Get a FREE, Personalized 7-Day Music Making Course |

Beginner Guitar Scales

Published On:

Last Updated:

This post contains affiliate links. We may earn commissions from purchases made through our links. Learn More.

If you’re a new player, learning guitar scales for beginners is an essential skill you can’t ignore.

In this post we’ll go over the 5 most important scales around.

You’ll learn exactly how to play these in every single key.


Deviant Noise TOP PICK Recommendation:

The best way to learn guitar from A to Z

Guitar Tricks Ad

All About Scales

If you’re completely new to playing guitar, then the first thing you should do is read our complete beginner’s guide to playing guitar.

You’ll learn all the basics there. In addition to that, if you’re not familiar with what scales are, how they’re formed and what they do you need to brush up on basic music theory.

After you’re done with this guide, we’ll get into learning basic guitar chords.

But since you’re here, a scale is a series of notes that sound like they all go together when played in a particular order. Songs are written with a specific scale (or “key”) in mind.

They are the basic building blocks to chords and songs.

Closeup of Hand on Guitar Fret Board

How to Read the Diagrams

The guitar scale diagrams below show you the basic pattern each scale uses.

The red dots are the ROOT notes (1st note/tone) of each scale. The black dots are the rest of the notes within the scale.

Read the diagrams left to right, starting at the left-most RED DOT on the bottom line, moving upwards to the last red dot. The bottom line is the 6th string (thickest) and the top line is the 1st string (thinnest).

There are no note letters on any diagram. That means you can use that same pattern to play that scale in any key. For example, the C major scale uses the same pattern as the D# Major scale, it just starts in a different spot on the fret board.

The diagrams do not have any finger numbers on the dots, because depending on where you start on the fret board, different fingers may be easier to use than others. Play around until you find something you’re comfortable with.

Knowing Which Scale You’re Playing

So how do you know which scale you’re on? You know your guitar strings right? The 6th string is the low E if you play it open (no fret). Every fret up the fret board raises that E note up a half step.

If you’re using the scale patterns below starting on the first fret you’re playing the F scale, because the F note is a half step above E. If you start on the second fret instead, you’re starting on F#/Gb, since that’s a half step above F.

The same goes for all the other strings.

Each scale below spans 2 octaves and starts/ends on the root note of the scale you’re playing.

How to Practice the Scales Below

It’s always a good idea to start slowly and make sure you’re hitting each note in the scale cleanly. Then start speeding up while keeping good form and sound.

Make sure you’re playing the skill up (ascending) and down (descending) each time.

Start with one type of scale, and try to play it on each of the 12 notes available to you.

Practice for 15-30 minutes every day.


Sweetwater

Guitar Scale Diagrams

OK, now that that’s out of the way, here are 5 guitar scales for beginners you need to know.

Memorize these scale patterns, and you’ll be able to play the scale in any key on the guitar.

The Major Scale

The major scale in music is extremely popular and widely used. It, along with the minor scale, is something you’ll come across when playing music over and over again.

Beyond this, if you know the major scale, you’re half way to unlocking a number of other more advanced scales (more precisely, modes).

Major Scale Diagram

The Natural Minor Scale

This is another very popular music scale, and is used a lot in hip-hop and rock. It’s got a very melancholy, sad vibe to it.

But it doesn’t have to be a “sad” song. It can work great in a lot of different contexts.

Natural Minor Scale Diagram

Major Pentatonic Scale

The major pentatonic guitar scale may not be as popular as the major and minor scales, but it’s just as important to learn – especially for beginners.

It’s called pentatonic because it only contains 5 notes, but it’s known as the “grand master” of all scales.

Learn both this and the minor pentatonic below and you’ll be well on your way to being a great soloist.

Major Pentatonic Scale Diagram for Guitar

Minor Pentatonic Scale

This is the minor version of the above scale we mentioned. Another essential one you should memorize the pattern of.

It’s a great scale for soloing and songwriting.

Minor Pentatonic Scale Diagram

The Blues Scale

Finally, to round out our list of absolute “must-know” scales on the guitar in the infamous blues scale.

If you don’t know how to play blues, do you really know how to play guitar?

So many great songs were written using a blues scale, and when you learn it you’ll be channeling some of the greatest guitarists to ever do it.

Diagram for Blues Scales on Guitar

Advertisement:

An easy and fun way to learn guitar

Fender Play Ad

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are Guitar Scales Important?

If you want to learn how to play music, create your own music or even just solo on a guitar, you need to learn scales. Scales on a guitar are various sets of notes that all sound good together. If you know these different combinations of notes, it really opens up your ability to play music that sounds good, improvise on the spot and make your own music. Scales are also the basis to chords, which are how you develop an emotional flow of a piece of music.

What Are Guitar Scale Modes?

Guitar scale modes are basically slight variations to various guitar scales out there. One or more notes are altered from the original scale to form a new “mode” of playing that scale. The altered note in the scale which creates the “mode” adds more complexity to the emotion that’s created by the notes of that original scale. It’s a subtle, but significant change in mood. Modes can be used to make music that’s more unique/complex in terms of “vibe” or emotion.

Can Guitar Scales Be Played Anywhere?

Yes, guitar scales can often be played anywhere on the guitar. It all depends on the note you start on, and the pattern you use to get to the next note. But if you know the “pattern” that is used for a certain scale, you can transport it anywhere on the guitar (so long as you’re starting on the same “root” note) and it will play out properly.

What Guitar Scale Should I Learn First?

Most people who learn music first start with the C Major scale. This is a fairly straightforward scale to learn, especially on instruments like the piano. Starting off your learning on the C Major scale is a good place to begin even if you’re on the guitar. Try it out!

Get Our Free Guitar Course and Cheat Sheets!

Enter your name and email to instantly get access to cheat sheets for Guitar Scales, Chords, Strumming Patterns and more, plus a 7 Day Course to Better Guitar Playing!

“Yes! Send me the music making cheat sheets and 7-day course. I’d also like to receive more music making tips, resources and guides from Deviant Noise!”

    We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    Scales Wrap-Up

    Thanks for checking out our complete guide on the most essential scales every student needs to know.

    Next up, we recommend reading our guide to guitar chords for beginners.

    There are more scales out there, and some pretty scientific information on scales, but it’s important that you focus on these basic scales first and master them as much as you can.

    Now that you’re done learning these, be sure to download our free Guitar Chord and Tab Cheat Sheets so you can speed up your progress when learning how to play guitar.

    Thanks again for reading this guide on beginner guitar scales!

    If you really want to become a better guitar player fast, I highly recommend you check out Guitar Tricks (14 Day Free Trial) – they’ve got a TON of in-depth video lessons on everything you could possibly want to learn.


    Deviant Noise TOP PICK Recommendation:

    The best way to learn guitar from A to Z

    Guitar Tricks Ad

    About The Author:

    Photo of author

    Omar Zulfi

    Omar Zulfi is a music producer, rapper, singer, songwriter and digital entrepreneur. He is the founder and head writer at Deviant Noise. Learn more about what he's doing by clicking here.