Confusion between major and minor scales


gregmchir
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Joined: 11/17/19
Posts: 52
gregmchir
Registered User
Joined: 11/17/19
Posts: 52
01/24/2021 7:44 pm

Hi Good Afternoon

In Rock Level one I am confused between the major and minor scales .I understand the A major scale Anders says to move the pattern up 3 frets and it will be the A minor scale Would this not be a C major scale This seems different than the grid pattern I learned earlier in guitar fundamentals . Am I missing something? I would like to incorporate scales into my daily practice

Thank You


# 1
greyfus
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Joined: 01/08/11
Posts: 32
greyfus
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Joined: 01/08/11
Posts: 32
01/25/2021 1:30 am

yes same notes difference is what u play as root note


# 2
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,465
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,465
01/25/2021 3:30 am

I'm assuming you are referring to this lesson.

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=20156&s_id=1586

Originally Posted by: gregmchirI understand the A major scale Anders says to move the pattern up 3 frets and it will be the A minor scale Would this not be a C major scale[/quote]

Yes, good observation. But since the C major scale & the A minor scale are relative major/minor scales you can use the same patterns. At this point Anders is just trying to get you getting used to moving patterns around the fretboard & playing along with a backing track to get experience playing single note lines in time with music. He'll go into the concepts more later.

Since you asked, what's happening here is that the same notes are being used, but the scale degrees have changed because you have a different root note.

Originally Posted by: gregmchirThis seems different than the grid pattern I learned earlier in guitar fundamentals . Am I missing something?

Since you can play the same note in more than one place on the guitar, there is more than one possible pattern that any given scale can form.

The pattern that Anders is teaching is actually part of the grid Lisa taught here.

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=24505

And she plays the A minor scale here, but with the same notes in different places.

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=24956&s_id=2065

I cover how the same scale interval formula forms different possible patterns in this lesson for beginners.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=363

[quote=gregmchir]I would like to incorporate scales into my daily practice

The exercises Anders shows are great ones to use. You can also try some of these major & minor scale patterns that cover the fretboard!

Major Scale Patterns Series 1

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=453

Major Scale Patterns Series 2

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2643

Minor Scale Patterns Series 1

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=887

Minor Scale Patterns Series 2

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2646

Hope that helps!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 3
gregmchir
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Joined: 11/17/19
Posts: 52
gregmchir
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Joined: 11/17/19
Posts: 52
01/27/2021 4:06 pm

Thank You Christopher I have taken a look at the suggestions you made . Right now I can strum to songs in the performance as long as the tab plays along with it I would like to also play more instrumental lead type songs That is why I would like to have a good understanding of scales


# 4
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,465
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,465
01/27/2021 5:28 pm
Originally Posted by: gregmchir

I would like to also play more instrumental lead type songs That is why I would like to have a good understanding of scales

You're welcome! Yes, have a good working knowledge or scales & being able to play them well will defintely be useful in playing instrumental lead material. Best of success!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 5
dsk6
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Joined: 05/09/20
Posts: 13
dsk6
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Joined: 05/09/20
Posts: 13
01/29/2021 2:44 am
Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel

I'm assuming you are referring to this lesson.

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=20156&s_id=1586

Originally Posted by: gregmchirI understand the A major scale Anders says to move the pattern up 3 frets and it will be the A minor scale Would this not be a C major scale[/quote]

Yes, good observation. But since the C major scale & the A minor scale are relative major/minor scales you can use the same patterns. At this point Anders is just trying to get you getting used to moving patterns around the fretboard & playing along with a backing track to get experience playing single note lines in time with music. He'll go into the concepts more later.

Is that a Charvel she's playing on?

Since you asked, what's happening here is that the same notes are being used, but the scale degrees have changed because you have a different root note.

Originally Posted by: gregmchirThis seems different than the grid pattern I learned earlier in guitar fundamentals . Am I missing something?

Since you can play the same note in more than one place on the guitar, there is more than one possible pattern that any given scale can form.

The pattern that Anders is teaching is actually part of the grid Lisa taught here.

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=24505

And she plays the A minor scale here, but with the same notes in different places.

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=24956&s_id=2065

I cover how the same scale interval formula forms different possible patterns in this lesson for beginners.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=363

[quote=gregmchir]I would like to incorporate scales into my daily practice

The exercises Anders shows are great ones to use. You can also try some of these major & minor scale patterns that cover the fretboard!

Major Scale Patterns Series 1

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=453

Major Scale Patterns Series 2

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2643

Minor Scale Patterns Series 1

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=887

Minor Scale Patterns Series 2

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2646

Hope that helps!


# 6

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