Most guitar aficionados agree that one of the keys to learning and mastering the guitar is to be able to play scales with aplomb. I think it is a part of guitar playing that is too often glossed over, and not covered in the detail it deserves. Scales are about more than just moving your fingers up and down the frets playing notes in procession. They are the building blocks used to play all types of music and are the key to performing electrifying guitar solos. All of the great riffs and licks that you hear in your favorite songs, are played by musicians who have a complete understanding of scales and their importance. This course teaches you not only how to execute guitar scales but also how to use them to improve your overall guitar abilities.

The first challenge faced by the guitar player who wants to learn how to play scales is the vast number of different scales that can be learned. To the beginner it seems like an infinite number of note combinations and can be daunting to even the most determined guitarist. That is why a course like this one can really help. Unlike most guitar tutorials that spend little or no time teaching scales, this course has the singular goal of helping you to learn your scales. The Guitar Scale Mastery program cuts through all the different combinations of scales and just teaches you the ones that are essential to becoming a better guitarist. This makes it perfect for beginners who don’t know where to start as far as learning to play various scales.

Craig Bassett wrote the course and he admits right up front that it will not be suitable for everyone. But he says that anyone who wants to learn to play by ear, and create solos like the ones they love to listen to, will benefit from the lessons. It is a web-based system that first teaches students to play single-string scales. This helps you internalize the basic format of scales, so that they become second nature. The course expands to include two and three string versions, and soon you will be playing across the whole fret board.

What if you’re a more experienced guitarist, who already knows most of the basic scales? Is this still a good program for you? Yes, and I’ll tell you why. This course hones your senses: the ears for hearing the notes on the various scales, the eyes to visualize the fingers moving across the fret board, and the mind to understand the principles behind the scales. I found this course not only improved my grasp and proficiency of scales but also, by getting my senses in tune, improved every aspect of my playing.

Don’t get the wrong idea though, becoming proficient with scales can be a tedious, time-consuming exercise that you will not always enjoy. This program tries to make it fun but there will still be times when you will need to take a break and work on learning different kinds of techniques. That being said, the end results are worth the work that you have to put in to get them. When you discover that you can play a riff that you have created that sounds great because it is in the right key to complement the song you are playing, you’ll be glad you spent the time to learn scales.

Very few guitarists have the ability to truly dominate scales, to move fluidly and musically all over the fret board and to rip off great solos with ease. That is precisely what this course can do for you. If that sounds like something you would be interested in then this program is for you.

If you think you would like a more comprehensive system, however, I recommend Learn and Master Guitar. Steve Krenz wrote the DVD series and it is a great resource to teach you everything that you need to know to play like a pro. It gives you plenty of information on scales and the music theory to understand how and why they are important. But it broadens your knowledge into nearly every style of guitar music out there. If you go through this course, you will understand the theory behind the music you love as well as gaining the skills you need to play it.

To your success,

Crazy Dave

 

...I'm off to the Guitar Licks!