, and blues scales, or you'll never make it.  I taught music courses at the University of North Texas when I was in their Ph.D. program.  My first two years, I was required to teach incoming freshmen, many of whom had no idea how to build a major scale, much less perform them.  It astounded me!  I had to spend extra hours trying to train them something they should have already learned prior to coming to my class.  Most of them quit before their first 2 years were completed because they couldn't catch on to the basic fundamentals of music.  It's a shame, because many of them were incredibly talented.  

I am a concert pianist, and I'm required to play all my scales for auditions.  I've performed all over the world, and all orchestras, opera houses, and music theatres require that the performer know all the scales appropriate to the discipline.  Most of the time, the employer (usually the conductor or composer of the work to be performed) will name a scale, and you have to be able to play it flawlessly on the spot.  If you only learn 3-5 scales, what happens if a potential employer tells you to play a scale that you don't know?

When I begin my 6 hour daily practice routine, I begin with a C-major scale, then I move to its relative minor (A-minor), and I do all three forms of that minor scale.  Then I do all my blues scales (5 forms).  Then I move on to arpeggios, diminished sevenths, retrogrades, and inversions.  It takes about an hour to complete, but by that time my hands are completely warmed up, strong, and ready to take on even the most monstrous compositions.  There's no other way.

Answer 3

ANY scale is MOVABLE. for instance, move a "C" scale up two frets and it's a "D" scale, same as chords.  I would learn all 5 positions of each scale then move. Also after you get the MAJOR scales down, there's 3 different minors and pentatonics, etc., which are basically mods and omissions from the majors.

use a metronome as on this website;

http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/metrono...

and start your scales by playing along up & down, then speed it up a notch or two until you get clear, and acurate a HIGH speed, then double it up, tripple etc., I honestly never heard the guy you mentioned but rather you like classical to rock, country to flamenco, many of the speed demons used this method, check out Strunz & Farah they are ones who come to mind.   Good luck and keep it fun. This website also has scales, chords and a bunch of other very usefull stuff.

Answer 4

You could look up "guitar scales" on youtube, that should help.

Answer 5

hmmm it is dependent on what guitar scales you want to learn really, and since i see the john frusciante i would suggest learning about 3 postions of the pentatonic scales and 2 postions that overlap thos box positions in either the blues or minor scale because those are the ones that are mainly used in RHCP and his solo work,  choosing minor over blues is dependent on what u think would better preference ur musicality...

also, u should learn them in both ways that you asked, however going in a straight line should be used more for warm ups and not in ur actual music, i believe that the more important one should be learning them from one scale to the next...

tips: remember that the 3 scales should be in succesion so then you will have a wide array of options and wont have any gaps in ur soloing...for example learning the A minor pentatonic in a root 6 postions and then learning the next 2 positions following that down the neck, learning the minor or blues scale will give you even more options increasing ur chances of a unique style of soloing exponentially