I remember when I was little and first learning to play the piano, all I learned for the first 'many' lessons were scales. Oh! how I hated practicing scales! I seemed to be going to lessons for weeks and weeks and still couldn't play a song, not even a simple song.
Years later when I decided to learn to play the guitar, scales were one thing I knew I would have to do but at least after the first lesson and only being shown two chords, I was able to play a tune. Okay "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" is not the most exciting tune, but Hey! it was a song that I could practice and even sing along to.
That made all the difference when I was told I would have to learn scales and practice them, I was quite happy to do it.
What is a scale?
A scale is a group of notes, these notes are played in an ascending and descending run. There are many scales, each one has different note patterns these being unique with characteristics and qualities.
The guitar is not more exciting than the piano when it comes to practicing scales. Like the piano, the idea is to strengthen the fingers and improve the fingers ability, to travel through the notes on the strings. It also helps with the co-ordination, the hand-eye and getting comfortable with the musical instrument.
Like the piano there is a basic scale and that is where we all start. Even the top guitarists started there. The basic scale on the guitar is called the chromatic scale. On the piano it is C.
To start playing this scale:-
Play the sixth string 'open'
With the hand you will be using on the fret board, using the index finger on that hand, place it on the first fret on the number six string and press down. Pluck the string.
With the middle finger on the second fret, press down the sixth string and play that string again.
Use the ring finger and press down on the third fret, play the sixth string one more time.
Now it's the little finger's turn and the fourth fret to be pressed and play the sixth string again.
Keep going with these steps for the rest of the strings.
How does that feel? Exciting...not! but you are on your way, as you have just played your first scale on your guitar. So get practicing, see how long it takes you to be running up and down your fret board and that scale zinging along.
You will learn other scales as you keep practicing, like the Major Scale and the Minor Pentatonic Scale, maybe a little more exciting but you need to get that Chromatic Scale and virtually make it your own, then move ahead with the others.
You are not just going to learn scales, as your lessons progress you will learn notes and chords and will be able to play songs, not just Row, Row, Row, Your Boat.
Please don't try for too much too soon, there are many basic songs that you can learn to play on the guitar, these songs have a note, chord structure that is easier for beginners learning the guitar.
A couple of these are
Blowin' in the Wind
Man on the Moon
Leaving on a Jet Plane
There are plenty of others too, just Google easy guitar songs. Remember as I said earlier, the top guitarists all practice their scales, it is just that after years and years of practicing they can make them sound not like scales. That's something to aim for.
