Essential Blues And Rock Scales

There so many scales out there that at times it seems that learning them can be confusing. Often many new guitarists don’t know were to start. The good news is that you do not have to learn every scale you only have to learn the scales that apply to your chosen genre of music. It is also a good idea to learn the scales in the keys that you most often play in first. My advice is to learn the following scales first, and in the following order, the minor pentatonic scale, the major pentatonic scale, and the blues scale, because they are the scales that are the most widely used in blues guitar, rock, jazz, bluegrass and country music. In reality these are the three scales that you hear more often then any others when you listen to the radio. The most crucial keys to learn to play these scales in are as follows A, D, E,  and G. In order to become a skilled guitarist you will have to learn to play these scales in all the keys, but if you are just beginning to play the guitar the keys of A, D, E, and G are a good place to start. In this article we will concentrate on the key of A, because it sits nicely in the center of the fretboard. 1. The minor pentatonic scale The minor pentatonic scale like all other pentatonic scales is made up of five notes the root note, flattened third, fourth, fifth and flattened seventh. In the key of A the minor pentatonic scale contains the following notes A - C - D - E – G. This is one of the more important scales that you should learn. Just about every guitarists has put this scale to good use in one form or another, some guitarist include Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and many others. Minor pentatonic scales work best if a song is... A.) In a minor key… B.) In a major key with a blues feel to it…

2. The major pentatonic scale The major pentatonic scale is also made up of five notes, the root note, the second note, the third, fifth and sixth. In the key of A the major pentatonic scale contains the following notes A – B - C# - E - F#. The major pentatonic scale sounds happier and more upbeat. The major pentatonic scale is not used as much in rock guitar and blues guitar as the minor pentatonic scale. The major pentatonic scale sounds good over power chords and major chords.

3. The blues scale The blues scale is like the minor pentatonic scale, but with one extra note added for a total of six notes, the root note, flat three, four, sharp four, five, and the flat seven. In the key of A the blues scale contains the following notes A - C - D – Eb - E – G. The extra note is the Eb.

Mastering the three scales is a great place to start, but it doesn’t end there. After you have mastered all three scales it is time to start mixing things up. By that I mean you have to learn how to combine all three scales to come up with your own unique sound, that’s what separates the average guitarist from great guitarists. Eric Clapton and many other great guitarists are famous for combining the minor pentatonic scale with the major pentatonic scale. If you listen to Jimi Hendrix’s “Red House” you will hear a good mix of the minor and major pentatonic scales. This lesson is just a starting point on the road to your success. Remember to always use a metronome when you practice in order to build up speed and confidence.  http://www.riffsnstrings.com/guitar_tips/essential_blues_and_rock_scales.htm