Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Basic knowledge on learning guitar scales

By Mike Bordon


Playing the chords is one of the most primary things in learning the guitar. It is very much necessary and essential to learn to play the chords if you wish to be a guitarist. They can be considered as the absolute base of guitar learning. Major chords and Minor chords are the two types of chords. This article concerns scales, not chords. Scales are, in common terms, a union of chords. Read more about scales further through this article.

Like mathematics, scales have also certain rules which are to be followed for the correct operation. The combination of certain numbers make a series, similarly, the combination of certain notes or chords in the guitar makes up a scale. This can't be explained any simpler. Pentatonic scales, Major scales, Minor scales, Sharp scales, Flat scales, Chromatic scales etc are some of the varieties of scales.

If you have to learn an unknown song or identify the chords for a music piece, learning scales is absolutely necessary. If you have a taste of music and know the base knowledge on scales, you can easily figure out scales in no time. You can play any song you want, based in a specific scale, if you are proficient in that scale.

There are three basic factors which bring out good music- rhythm, melody and harmony. Without a good combination of these three, you could be worthless in music. In order to boost your capability in combining these elements and produce good music, learning scales is very much necessary. Many people who learn music and various instruments these days often forget this fact and do not produce good results- the standard comes down drastically. Without learning scales one cannot reach the heights one usually dreams of.

Now, I will give you some basic instructions on beginning to learn the scales. First of all, your guitar should be properly stringed and tuned. I give you these instructions under the assumption that you have some knowledge about the guitar. You can tune your guitar with the help of some standard-tuned musical instrument, an electronic keyboard perhaps. You can also tune it online. There are many websites which give the correct tuning levels for you.

It is always better to understand and learn the relationship between different notes and chords rather than by-hearting the chords of a scale by names. Names are just tools to help you out in finding and knowing this relationship. After learning the basics you can easily get this connection.

Scales are made up or composed using an array of chords. World-wide, it is the chord C Major which is taken as the base or standard in determining the scales. It is also called the zero sharp, or zero flat scale. Sharp scales, in their correct musical order, after C Major are- G Major, D Major, E Major, A Major, B Major, F sharp (sharp noted by the symbol '#') Major and C# Major. Flat scales, from C Major are F Major, B flat (flat noted by the symbol 'b') Major, Eb Major, A b Major, D b Major, G b Major and C b Major.




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