Originally Posted by: hunter1801Any tips for us non full access members? I know scales are important, but don't know how to go about practicing them or how I should be looking at them.[/quote]
The most important way of thinking about, visualizing, practicing & using scales is to visually connect scale degrees to sounds in your mind.

This is of paramount importance because of how most systems fail to do this. For example...
[QUOTE=Jarsew]A good visual example can be seen using this virtual fretboard:

http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/guitar_scales.php

http://www.i-love-guitar.com/images...r_printable.gif

Those are great resources! Wonderful tools.

But why are the dots and squares in those shapes? Why do they wiggle around the fretboard? Why is every scale a totally different & unique series of musical letters?

Until you turn those dots & the shapes they make into scale degrees, then connect those patterns to auditory information you understand & can recall automatically, you aren't seeing musical patterns.

Practicing scales in a very systematic method is very beneficial not only for dexterity but also for aural training. In particular, pedal point exercises can help you move scale degree retention from short term to long term memory & vastly improve your ability to identify relative pitch.