At the start learning to play guitar can be particularly threatening. You not only have to learn how to play chords but you also have to learn scales so as to be a decent guitar strummer.
And those first few chords can be troublesome. Your hand doesn't go into the positions needed very naturally. It needs practice and time to build the muscle memory to be able to get your hands into those chord positions. But over time you can do it. It just takes a bit of perseverance.
For most learning scales is a bit less complicated. You are mainly dealing with one finger on one place on the guitar fretboard, so it is a little simpler to do. And after you know a few scales you can start jamming together with some of your favourite punk or folk songs.
So learning scales is a handy place to begin to learn guitar and get your fingers in shape at the very same time. Until you've got some calluses on the end of your fingers it will be tough to hold down those strings. And the only real way to get those calluses is to practice. You know what they say... No pain no gain!
Scales Are Actually Pretty Simple - It Is Actually About Shapes
Learning scales to the point at which you are decent at it isn't that tough. There are "shapes" on that fretboard that you follow to grasp where to play the notes of any particular key. And once you learn these shapes you can just slide your hand horizontally on the fretboard to play the scale in different keys. It's actually pretty cool how it functions.
And there's different shapes for different scales. A major scale and a minor scale have different shapes... But only a little. It's actually something that you can pick up swiftly. A major scale "shape" and a minor scale "shape" for the same key are essentially precisely the same. They are just played on different parts of the neck. Once you've learned one you've learned them all.
What's The Best Way To Learn These Shapes
After you see the shape it's pretty simple to understand. Describing them with words is a bit more complicated. When you see a picture of the shape, or even better, watch an mpeg of somebody playing the shape, it's something you will pick up fast and always remember.
And again these shapes can be applied to nearly any sort of music. They're employed in rock and roll, country music, and blues music all the time. In fact a blues guitar scale is just about exactly the same as a heavy metal scale that could be played in a punk band. That is the reason why you see many older punk rockers getting into the blues later in life. They begin to understand that the music is extraordinarily similar. It's just a matter of attitude... And maybe a little volume.
And there's something by the name of a pentatonic scale that is even less complicated. It's called pentatonic because there's only five notes in the scale (penta means five). There is no need to use as many fingers in the scale and it's pretty quick to pickup (no joke intended). And these pentatonic major and minor scales are the base for rock, blues, country, death metal, funk, and just about every type of popular music.
So get started learning those scales and start having a little fun with whatever type of music you like. Have a look at my web site where I have some free guitar training and show you those shapes.
And those first few chords can be troublesome. Your hand doesn't go into the positions needed very naturally. It needs practice and time to build the muscle memory to be able to get your hands into those chord positions. But over time you can do it. It just takes a bit of perseverance.
For most learning scales is a bit less complicated. You are mainly dealing with one finger on one place on the guitar fretboard, so it is a little simpler to do. And after you know a few scales you can start jamming together with some of your favourite punk or folk songs.
So learning scales is a handy place to begin to learn guitar and get your fingers in shape at the very same time. Until you've got some calluses on the end of your fingers it will be tough to hold down those strings. And the only real way to get those calluses is to practice. You know what they say... No pain no gain!
Scales Are Actually Pretty Simple - It Is Actually About Shapes
Learning scales to the point at which you are decent at it isn't that tough. There are "shapes" on that fretboard that you follow to grasp where to play the notes of any particular key. And once you learn these shapes you can just slide your hand horizontally on the fretboard to play the scale in different keys. It's actually pretty cool how it functions.
And there's different shapes for different scales. A major scale and a minor scale have different shapes... But only a little. It's actually something that you can pick up swiftly. A major scale "shape" and a minor scale "shape" for the same key are essentially precisely the same. They are just played on different parts of the neck. Once you've learned one you've learned them all.
What's The Best Way To Learn These Shapes
After you see the shape it's pretty simple to understand. Describing them with words is a bit more complicated. When you see a picture of the shape, or even better, watch an mpeg of somebody playing the shape, it's something you will pick up fast and always remember.
And again these shapes can be applied to nearly any sort of music. They're employed in rock and roll, country music, and blues music all the time. In fact a blues guitar scale is just about exactly the same as a heavy metal scale that could be played in a punk band. That is the reason why you see many older punk rockers getting into the blues later in life. They begin to understand that the music is extraordinarily similar. It's just a matter of attitude... And maybe a little volume.
And there's something by the name of a pentatonic scale that is even less complicated. It's called pentatonic because there's only five notes in the scale (penta means five). There is no need to use as many fingers in the scale and it's pretty quick to pickup (no joke intended). And these pentatonic major and minor scales are the base for rock, blues, country, death metal, funk, and just about every type of popular music.
So get started learning those scales and start having a little fun with whatever type of music you like. Have a look at my web site where I have some free guitar training and show you those shapes.
About the Author:
Rick Honeyboy Hart has played guitar for a number of years and is a professional blues guitarist. He's played in many bands over time and now helps others learn blues guitar scales on his website www.BluesGuitarInsider.com
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