How To Practice Scales
What comes to mind when you think of scales? Do you picture a little kid running up and down scales on the piano while his teacher is hovering over them? This picture would always come to mind every time I thought about scales. I viewed scales as just a boring and complicated exercise that I would never learn how to use. I definitely wasn't alone in this view though. The majority of people, either consciously or sub consciously, think of scales in the same way. What I didn’t realize is scales isn’t an exercise, it’s a tool to express oneself musically. The purpose of scales is to create music, not to be boring.
In order to learn scales in the most efficient way possible, you must make sure you have the right frame of mind. If you have a negative mindset during this process it will be extremely difficult and slow going. Scales is one of the most freeing and beneficial things you can learn on your instrument. A few benefits of memorizing and understanding scales is:
- Feeling comfortable up and down the fretboard
- Understand how to play in different keys
- Understand music on a deeper level
- Become a better guitarist and musician
- Be able to solo in any key
- You will have fun, if practiced correctly and with a positive mindset
The first step to learning scales is to learn one pattern and play it up and down until you feel comfortable where all the notes are. The problem most musicians make is memorizing the scale and not practicing using the scale. Focus less on memorizing and more and creating and playing. The scale itself is nothing unless you know how to use it.
Which scale should I learn first?
The first scale you need to study and master is the major scale. Let’s take a look at 1 of the 7 patterns of the major scale below.
Pattern 1
As mentioned above the first step is to play this scale up and down a few times. Once you feel somewhat comfortable with the scale, start practicing on creating with it. Go ahead and put on a backing track in the key of C (that you could find on YouTube) and start playing around with only the first 2 strings. Once you are comfortable with this add the 3rd, then the 4th and so on.
After you have all the notes in the first pattern, do the same thing with the next pattern.
Pattern 2
After you feel comfortable with pattern two, start the process all over again but with both pattens. Try improving with just the first 2 strings of both patterns together. Then add the 3rd, the 4th, etc. After this, practice the 3rd pattern alone. Start with just the first 2 strings, the the 3rd and keep going till you have the 3rd pattern down. Now practice playing all 3 patterns together, but make sure you take it one string at a time. If you keep this process up you will eventually have all 7 patterns mastered in the key of C.
Pattern 3
Pattern 4
Pattern 5 
Pattern 6
Pattern 7
Once you have all 7 patterns, change the key. Then when you feel comfortable with that key change it again. Keep changing keys until you can play all 12 of them. When you accomplish this you will have mastered the major scale. Remember to have patience with yourself and have fun!
About The Author:
Dylan Andrews is a professional guitarist, teacher and entrepreneur living in Lawrenceville Georgia. Dylan has been teaching guitar for over 5 years and has helped over 100 people learn the guitar. If your looking for guitar lessons in Lawrenceville Dylan is the person you want to see.