Is it absolutely necessary to know all scales in all positions (modes) on guitar?

Question

I've been stuck at the same place for a while (probably because learning guitar has been an on again off again endeavor with me). I took a few lessons but that was back in high school. Now I'm by myself and am trying to learn and get faster, and learn how to solo. I can put chords together considering I'm more of a keyboard player than a guitar player, but not in the sence that a guitar player would put together chords. I have music theory experience. All I want to do is get faster and more accurate at what I play with pick.

Any idea?

Answer 1

Learning and "seeing" all of the scale positions should be kindof a final result. If you want to be more accurate and faster with the pick, it's all about repetition. Then, to practice combining your developing raw technical ability with the fun part, (improvisation and soloing), make sure that whenever you are done practicing all of the miserably boring and annoying technical exercises, you end your practice session with a fun and less stressful jam by applying tidbits of what you've been previously learning into your own soloing.

First of all, always use a metronome for this stuff!

I use this quite often:

http://www.metronomeonline.com/

then to start off, do a couple of technical exercises like this one, ideally every day:

http://playguitarnow.blogspot.com/2006/0...

While you might no plan on religiously alternate picking all the time like a shredding metal guitarist, as neither do I, working on this exercise just about daily will reallly help fine tune and coordinate your picking hand muscles. You'll definitely see improvement on your scales and soloing in a matter of weeks by doing this kinda stuff.

Then practice going up and down the scales starting on one easy position (probably the tonic). Make sure you become comfortable with one box before moving on to another. Mix it up and do different kinds of picking patterns when going up and down the scale position, such as alternate, hammerons/pulloffs, the classic "slur-two pick-two", etc...

Once you're bored to h**l, either play one of your favorite songs and jam with it or find backing tracks/a jam machine and solo along with that. Apply only the position that you've been learning. Once you get comfortable with the box, every now and then try to find a note that's still in the key but a little outside of the position. Then once you learn the next position , the two boxes will seamlessly link together in your mind and with your fingers whenever you play and see them.

Improvisation and soloing is really where everything happens.  Your right brain puts all of your drudgerous work into a bigger, complete picture.

Here's a really cool and realistic jam machine that i highly recommend:

http://www.worldguitar.com/jammachinec.h...

And here's a site that provides a lot of backing tracks:

http://www.guitarbackingtrack.com/

Hope this all helps. The more you stick to a daily routine like this, the better. keep rawkin!

Answer 2

Its not necessarely about learning all scales in all positions. If you want to get faster, you can learn one scale, and just play that over and over again, faster and faster.

When you get sick of that one, learn a new one.

its not about knowing all the scales, its more about getting your fingers used to moving...