6-String Guitar Scale Patterns, Part 1
Hi. This is Hub Guitar.
We're going to explore some patterns for playing through your major scales. These patterns should also definitely be applied to any scale, including the minor scale, modes, and other exotic scales you may have learned.
These patterns can really help you to learn the scales inside out. And they can also be great technique builders.
We're going to play a C major scale by beat grouping.
The first beat grouping is triplets. So I am going to put the metronome on 70bpm and show you how to do it.
Now we are going to do the sixteenth notes. It's a bit harder.
Now we're going to do 5-notes quintuplet. That's a little bit harder and you may need to tap your foot, count it out, and even pick a single note with quintuplet rhythm before continuing.
Now let's do sixteenth note triplets in the major scale pattern.
Learn these patterns, and most importantly, apply them to every scale you play. When you try these patterns, you'll quickly see how challenging they can be -- especially for scales that you're not very familiar with yet. These patterns can be very effective in helping you to master your scale patterns.
These 6-string guitar scale patterns can eventually help you gain mastery of any scale. But let’s start with the most usual fingerings.
A melodic sequence is a fragment of a scale that forms a continuous, seamless pattern. In this lesson, we’re going to look at some ways to transform a diatonic major or minor scale into a sequence using this technique. Let’s start by using the basic major scale fingering, with the root as the lowest note of the scale.
Let’s get warmed-up.
Play the scale up and down to prepare for the sequences that are to follow.
Beat Grouping Sequences
These exercises get progressively faster; start at a very slow tempo. Play all examples ascending and descending. (Descending version not pictured).
3-note grouping.
This grouping ends up being a series of eighth note triplets.
4-note grouping.
These notes are grouped as sixteenth notes.
5-note grouping.
These notes are grouped as sixteenth note quintuplets (a relatively rare figure).
6-note grouping.
These notes are grouped as sixteenth note triplets (somewhat common).
If you master these beat groupings, explore new possibilities, and apply them to all of the scales, they can give your playing a new level of originality and creativity.
Key Tasks
- You must use a metronome to practice the patterns.
- Memorize all of the sequences.
- Try creating new beat groups, or combinations of multiple groupings. (e.g., 2+3)
As the creator of Hub Guitar, Grey has compiled hundreds of guitar lessons, written several books, and filmed hundreds of video lessons. He teaches private lessons in his Boston studio, as well as via video chat through TakeLessons.