Scales

[LIF4E]

What is the easiest way to memorize the fretboard and what is the easiest way to remember scales?

[jlynnb1]

to be blunt, PRACTICE. there is no other way. you just have to do it over and over until it becomes second nature. there are NO SHORTCUTS.

[gtrdave]

Practice a lot. 

Ok, seriously, how do you remember doing things that are difficult? Usually through careful routine practice and repetition. Scales are just a selection of notes put in a specific order. Learn the order, study it slowly and carefully and after a while the scale(s) will seem almost natural. Repeat it for every new scale that you want to learn.
Same with the fretboard. It's just a graph with a bunch of predetermined notes on it. Those notes are in the following order:
A- A#/Bb - B - C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E - F - F#/Gb - G - G#/Ab - A and repeat that order of those 12 notes over and over and over...you can start with each open string and go up the frets, speaking out the note that you're playing. Do this until it seems natural.

[jlynnb1]

another way that is really helpful is to take a specific scale you are trying to learn. play the first 3 notes over and over a few times, then add the 4th degree and play those 4 notes over and over for a while......continue through the scale and however many octaves you want.....it'll help burn the notes into your head and your hands.

[Julie spivey]

I agree with gtrdave in reguards to the sequence of notes on the fretboard...that is just repetitive memory at work...but the real key for scale learning is to justify with somewhat instant gratification by learning two for the price of one...the A minor pentatonic scale on the fifth fret is one of the most recorded scales in Blues and early Rock! But wait...the real bargain is this scale works wonders for the key of C Major...Wallah
You can improvise with one new scale pattern in two different Genres..Blues/Rock or C major Country..this inspired myself to experiment with different phrasing of notes and rythmn to compliment the different styles..sorry I got long winded..its the old teacher syndrome lol

[gtrdave]

I agree with gtrdave in reguards to the sequence of notes on the fretboard...that is just repetitive memory at work...but the real key for scale learning is to justify with somewhat instant gratification by learning two for the price of one...the A minor pentatonic scale on the fifth fret is one of the most recorded scales in Blues and early Rock! But wait...the real bargain is this scale works wonders for the key of C Major...Wallah
You can improvise with one new scale pattern in two different Genres..Blues/Rock or C major Country..this inspired myself to experiment with different phrasing of notes and rythmn to compliment the different styles..sorry I got long winded..its the old teacher syndrome lol

Relative minors open up a door, that's for sure.
That being the case, dicovering all 7 church modes from just 1 scale is like removing the walls, roof and ceiling!

[dafretboy]

Learn the two octave scale patterns for Major, natural minor, and modes.
start with the ones whos root note starts on the 6th string. play it in the 1st fret and then slide up to the 2nd and so on. make sure that you know the name of the note you start on. get a scale book. then learn the patterns that start on the 5th string. ascending and descending.but learn one pattern at a time.Maybe one a week. hope this helps

[jlynnb1]

I agree with gtrdave in reguards to the sequence of notes on the fretboard...that is just repetitive memory at work...but the real key for scale learning is to justify with somewhat instant gratification by learning two for the price of one...the A minor pentatonic scale on the fifth fret is one of the most recorded scales in Blues and early Rock! But wait...the real bargain is this scale works wonders for the key of C Major...Wallah
You can improvise with one new scale pattern in two different Genres..Blues/Rock or C major Country..this inspired myself to experiment with different phrasing of notes and rythmn to compliment the different styles..sorry I got long winded..its the old teacher syndrome lol

true, but i wouldn't be so quick to pin C Major Pentatonic into country. it's heavily used in old school R&B and in rock.

[Julie spivey]

Good point! Which will add an extra incentive to spend more time listening to different genres and tuning our ears to pick out these timeless classics scales of improv..wallah!

[JayP5150]

Good points by all. I wanted to add this, though: I'm a very visual learner, so I mapped out the scale shapes on chord charts, rather than just TAB, that way I can see what shape they make on the fret board. That seems to help me the most. When I was learning my modes, I went so far as to chart this out (sorry that it looks like a 5th grader did it:

http://www.freewebs.com/jayp5150/scale%20chart%20modes.jpg

Basically, I wrote out the 7 major scale patterns, and then set up a color-key for the modes. Pick a color for your desired mode, then grab a scale pattern, and put that colored square on that note. It may not work for some (and, yes, it's sloppy--and the yellow's hard to make out on the scan) but it helped me out during my transition into this stuff.

I'm still working on all this stuff, by the way. Dave and jlynnb1 have me blown out of the water with their seasoned knowledge of theory... but I'm... okay with that....

If this chart seems useful to anyone, by all means, copy and print it or whatever.

[Abe]

Good points by all. I wanted to add this, though: I'm a very visual learner, so I mapped out the scale shapes on chord charts, rather than just TAB, that way I can see what shape they make on the fret board. That seems to help me the most. When I was learning my modes, I went so far as to chart this out (sorry that it looks like a 5th grader did it:

http://www.freewebs.com/jayp5150/scale%20chart%20modes.jpg

Basically, I wrote out the 7 major scale patterns, and then set up a color-key for the modes. Pick a color for your desired mode, then grab a scale pattern, and put that colored square on that note. It may not work for some (and, yes, it's sloppy--and the yellow's hard to make out on the scan) but it helped me out during my transition into this stuff.

I'm still working on all this stuff, by the way. Dave and jlynnb1 have me blown out of the water with their seasoned knowledge of theory... but I'm... okay with that....

If this chart seems useful to anyone, by all means, copy and print it or whatever.

Interesting! Have you considered cleaning it up and publishing it?

[JayP5150]

Interesting! Have you considered cleaning it up and publishing it?

Honestly, not really... There was a guy on the diy forum the other day that posted something similar that reminded me I did this (I wrote that up when I was like 19). I didn't really think it's anything new or original, it just helped me visualize everything.