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Want to play guitar like the pros? Part 2 - Scales and Guitar Tuning |
Scales are an important part of guitar. They can build speed, and they are also the roots of almost all solos. Just in case you don’t know what a scale isâ€"here’s a quick review. Scales are playing one note from its octave to the octave above it. They are a good exercise to warm up and practice moving around your guitar.
Before playing any music, even your warm-up, it is important to make sure that your guitar is in tune. How do you do that? Well there are many ways. One method is of course to go out and buy an electric tuner. These aren’t always the safest method because background noise will also play an effect to what the electric tuner says. The 2nd method to tune your guitar, which is also the most accurate, is by using a keyboard or piano. To tune the guitar you need to know all six strings for the guitar. The six strings, from highest to lowest (thickest to thinnest) are: E B G D A and E. You would first hit the lowest E on the keyboard, and move the tuner until it had the same pitch as the E. You would then hit the next B, then G, and so on until all your strings are tuned. Another common way to tune your guitar is by knowing the frets. This requires at least 1 string to be in tune. Let’s say the 6th string is in tune, and then you would play the 6th string and 5th fret. That is the same exact sound as the 5th string open. So you would tune that to the 6th string open. The 5th fret of the string produces the sound of the string below it in ALL except for the 4th string. To get the sound of the 3rd string you must play the 4th fret of the 4th string.
Now, let’s get on to scales. Scales are classified in many ways in guitar. Some are with the notes (A scale). Some are with the fingers (2-4-2 scale), and some also have names. Let’s start out with the chromatic scale. This scale is pretty simple. All you do is start in the 6th string, and play the open string, plus the 1st 4 frets on the string, except for the 3rd string. On the 3rd string you play the string open and then the first 3 frets instead of the 4. There are also major and minor scales. Major scales simply mean there is a happy sound, and minor scales usually produce a sad sound. A good exercise for moving up and down the frets is to play a scale that goes from the top string to the bottom string. To do this, you can align your fingers anywhere. Start with your index finger on any fret, and then put a finger for each fret that’s next to it. Play your index, skip the middle, play the ring finger, and then skip the fret next to the ring finger and reach with you pinky for the fret besides it. So if you started on the 4th fret, then you would play frets 4, 6, and 8. On the next string, you play the frets that you DIDN’T play on the above string. So back to the example, when moving down to the 5th string, you would play frets 5 and 7. When you move down to the 4th string, you play the same frets as you did on the 6th string. Then for the 3rd and 2nd string, you play the same exact frets as you did on the 5th. For the 1st string, you play the same frets as the 6th. So, the 6th, 4th, and 1st strings all play the same frets (every other fret). The 5th, 3rd, and 2nd strings also play the same frets (the frets in between that are not played in the other strings).
Scales will be vital as you learn more about music. They can help you start a solo; they can also help a composer choose which notes he wants as part of his piece. Not only that, but even if you don’t want to compose, scales WILL make you a better guitar player.
David Woodford is a professional writer who specialises in beginners guides for a variety of subjects. He is currently writing this series of guides on learning to play guitar for novices and ‘false beginners’.
More information can be found on his site at http://www.info4u-services.com/guitar
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