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Jon Boyes -> RE: Making Scales Interesting (Apr. 27 2006 11:59:39)
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Imo and all that....
Firstly forget about just learning scales 'in the middle of the neck'. Unless you are a blues player who only wants to play in A, this doesn't really work [:)]
I used to struggle with scales particularly as, like many rock players, the first one I learned was the blues/pentatonic, ands its not very helpful to build on. Then when I studied classical guitar I had to learn all these daft scale shapes/fragments for my grade exam that just didn't help me at all. They didn't seem related to each other and it was like memorising a phonebook -pointless and dull.
The most useful thing for me re.scales was learning the three note per string major scale shapes across the neck. Its just seven shapes - learn those and a little theory and you have access to all the modes and a great fretboard map. Make sure you memorise one before you try the next. Once you have the modes down you can add more exotic scales later, but the major scale/modes/ 3 note per string thing is pretty fundamental.
To make scale practice interesting, the best thing is to improvise over a backing. If this sounds scary, it needn't be. For example, learn your three note per string A major scale in fifth position, then practice playing it over a recording of an Alegrias in that key (or better still, record the chords yourself.) Start off by just playing up and down the scale, then try and pick out little tunes and melodies from that scale. That will teach your ears and fingers a lot.
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