Guitar All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 1

Putting the Major Scales to Use in Your Playing

IN THIS CHAPTER

Playing major scales using five patterns

Performing pieces using the major scales

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Practicing scales may sound boring, but it’s a discipline that guitarists use to perfect their technique, especially their right-hand technique. Think about this: Classical guitar great Andrés Segovia recommended practicing scales two hours a day! For guitarists who use a pick, rather than their fingers and nails, these scales are an excellent medium to work on alternate picking.

Most music is based on scales. So if you learn and memorize where the scale patterns and positions are, your fingers will know what to do when you see a scale in music. Playing whole passages of notes becomes automatic.

So how do you get to such a place? By taking common scale patterns and playing them repeatedly until you know them cold. “Practice makes perfect,” the saying goes, and it’s true. You not only memorize the notes through repeated playings, but you gradually increase the strength and elasticity of your fingers, which allows you to play more difficult music later on. Sound like exercise? ...