How to Play Guitar Scales | GuitaristSource.com

How to Read Guitar Scale Diagrams

Guitar scale diagrams are a learning tool used to find the pattern of notes to play a certain scale, and where the notes would appear on the fretboard of the guitar.

Guitar Scales for Beginners

An introduction to playing scales on guitar for beginners. This lesson focuses on different types of basic scales.

Major Scales

The major scale is a 7 note scale that other guitar scales, modes, and guitar chords are based off of.

Major Pentatonic Scales

The Major Pentatonic Scale is a 5 note scale that uses the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th notes of the major scale.

Major Blues Scales

The Major Blues Scale is an extension of the Major Pentatonic Scale that adds the 3♭ (flat third) note to the scale.

Double Harmonic Major Scale

Other names for this scale are the Gypsy Major, Byzantine Scale, Mayamalavagowla, Bhairav Raga, or Arabic (Hijaz Kar).

Natural Minor Scales

Natural minor scales can be played using the same notes as a major scale starting on the 6th note of the major scale.

harmonicminorthumb-3625065

Harmonic Minor Scales

Harmonic minor guitar scales are very similar to natural minor guitar scales with the exception of 7th note.

minorpentatonicthumb-5282122

Minor Pentatonic Scales

The minor pentatonic guitar scale is a five note scale popular in rock lead guitar riffs and soloing.

Minor Blues Scales

The blues scale is an extension of the minor pentatonic scale, adding the 5♭ (flat fifth) of the scale referred to as the “blue note”.

Hungarian Minor Scale

Other names for this scale are Hungarian Gypsy Scale or Double Harmonic Minor Scale.