Guitar Scales Index
EXAMPLE - WE HAVE DRAWN A CHART (BELOW) SHOWING YOUR (LOW) E STRING . USING THE SCALES , WE WILL KNOW SHOW YOU HOW TO PLAY IN KEY . IF FOR INSTANCE YOU CHOOSE THE A MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE AND YOU WANT TO PLAY IT IN THE KEY OF G , THEN MOVE THE FIRST NOTE OF THE SCALE TO THE 3rd FRET , AS SHOWN ON YOUR CHART AND START YOR SCALE FROM THAT POINT . TIP TO WORK OUT WHAT KEY NEED TO PLAY IN , LOOK AT THE CHORDS ON THE SONG THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO PLAY LEAD TO . AN EASY WAY OF DOING THIS IS TO LOOK AT THE FIRST CHORD IN A RIFF. IF THE CHORDS FOR INSTANCE ARE - A C G D THEN YOUR FIRST THING TO TRY WOULD BE PLAYING YOUR SCALE IN – A THIS IS BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST CHORD . THIS TIP WILL NOT WORK FOR EVERYTHING , BUT IT IS A QUICK EASY RULE OF THUMB . FOR SONGS THAT THIS DOES NOT WORK ON , THEN USE THE MAJOR SCALE . TIP DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU ARE BEGINNING , OR DID ‘NT KNOW ANY OF THE ABOVE . WHY CONFUSE YOURSELF !! ADVANCED THE MORE TECHNICAL REASONING BEHIND FINDING SONG KEYS IS THE CHROMATIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHORDS (MINOR / MAJOR ETC….)
SUPERROCK TIP ! THERE ARE FREE BACKING TRACKS ON THIS SITE , TWO OF THESE ARE IN THE KEY OF A .IF YOU DOWNLOAD THE TRACKS , YOU CAN TRY THESE SCALES OVER THE TOP AND CREATE YOUR OWN LEADPLAYING . IF YOU ALSO DOWNLOAD THE BACKING TRACKS IN THE KEY OF E , START THE SCALES FROMYOUR 12th FRET TO PLAY IN THAT KEY . THE MAJOR SCALE IS THE ONLY ONE ON THIS PAGE THAT WON'T FIT . YOU WILL ALSO FIND THE PHYGIAN WON'T FIT THE BLUES BACKING !! SELECT THE BEST SCALE FOR THE TYPE OF TRACK THAT YOU ARE PLAYING OVER .
Key of A Rock backing track ( Click here )
Key of E Rock backing track ( Click here )
Key of A Blues backing track ( Click here )
Key of E Blues backing track ( Click here )
Beginner lead videos with tab ( Click here )
A MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE - THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT START POINT FOR ROCK LEAD
A BLUES SCALE - THE SAME AS PENTATONIC , BUT WITH A BLUE NOTE ON THE A AND G STRING
A MINOR SCALE - ANOTHER MAINSTAY OF ROCK . THE FULL 7 NOTE OR NATURAL MINOR SCALE . ALSO KNOWN AS AEOLIAN . THE MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE IS THE 5 NOTE VERSION HENCE PENTA MEANING 5 . LOTS OF ROCK GUITARISTS USE THIS ONE . FROM RITCHIE BLACKMORE TO THE THRASH METAL AND HEAVIER BANDS , THIS SCALE IS NO. 1
A MIXED SCALE - THE MIXED OR MIXOLYDIAN SCALE IS WHAT MOST ROCK MUSICIANS PLAY AFTER LEARNING BASIC SCALES .THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THERE IS A BIT OF EVERYTHING IN IT . A BASIC MINOR PENTATONIC FRAME WITH A BLUE NOTE ON A+G STRING, A MAJOR NOTE ON THE B STRING AND A MINOR NOTE ON THE HIGH E STRING . FROM DAVE GILMORE TO DAVE MUSTAINE , THIS IS A VERY COMMON AND FLEXIBLE ROCK SCALE .
A PHRYGIAN SCALE - THIS SCALE HAS A DISTINCT MIDDLE EASTERN SOUND TO IT . IT NOT SUPER COMMON IN ROCK , ALTHOUGH THE MAIN RIFF OF COME OUT AND PLAY BY OFFSPRING USES IT RIGHT THROUGH TO MARTY FIREDMAN FROM MEGADETH WHO UNUSUALLY USES IT AS THE MAIN SCALE FOR ALL HIS SOLOS . DO NOT TRY THIS TO A BLUES BACKING TRACK !
A MAJOR SCALE - EASILY THE SINGLE LEAST IMPORTANT SCALE IN ROCK . 80% OF CLASSIC / CONTEMPORY ROCK SONGS ARE WRITTEN IN THE MINOR MODE . THIS IS NOT DEPENDANT ON THE CHORDS BEING MINOR OR MAJOR RATHER IT THE CROMATIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ROOT NOTES OF EACH CHORD . IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS , JUST TRY THE SCALE WITH THE BACKINGS AND IT WON'T FIT !!
G DIMINISHED SCALE
A SEMI - SYMMETRICAL SCALE
