Guitar Scales

The blues scale is one of the most commonly used scales in soloing and essential for a guitarists vocabulary. This scale is derived from the minor pentatonic with the addition of the b5. This note gives a bluesy feel and is the only difference between the two scales. Pentatonic Minor Scale 1     b3   [...]

The major scale is one of the most important scales that a player first learns on guitar, because it’s one of the most commonly referenced in music. The major scale is a series of seven different notes identified by their fixed arrangements of intervals. The eighth note has the same letter name as the first, and [...]

In an earlier lesson, we learned the five positions of the pentatonic minor scale. Now it’s time to put these positions in motion by moving between them. This way you not only get to play vertically on the neck, but also horizontally. Figure 1. shows a one octave horizontal pentatonic minor pattern in A, which starts [...]

The melodic minor scale is a major scale with a flatted 3rd, or a Dorian scale with a raised 7th. It’s used more often in jazz and classical music then in rock. The formula for the melodic minor scale is 1-2-b3-4-5-6-7. In classical theory, the melodic minor scale has an ascending and descending form. [...]

The harmonic minor scale is an exotic sounding scale. It has a character that is interpreted by many as a classical or neoclassical sound. The harmonic minor consists of a natural minor scale with a raised seventh degree. Doing this creates a leading tone to the scale, which gives a very strong pull [...]

Let’s look at some fingerings for playing triad arpeggios. Learning arpeggios all over the guitar neck is essential and will help you build a strong foundation for improvisation. A triad arpeggio is a three-note chord where the notes are played separately. There are four main triads: Major   1  3  5 Minor   1 [...]