Originally Posted by: Neal WalterFor me, I memorized the 5 basic scale shapes. I used this as a foundation to learn the other scales.

For chords, the shapes that the open E, A and D chord use will cover just about everything. As up move these chords up the fretboard into their barre chord shape you can cover the whole neck of the guitar. From this basis you can work on variations: minor, 7th, etc. This is how memorizing chords worked for me.

Yup, ditto on both the scales and chords

I learned C Major scale based on the patterns you do at the 1 through 5 frets, than 5-8, 8-12. So once your good with that, you arguably know all the basic scales. For example, just move that same pattern you did at the 1-5 frets to the fourth fret, your now doing Eb Major scale, pretty simple :)

Another good way to learn the scales and the modes, is you can also argue that each box pattern is actually a mode. The pattern you do at the 1-5 frets in the C Major scale is the Lydian pattern. So if you ever wanted to do G Lydian, simply go to a G on the fretboard and do that pattern, now your in G Lydian mode.