In the beginning learning how to play guitar can be very intimidating. You not just have to learn to play chords but you also have to learn scales so as to be a decent guitar strummer.
And those first few chords can be troublesome. Your hand doesn't go into the positions required very naturally. It requires practice and time to build the muscle strength to be well placed to get your hands and fingers into those chord positions. But over a period you can do it. It just takes a bit of persistance.
For many , learning scales is a bit simpler. You are generally dealing with one finger on one place on the guitar fretboard, so it's a little better to do. And when you know one or two scales you can start jamming together with some of your fave rhythm and blues or rock and roll songs.
So learning scales is a handy place to begin to learn guitar and get your fingers in shape at the very same time. Until you've got some calluses on the end of your fingers it's going to be hard to hold down those strings. And the only real way to get those calluses is to practice. You know what they say... No pain no gain!
Scales Are Actually Pretty Easy - It's All About Shapes
Learning scales to the point at which you are decent at it's not that tough. There are "shapes" on that fretboard that you follow to understand where to play the notes of any specific key. And after you learn these shapes you can just move your hand horizontally on the fretboard to play the scale in different keys. It's actually kind of cool how it operates.
And there's different shapes for different scales. A major scale and a minor scale have different shapes... But only a little. It's actually something that you can pick up fast. A major scale "shape" and a minor scale "shape" for the same key are actually precisely the same. They are just played on different parts of the neck. Once you have learned one you have learned them all.
What's The Best Way To Learn These Shapes
Once you see the shape it's pretty simple to understand. Describing them with words is rather more complicated. When you see a visual of the shape, or perhaps better, watch an mpeg of somebody playing the shape, it's something that you will pick up fast and always remember.
And again these shapes can be applied to about any type of music. They are employed in rock 'n roll, country music, and blues music all the time. In reality a blues guitar scale is almost the same as a heavy metal scale that might be played in a punk rock band. That's the reason why you see many older punk rockers getting into the blues later on in life. They start to realize that the music is awfully similar. It's just a matter of attitude... And maybe a little volume.
And there's something called a pentatonic scale that's even easier. It's called pentatonic because there's only five notes in the scale (penta means 5). There is no need to use as many fingers in the scale and it's pretty quick to pickup (no joke intended). And these pentatonic minor and major scales are the foundation for rock, blues, country, death metal, funk, and virtually every kind of preferred music.
So start learning those scales and start having a little fun with whatever type of music you like. Take a look at my internet site where I have some free guitar lessons and show you those shapes.
And those first few chords can be troublesome. Your hand doesn't go into the positions required very naturally. It requires practice and time to build the muscle strength to be well placed to get your hands and fingers into those chord positions. But over a period you can do it. It just takes a bit of persistance.
For many , learning scales is a bit simpler. You are generally dealing with one finger on one place on the guitar fretboard, so it's a little better to do. And when you know one or two scales you can start jamming together with some of your fave rhythm and blues or rock and roll songs.
So learning scales is a handy place to begin to learn guitar and get your fingers in shape at the very same time. Until you've got some calluses on the end of your fingers it's going to be hard to hold down those strings. And the only real way to get those calluses is to practice. You know what they say... No pain no gain!
Scales Are Actually Pretty Easy - It's All About Shapes
Learning scales to the point at which you are decent at it's not that tough. There are "shapes" on that fretboard that you follow to understand where to play the notes of any specific key. And after you learn these shapes you can just move your hand horizontally on the fretboard to play the scale in different keys. It's actually kind of cool how it operates.
And there's different shapes for different scales. A major scale and a minor scale have different shapes... But only a little. It's actually something that you can pick up fast. A major scale "shape" and a minor scale "shape" for the same key are actually precisely the same. They are just played on different parts of the neck. Once you have learned one you have learned them all.
What's The Best Way To Learn These Shapes
Once you see the shape it's pretty simple to understand. Describing them with words is rather more complicated. When you see a visual of the shape, or perhaps better, watch an mpeg of somebody playing the shape, it's something that you will pick up fast and always remember.
And again these shapes can be applied to about any type of music. They are employed in rock 'n roll, country music, and blues music all the time. In reality a blues guitar scale is almost the same as a heavy metal scale that might be played in a punk rock band. That's the reason why you see many older punk rockers getting into the blues later on in life. They start to realize that the music is awfully similar. It's just a matter of attitude... And maybe a little volume.
And there's something called a pentatonic scale that's even easier. It's called pentatonic because there's only five notes in the scale (penta means 5). There is no need to use as many fingers in the scale and it's pretty quick to pickup (no joke intended). And these pentatonic minor and major scales are the foundation for rock, blues, country, death metal, funk, and virtually every kind of preferred music.
So start learning those scales and start having a little fun with whatever type of music you like. Take a look at my internet site where I have some free guitar lessons and show you those shapes.
About the Author:
Rick Honeyboy Hart has played the guitar for several years and is an experienced blues guitar player. He's played in numerous bands over the years and now helps others learn blues guitar scales on his website www.BluesGuitarInsider.com
