Originally Posted by: nugentkevI am a beginner learning with Anders Mouridsen and we are learning scales now. My question is why am I learning scales?[/quote]

In general, playing scales at a beginner level is good for 2 reasons.

1. Gaining the physical, technical skill of playing single note lines. Isolating one note a time in a linear manner with your fretting & picking is a very specialized skill!

2. Getting used to the sound of the scale to train your ear (aural training) because scales are the fundamental building blocks of music (used to create melodies, licks, riffs, form chords & key signatures).

[quote=nugentkev] What is the benefit of practicing scales instead of learning/practicing chords?

You should practice both. Hope this helps!