Do I really need scales?

Yes, you do need to learn beginner acoustic guitar scales.

Okay, let me clarify that by asking you a few questions. Do you want to become a proficient musician? Do you want to be able to communicate easily with other musicians?

If the answer to the above questions is yes, then you need to learn scales. The amount you learn need not be exhaustive but you do need to learn them. The reasons why are many:

• They are the building blocks of music,
• They are the base tools for improvisation and composition,
• Chords, arpeggios, and harmony all come from scales,
• Your ear will be trained faster,
• You will be able to learn songs more quickly,
• They help you to understand other music styles,
• They allow you to play the music that is in your head,
• Playing scales develops speed and efficient technique, strengthens your fingers and makes everything else you do on guitar easier.

So, the question is not really whether you should study scales, but why you think you shouldn’t? 😉

Beginner Acoustic Guitar Scales

The main problem can be where you should start because guitar scales are many and complex, and are in fourteen different keys (albeit, twelve practical ones). As such, the task can seem large and daunting. Don’t be put off by this. Like any journey, there’s a first step involved.

Therefore I have compiled the most useful guitar scales for the beginner acoustic guitarist. These are playable by a guitarist of any age and of any hand size, and so will serve as a suitable introduction.

1: The G major scale

This is the big daddy of easy guitar scales as it is playable on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings.

Notes played: G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and G.

Here you can see the G major one octave scale in tablature and pictorial format.

• Beside the note heads are small numbers. These indicate the most efficient fingering and as such are included in the pictorial diagram.
• Learn the names of the notes as you learn the scale pattern. This will become much easier in the future.

2: The C major scale

The second of our beginner acoustic guitar scales is the foundation of all harmonic theory and chords because it contains no sharp or flat notes.

Notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C

All the above points for the G major scale apply for the C major scale. According as you learn more scales this process of memorisation will become easier.

3: The D major scale

The third scale in our series is the D major scale.

Notes: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C# and D

This one is unusual in that it doesn’t use any notes on the first fret, therefore it makes sense to use the first finger for fret two, the second for fret three and the third for fret four. For this reason, this is known as the ‘second position’.

4: The A natural minor scale

This is the first of the minor family of scales that we study in beginner acoustic guitar scales. It sounds different to the major scales, and as such is typically said to be more ‘sad’ than the major.

Notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A

Hmm. Interesting. The notes are the same as those of the C major scale, but this doesn’t mean that they are the same scale. It has a different start and end point and as such will sound different to the C major. These are known as ‘relative scales’; they contain the same notes but do not sound the same.

Another point to note is that even though the scale has no notes on fret one, you still play it in the first position. This is because the next octave does have notes on fret one, therefore this recommended fingering is a form of future proofing.

5: The E natural minor scale

The final scale we need to study:

Notes: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D and E

In this scale you can see that it’s played in the first position also, even though there are no notes on the first fret.

Also, this is a relative of one of the other scales already studied. Can you pick out which one?

Conclusion

By this stage you should be able to read and play 5 scales:

• G major,
• C major,
• D major,
• A natural minor,
• E natural minor.

These form the backbone of music theory and harmony on the guitar and are therefore essential for the acoustic guitarist to flourish. Therefore, you should learn them and practise them until they are fluent with even timing and tone.

Our concluding bullet points about beginner acoustic guitar scales:

• Every scale so far has seven notes, starting and ending on the ‘root’.
• An ‘octave’ is when one pass through the note pattern is used from root to root.
• ‘Relative’ scales use the same notes.
• Our playing ‘position’ is the location of our first finger of the fretting hand; fret 1 for position 1, fret 2 for position 2, etc.
• Learn all scales by heart.
• Learn all notes.
• Strive for even tone and timing throughout… feel the pressure move from finer to finger as you play and try and relax the fingers you aren’t using.

For more on major scales please click here.

Have fun and keep practising!!!