Guitar Scales
Guitar scales are most often used when playing lead guitar. Some charts are written to describe what fingers would be the most suitable for playing the proper notes. These scale patterns can be placed on any fret, depending on what the other musicians are playing. Others charts are written in guitar tablature, so only the frets are indicated. Guitar scales are the driving force behind most riffs and solos that we are familiar with. Placing accents and using different techniques related to phrasing can greatly enhance a player’s sound and it is the indicative of each guitarist’s style.
Click the Title to Download the PDF File
These are the most common scales used in rock music for creating solos and riffs. They are also used in blues, jazz, classical, Asian etc.....
The harmonic minor scale sounds like music typical of Spain, Isreal, or Turkey. The jazz minor scale is similar to the melodic minor scale found in classical music but the approach is slightly different.
Open scales are used in folk and rock. Each pattern includes many open notes.
This outline is similar to tablature. It gives us an understanding of how all the notes in a particular key would fit on the fretboard of the guitar.
These exotic sounding scales sound strange and are used by esoteric rock bands such as Primus. Synthetic scales can also be heard in jazz music and modern classical music.
Nils Crusberg
603-303-5873
135 Water St.
Exeter, NH 03833-2456