Learn the C Maj Scale. Most people break this scale into it's 7 Modes to make it easier. Use the modes but learn the entire C Maj Scale for the whole fretboard. This will allow you to play in key at various places on the neck of the guitar rather than just within a certain mode of the scale.

Once you have learned the C Maj Scale you can use that same scale to play in any key. You will only need to move the entire pattern so that it matches the key. Just like a barr chord can be moved to change the chord without changing the fingering.

There are countless resources for learning the scales.

I recommend the following site: http://www.studybass.com/tools/chord-scale-note-printer/
This site is for bass players but the webtool they provide will also give scales for a 6 string. The best part is that you can customize and print a scale chart for many different scale configurations and keys.

Also, I have made a chart to help me know every available note for each key. (Attached)
The black circles are the pentatonic notes and the unfilled circles complete the major scale. So if your tune is in the key of A you should be able to solo using the notes in the fretboard diagram labled A.

Clear as mud?
I'm prepared for all of the bashing on my custom chart (as I have been bashed for this type thing before).

blah blah blah.

google image search "caged scales"

see how they connect with each other.

the end.


i think most people over think scales. printing them out for every key for the ENTIRE neck? that's incredibly daunting to look at. i already know my scales, and i feel like quitting just looking at those things.

the caged system gives you 5 different patterns for major scales. once you know all 5, you can see how they weave in and out of eachother so you can play a 1 octave...2..3...

and you just move them around to get the other 11 keys.

I think the biggest problem with beginners learning scales is that they do not understand how to play they scale they just learned over a given chord structure (in a particular key). They learn the scale then wonder why it sounds like crap when they try to use it over their chord progression and don't realize that they are playing it in the wrong area of the neck. What I am trying to show is where the notes fall in a particular key.

I used the caged system as well at one time. I didn't like it. I found it easier to just know all of the possible notes. Sure the chart is busy, clustered, daunting, whatever else you want to call it. But when you just look at the appropiate chart for the appropiate key you can see what notes are available to use. This has been benificial to me. I think it could be beneficial to someone else.

Blah Blah Blah,

Thanks for the incredibly kind way in which you commented... bashed on my post.

I will check out the caged scales suggestion, thanks. It is kind of overwhelming to think there are so many scales to learn, but I am determined to stick with it and learn them. I checked out the Study Bass site and did not succeed with configuring something for the six string guitar. Thanks for the suggestion though. There are so many video lessons available, I thought maybe someone could recommend some free ones that would be good to start with.

Jordy
http://www.riffsguitarsales.net

you can print out scales for 22 frets in 11 different ways if you want.

you're guessing that when they know a scale of the caged system, they don't know where to play it. you'll have the exact problem if you do it the other way, except with a lot more memorization.


jordy, do you know your notes? ie: where are the half steps in A B C D E F G?

do you know your keys? ie: no sharps/flats = C major. 1 sharp = G major

so i just googled some of those scales...i forgot how crazy people make scales out to be. i'll make my own real quick and post them.

anyways...true you have to find what key you're in to know where to play the scale..but that's way ahead of where we are. too much info at one time.

here...i did this real quick. http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4336/scalescl0.png

start on the open circle and move left to right...if you go all the way to the right, then go up to a thinner string.

i don't know how scales are usually read from these charts, but i do it like this because when you read music/tab the low notes are on the bottom. some people orient the frets like they're staring at an upright guitar that's across from them. i make my charts like i've got the guitar in my lap.



the numbers are to show you that your fingers will shift to a new position. some scales don't have numbers just because the scale doesn't shift. so the left most should be played with the index, the right most with your pinky, and the other ones should fall into their obvious position

1=index, 2=middle, 3=ring, 4= pinky

once these make sense and are in your fingers...bump this thread

Thanks John, I do know where the half steps are in the notes. I also have just memorized the A major scale notes A B C# D E F# G# , and can play them, in two different ways, in two octives, both starting on the fifth fret. With a lot of THOUGHT I could figure out what note I am playing anywhere on the fretboard.
The images that you provided, are they all major scales?

Thanks, Jordy
Http://www.riffsguitarsales.com

Jordy,

Sorry for overwhelming you with my complicated chart. Reliaze this. You use the same scale pattern for differen't keys. What I'm trying to say is you don't have to learn a new scale to change from the key of A to the Key of C. You just move the whole pattern. Same for the Caged system or any other.

You should not think,,, I've learned the A scale so now I can move on to learning the B scale. The same scale is used for the differen't keys. It is only played in a differen't area of the fretboard.

If you know the major scale for the key of A then you already know the major scale for all of the other keys.

Look at John's images. They are just segments of the entire scale at different areas of the fretboard. The caged system he is explaining is a technique to help you memorize the shapes of the scale pattern based on the shape of a given chord. It's good stuff. You just have to figure out what helps you understand things.

i just noticed i added an extra dot....

John, thanks for fixing the extra note. I had tried the scale charts this morning, the extra note I noticed didn't sound right. Hey are these charts for Major scales?

JTC thanks for sharing about how the scale patterns work for all the different root notes. I have been wondering about that trying to play them in different positions to see if they sounded right.

Thanks, Jordy
http://www.riffsguitarsales.com

play that first scale that i originally screwed up...and when you get to the octave of the starting note, switch to a different scale.

ie: the one that starts on the D string.

you can use it to keep going up....you can connect all those scales like that to get your 3 octave pattern. you can go up and down them in whatever combination you like.

they are major scales. i didn't want to talk about anything too crazy complex...but if you start the scale on a different note than the open circle, you can play minor scales, dorian mode, myxolydian modes...which are different sounding scales that use the same patterns, but with different starting places. great for jazz

Next lesson...

How to play these scales over a chord structure...