Scale Practice

I am really hoping some one out there can point me in the right direction. After going through the scale lessons on GT and other places, I have looked hours trying to figure it out on what the best approach is to learning scales. Maybe I am over doing it and need to just get started already.

What I am most wondering is what is the optimal way to learn scales, from everything I've read the CAGED system is not the best but not bad. Then I see 4 notes, with 3 notes per string, 5 pattern and so on. I am just so confused right now, I want to get started but don't want to learn it wrong or waste time with the wrong method. So I bought the Guitar Grimoire scale exercise book and was just going to go through that but again will I get the best out of my practice time. I will go through Major, minor, pentatonic and the popular modes during my practice time, so just knowing the "most bang for your buck" method would be what I am looking for. I see some start with key of G, C and F, so all and all this has to be the most confusing thing I have tried to learn to date. Thanks for any help or guidance.

For myself, I have found focusing first on Pentatonics has helped.

When I started I did a couple of months spending 20 minutes a day just writing out the scales and trying to memorize them. This did not help me much. I still can't recite most scales without counting steps in the back of my mind!

After getting used to Pentatonics, I found it easier to play scales. I still can't recite them without counting, but I see the Pentatonics as a visual pattern that I can just drop 2 particular steps back into for a full scale. For me this worked.

Maybe I'm just getting old and my mind is losing it's training, but rote memorization does not work so well for me any more. :p

Originally Posted by: judahpraiseWhat I am most wondering is what is the optimal way to learn scales ...

First and foremost, learn & apply the scale formulas as visual patterns & auditory entities. This means to learn to hear, see and feel the scale degrees as 3 different perceptual forms of the same thing. Learn them in this order.

1. major scale
2. minor scale
3. pentatonic major scale
4. pentatonic minor scale

Always, always, always keep aural training in mind when practicing scales.

I covered this topic in depth here:

http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28128

Hope this helps!

Hey Judahpraise. I know what you mean. I remember my 1st scale book. I was thinking you've got to be nuts, no one can remember all of these.

I guess the most important thing to understand about scales is how they are made. Starting with the major scale and getting a solid understanding of it is critical because all of the other scales come back around to the major scale. You probably already knew that though. If you know how to build scales you can make them for yourself and you will be more likely to remember new shapes that you learn. If you understand how scales are made you will progress naturally from one scale to another. Before you know it you will know more scales than you thought you could.

Learning a few scales very well in a few positions is way better than knowing a boat load of scales and not being able to do much with them. Maybe try focusing on just a position or two for a while. If you know them in side and out you have an edge over most of the guitar players that I have met.

Training your ear and working on your relative pitch is also very important too. If your ear know exactly which note it wants to go to and you know the scale shape that you are playing intimately you will be able to go right to that note.

Love to hear any other tips you've come across.

Laters,
Nate