Scale Knowlage

Can anyone tell me how important (our) is it important to know scales.

My scale knowlage really sucks and I don´t know any except the penta scale and chromatic scale (if it is a scale).

I mean, it would be fun to perhaps know what it really is what I´m playng and I know that somtimes there´s lot of things going on wich I by the way know is not a penta scale.

I´ve tried to playn´ a litle bit mixolydyan, lidyan and so on but they all sound pretty same and I don´t understand them at all.

Can anyone help me with that?

Hm, maby this thread should be in teory sections.

A lot of people get away without knowing scales, but many of them are the people that learn Stairway to Heaven or the intros to some other songs and play them over and over and over or perhaps a couple chords (G, C, D) and bang away at them. Knowing your scales and chords (chords come from scales) will help you write music, improvise, and understand what the hell people are talking about when they say, "Wasn't that cool when Vai played the Dorian mode in that passage in 'Tender Surrender'?".

All you need to worry about at first is the major and minor scales. That'll get you through the bulk of scalar theory. Move on to modes when you have the major and minor scales totally down (and you'll notice that you'll have two modes, Ionian and Aeolian down too, when you start the modes). Once again, it's not necessary to know the scales, but they'll make you a MUCH better player in the long run.

Scales are cool, because they have weird names and you can say 'dude, I played this chromatic lick that ended on the minor second of the root of the progression' instead of 'I ****ed up the end of the solo...'
Anyways, scales are great to understand chords and the overall relationships of tunes (harmony). But never let them get in your way (don't play a scale just to name the tune after it... like 'the enigmatic' for example... what? someone has done it already? come on... are you serious? naaaah...)

I don't think scales are that important, I only know the pent n blues scales, but if ya listen to solo's n play some, the notes just come to you naturally after a while.

Scales are the backbone of your music, jsut don't let them become the muscles of your art... (sometimes I wish I could write a book with all those meaningless quotes)

I agree with lalimacefolle. Scales are the spine of your music. I bet almost all great (metal/alternative) guitarists know the atleast the modes, a great amount of these guitarists know also the "not so known" scales like the Diminished and the Augmented scales.
I think that you should try to learn as many of these scales as you can (or as many as you want) because they give colour to your music, and that's the main importance.. Not that you can brag to your friends how many or how wicked scales you know, but to give your music some feeling and something that makes it worthwhile to listen.
But hey, that's just my opinion.