The Importance of Learning Scales
Music scales are often neglected and thought of as boring, tedious, and tiresome when learning how to play the guitar - or any instrument for that matter. What a lot of beginner musicians don't like to accept is how essential it is to take the time to learn and understand scales. Doing so will mold you into a proficient and versatile guitarist down the road. Here are five reasons why you should invest your time in learning scales:
Technique and Coordination: Practicing guitar scales will help develop muscle memory, pattern recognition, and the finger strength needed to play the guitar effectively. The more you practice your scales, in time, you'll notice an improvement in the accuracy of your finger placement, the dexterity of your fingers, as well as the coordination between your fingering and picking hands.
Ear Training: Guitar scales help develop your ear training, which is the ability to recognize and play notes by ear. This will allow you to identify patterns of notes and intervals; helping you to recognize melodies and solos in songs. For example, listening to the third note of any common scale to see whether or not it's flattened will determine if it's a major or minor scale.
Improvisation: Knowing scales and their positions on the fretboard will provide you with a framework for improvisation; giving you the tools to create your own solos and melodies on the spot - an important skill for any aspiring guitarist. While there may not be any formal rules in terms of what you are and aren't allowed to play while improvising, knowing your scales provides you with a guideline or formula to make any improvised melody sound musical.
Jamming With Others: When playing with other musicians, knowing scales and their positions can help you communicate and collaborate more effectively - even if you've never played together before. For example, if someone wants to improvise a song in the key of E major, you'll instantly know which notes and chords you can select from. This allows you to minimize your time having music theory explained to you, and more time doing the fun part - jamming.
Understanding Music Theory: Learning scales is a fundamental part of music theory - the study of how music works. What many beginner guitarists may not realize is there is a relationship between certain notes and chords. Each scale contains a selection of notes and chords that sound more musical than others when played in succession. This will provide you with the knowledge of how music is structured and will give you the ability to write your own songs efficiently and effectively. Once you have a good understanding of various scales, other elements of music theory such as learning key signatures, the Greek modes, etc., will be significantly easier to digest - not to mention a boost in your confidence as a musician.
Learning how to play scales is an essential part of becoming a proficient guitarist. By developing your technique, ear training, improvisation skills, understanding of music theory, and the ability to play with others, you'll become a well-rounded musician who can play a wide variety of styles and genres.