How to Practice Scales on Guitar – 11 Effective Ways that WORK!

Mar 11, 2019

One of the questions I get asked the most is “Marco, How should I practice scales on guitar?” Because there are so many different scales and shapes, how do you know which guitar scale should you learn first? And most importantly, how much time should you spend practicing scales on guitar?

To effectively practice scales on the guitar commit to play each scale for at least 10 minutes a day. You should learn no more than two scales at a time. Practice each scale in one position of the guitar neck before moving on to more complex type of scales.

There are eleven steps you should follow to learn how to practice scales on the guitar.

1. Practice scales for at least 10 minutes every time you exercise.
2. Start by learning the chromatic scale.
3. One octave scale
4. Practice the scales vertically
5. Practice the scales with different rhythmic patterns.
6. Practice the scales horizontally.
7. Play the scales with triplets.
8. Symmetrical pattern
9. Scales in Thirds
10 Scales in Sixth
11. The Melodic Minor Scale

1. Practice Scales for at Least 10 Minutes

If your goal is to learn how to practice scales on guitar the very first step is about making sure you are committed. Make scales a priority and practice them for at least 10 minutes every time you play the guitar.

I highly recommend that you play scales with a metronome.

Practicing with a metronome helps you track your results. Start with a low speed and focus on playing each note correctly. Increase the speed when you can play the scale without making mistakes.

Focus on tone and dynamics. Even scales deserve to sound beautiful so make sure you pluck the strings smoothly for better tone and plucking control.

It can be frustrating at first, but with commitment and consistency, you will become a better guitar player.

Before We Get Started

There are a few terms you should learn before we get started.

Learning these musical terms is of paramount importance because you can’t improve something if you don’t know how to name it!

Here are some of the terms we will be using a lot:

Scale: A scale is a progression of notes. The most popular scales are the Major scale, Minor scale, Hamonic Minor scale, and Melodic Minor scale.
Intervals: An interval is a distance between two note. The root note and the next note we play. The two most essential intervals you must learn are the Semitone (also called half-step or just H) and the Tone (also called whole-step or W).
Interval scales: An interval scale is a scale played with two notes. The most popular is the scale in 3rd and 6th.
Measure: The space between two vertical lines in which we write the notes.
Triplets: A triplet is a set of three notes played in one beat. It is usually indicated with a number 3 on top of the three notes.
Chromatism: Any piece of scale that we play between two frets is called chromatism. You will learn more about it in the Chromatic scale section.

2. Start by Learning the Chromatic Scale

The chromatic scale is the musical scale that includes all the twelve notes available in music. This scale is also called the half-step scale because of its interval constructions.

Each note of the chromatic scale is a half step (or a semitone) from the next one. On the guitar, a semitone is a distance between one fret.

If we play the chromatic scale in C, we will have the following notes: C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C.

There are only twelve pitches due to the natural semitone between E-F and B-C.

C – C# = Semitone.
C# – D = Semitone.
D – D# = Semitone.
D# – E = Semitone.
E – F = Natural semitone.
F to F# = Semitone.
F# to G= Semitone.
G to G# = Semitone.
G# – A = Semitone.
A – A# = Semitone.
A# – B = Semitone.
B – C = Natural semitone

IMPORTANT: There are different ways of naming these intervals. The Semitone is also called Half-step or just “H.” The Tone can also be called Whole-step or just “W.” We will refer to W and H when we talk about the Harmonic Minor Scale.

How to Practice the Chromatic Scale on Guitar?

The chromatic scale is one of the best guitar technique-building exercises.

Its symmetrical shape makes it easy to create many finger patterns that you can practice to develop speed, control, timing, stretch, and accuracy.

Let me show you how the chromatic scale looks like on the guitar fretboard.

Chromatic Scale Ex.1 – The Basic Chromatic scale Pattern.

In this very first exercise, play the chromatic scale in the first position of the guitar neck.

With the left hand play the 1st fret with the finger 1, the 2nd fret with finger 2, the 3rd fret with the finger 3 and the 4th fret with the finger 4.

Pluck the strings by alternating index and middle finger. You can also pick the strings with a guitar pick if you prefer.

Chromatic Scale Ex.2 – The One String Chromatic Pattern

Let’s find a more interesting way to play the practice the chromatic scale.

With the one string chromatic pattern, we play the chromatic scale on one string up and down the neck.

This exercise is extremely beneficial for fingers stretch and finger dexterity.

There are a few points you MUST follow when practicing this exercise.

Follow the numbers on top of the music score for the left-hand fingers.
Lower the left-hand thumb down to the middle of the guitar neck.
Position the fingers close to the fret-wire.
Pluck the strings with alternate fingering or with a guitar pick.

When you feel ready, practice the exercise on the other strings.

Chromatic Scale Ex.3 – The Spider Exercise

The spider exercise is one of the most popular guitar technique exercises on guitar.

Many guitar players practice the chromatic scale using this approach in many different combinations and patterns.

In this example, we are going to learn the spider exercise in only one position of the neck. Once you learn it, you can then transpose it up and down the neck.

With the spider exercise, we are going to play the chromatic scale on two adjacent strings, but you can also practice with skipping strings too.

3. One-Octave Scale

An octave is a distance between two notes that have the same name but a different pitch.

When I play a C major scale I am playing the seven notes of the scale, C D E F G A B, plus the note that complete the octave, C.

Practicing one-octave scales is probably one of the easiest ways to getting started with scales.

In this lesson, I am going to show you three different one-octave scales and how to practice them.

One-Octave Scale Ex.1 – Scale Sequence in Thirds

In this exercise, we are going to practice a G major scale in one-octave range.

The major scale formula is G A B C D E F# G.

The scale is very simple to memorize so I am also going to add a few rhythmic variations that will challenge your rhythmic skills and timing.

One-Octave Scale Ex.2 – Four Notes Sequence

In this exercise, we are going to practice the one-octave scale in C major key with a four notes sequence.

The idea is to play the scale in a group of four notes. Each group of notes starts from a different degree of the scale.

Check the example below:

Group 1: C D E F
Group 2: D E F G
Group 3: E F G A
Group 4: F G A B
Group 5: G A B C

Because we are playing a one-octave scale, we can only have five groups of notes.

Check the example below.

4. Practice the Scales Vertically

Things become interesting once we move to vertical scales.

Vertical scales are scales played in one position of the guitar neck in a range between three and six frets and can be used as a technical exercise as well as for improvisation and guitar solos.

In this section, I am going to show you how I like to practice vertical scales and the patterns I like to play the most.

Vertical Scale Ex.1 – Descending Scale Pattern

In this exercise, we are going to play a descending scale in G major key.

Practicing descending scales is always more challenging at first as we are more accustomed to playing scales from the lowest to the highest note.

On top of that, we will play the descending G major scale with a repetitive pattern of four and eight notes.

One of my favorite exercises.

Vertical Scale Ex.2 – Ascending Scale Pattern

Same example as exercise 1, this time we are going to practice this beautiful ascending E minor scale played with a pattern of six notes.

This E minor scale is played in position VII (seven) and starts on the 5th string. Make sure you follow the left-hand fingers on the top of the music score.

More Examples of Vertical Scale

In this section, I am going to show you some of the most popular vertical scales on the guitar you should know.

You can practice each scale to improve your technique by implementing the scale sequences we learned above. You can also use this scale to create beautiful solos and melodies.

Learn how to play these following vertical shapes:

A minor scale
C major scale
E major scale
B minor scale
D minor scale

Notice that not all the scales start from the root note.

A minor Scale

C Major Scale

E Major Scale

B Minor Scale

D Minor Scale

5. Practice the Scales with Different Rhythmic Patterns

Can we play music without rhythm? Well, the answer is no.

Rhythm is one of the three elements that make music possible: Harmony, Melody, and Rhythm.

If you know how to clap your hands or tap your foot to a steady beat, then you know about rhythm.

In this section, I am going to show you how to practice scales with different rhythmic patterns so that you can challenge not only your fingers but also your inner rhythm.

Before we get started, learn the basic duration of the notes and how to name them. We are going to combine different note value to make the scales more challenging to play.

Basic Duration of the Notes

Whole note (semibreve).
Half note (minim)
Quarter note (crotchet)
Eight note (quaver)
Sixteenth note (semiquaver)
Thirty-seconds note (demisemiquaver)

There are also shorter notes such as the 64th note and the 128th note, but they are insanely short for most music.

The Time Signature

Simply put, the time signature defines how to count the rhythm of the song.

Also called “meter,” it is written at the beginning of the score with two numbers displayed in a fraction style.

Some of the most common time signature are the 4/4, which has four quarter notes in a measure, or the 3/4 which only has three.

The measure (also called bar) is the space between two vertical lines where we write the notes.

Learn more about how rhythm works in music by reading this beautiful article written by WikiBooks.

Different Rhythmic Pattern Ex.1 – Quarter Notes and Eight Notes Combined

In this first exercise, we are going to combine eight notes and quarter notes.

The scale we are learning is the A minor Phrygian scale, which is the scale built on the 3rd degree of the Major scale.

The notes are: A Bb C D E F G A

Play one note per beat for the quarter note and two notes per beat for the eight note.

In the measures with the quarter note, count 1 2 3 4 and play one note per beat. In the measures with the eight notes, count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Play two notes per beat.

Different Rhythmic Pattern Ex.2 – Eight Notes and Sixteenth notes Combined

Let’s spice things up and try something more fun to play.

In this example, I am going to show you how to play a beautiful E major scale with both eight notes and sixteenth notes.

To make it more interesting, we are going to create a melodic pattern that sounds like classical music.

Remember to play two notes per beat for the eight note and four notes per beat for the sixteenth notes.

Different Rhythmic Pattern Ex.3 – Chromatic scale in 4 and 6

Another great way to practice scales with different rhythmic patterns is what I call “Scale in 4 and 6”.

When you practice the scale this way, you will play four sixteenth notes followed by six sixteenth note, called sextuplet.

It is easier to use this rhythmic pattern with the chromatic scale because of the symmetrical shape that the scale offers.

Learn the exercise below.

6. Practice the Scales Horizontally

Horizontal scales are one of the most exciting and fascinating guitar exercises you’ll ever practice.

Opposite to the vertical scales, which are played in one position, the horizontal scales are played up and down the guitar neck between five and twelve frets.

When you see the horizontal scale on a diagram, you get a clear idea of how complex it is.

Remember to play each note from the bottom left just as you would read a book. You will start with the 5th string fret 3 and 5, then the 4th string with fret 2, 3, 5, and 7, etc.

The horizontal scales reminds me of when I was studying classical guitar. When you play classical music, you spend a lot of time working on your technique. Scales and arpeggios are among the guitar exercises you will practice the most for years.

I still remember me practicing all these beautiful horizontal scales up and down the neck and how good it felt to play them.

A great exercise for your technique, neck memorization, speed, and control.

Horizontal Scales Ex.1. E major scale

Let’s get started with this E major scale played in three octaves played in three positions of the neck.

The notes of the E major scale are E F# G# A B C# D# E.

Follow the left-hand fingers on top of the score.

Horizontal Scales Ex.2. E Minor Scale

Let’s play the same scale shape in the minor key.

The E minor scale is E F# G A B C D E.

Horizontal Scales Ex.3. A Harmonic Minor Scale

The Harmonic minor scale (also called Aeolian #7) is a Natural minor scale with the 7th note sharpened.

Let’s compare the A Natural minor scale with the A Harmonic minor scale.

The sound of the Harmonic minor scale reminds me of the Spanish flamenco music as well as Arabic and Classical.

In this section, I am going to show you the B minor Harmonic scale played horizontally. Play the scale with alternate fingering index-middle or middle-index.

7. Play the Scales with Triplets

Playing scales with different rhythmic patterns is indeed one of the most effective ways to take your technique to the next level.

The triplet is the rhythmic pattern I usually give to my students once they master the sixteenth notes. Some guitar players call this “switching between 4 and 3,” and the reason for that is because we refer to triplets as three notes per beat as opposed to the sixteenth note which is four notes per beat.

The triplet looks like this.

So, how do we count the triplets?

In the examples below, one beat takes one triplet. We call it “Three notes per beat.”

There is a very simple system that a lot of guitar players and musicians use to count the triplets correctly.

Split the three notes as it follows: one-tri-plet, two-tri-plet, three-tri-plet, four-tri-plet. Start again from number one for each measure.

Let’s practice two scales with triplets.

Ex.1 – G Major Scale Played with Triplets

In this example, we are going to learn the G major scale with triplets.

Remember to play three notes for each beat.

Ex.2 – B Minor Scale Played with Triplets

Another scale played with triplets, this time in B minor key: B C# D E F# G A B

Notice how the scale is played differently on the way back.

8. Symmetrical Patterns

A symmetrical, pattern is a set of notes that can be repeated on different octaves.

It is called symmetrical because it’s played with the same shapes over a different set of strings.

Look at the G minor below and how the six notes G A Bb C D Eb are repeated one octave higher on a different set of strings with the same shape.

This way of playing scales works perfectly on the electric guitar due to the number of frets available. However, I find that some of these patterns can also be played on the acoustic guitar.

Let me show you a few examples.

F minor Symmetrical Scale Ex.1

In this example, we are going to combine two patterns on the same set of strings in F major key. The notes are F G A Bb C D.

The scale starts on the first fret so the positions can be quite stretchy.

Take it step-by-step and save your tendons.

9. Scales in Thirds

Practicing scales in thirds is indeed one of the best ways to develop the fingerpicking technique on guitar.

A 3rd is a music interval. Precisely, it’s the distance between one note, called root, and its third.

The 3rd can be major or minor depending on how many tones and semitones there are between the two notes.

Let me show you the difference between major and minor 3rd.

Because we are plucking two notes at the same time, it is obvious that playing interval scales like the one we are about to learn can be beneficial for your plucking technique as well as finger’s stretch and control.

There is a lot of plucking patterns that we can use to play scales in 3rd.

Let me show you a few of them.

Ex.1 – Scale in Thirds in C major

In this example, pluck the strings with the index and middle finger.

Use the left-hand fingers shown on top of the music stuff. The passages with the little finger are the most stretchy. Take it step-by-step.

Ex.2 – Scale in Thirds in B Harmonic Minor

Another example in 3rd in B Harmonic minor key.

This scale is played without open strings.

Ex.3 – Scale in Thirds with Different Plucking Pattern

You can practice the scale in 3rd by playing a combination of notes called “Root/3rd – 3rd/Root”.

With this combination, the first chord starts with the Root note followed by its 3rd. The second chord starts with the 3rd first.

Pluck one string at a time and play the notes as evenly as possible. If the plucking hand gets tired, stop immediately.

This is a very simple example in C major. You can then extend this concept to any other scale you know.

10. Scales in Sixth

You can also practice scales in sixth.

The 6th is a musical interval just like the 3rd but with the distance of six notes between the root and its 6th. This interval can also be either major or minor.

This is an example of major and minor 6th on guitar.

Ex1 – A major Scale in Sixth

The first example in position one in very simple.

The A major scale is: A B C# D E F# G# A

11. The Melodic Minor Scale

The Melodic minor scale is just like a Natural minor scale with the 6th and 7th degree raised.

This is the scale formula of the Melodic minor scale.

One of the main characteristics of this scale is that it is played differently ascending or descending.

The ascending scale is the Melodic minor scale. In C minor the scale looks like this: C D Eb F G A B C.
The descending scale becomes Natural. C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

This is how the scale looks like:

Difference Between Classical and Modern music

You can practice and play the Melodic minor scale in two different ways.

In Classical music the scale is played with the formula we learned above with the descending scale becoming natural.

In Jazz music, the scale is played the same both ascending and descending as it mainly used for improvisations and solos.

Let me show you an example of Melodic minor scale.

Remember to apply all the concepts you learned above to practice the Melodic scale. Symmetrical patterns, thirds, sixths, different rhythmic patterns. They all work on the melodic minor scale too.

Ex.1 – C# Melodic Minor Scale

In this very first example, we are going to explore the C# Melodic minor scale.

The notes of this scale are C# D# E F# G# A# B# C# in its ascending shape and C# B A G# F# E D# C# in the descending shape.

Let’s Wrap This Up

I hope you find all the information inside this blog useful guys.

I know! It’s a lot of stuff to take in one go. I recommend that you practice one scale at a time.

Practicing scales should be something you do consistently over the years. A few months won’t do the job.

Practice guitar scale for at least 10 minutes a day. Use it as warm up or for your solos.

Keep your fingers busy but save your tendons.

Good luck with this lesson guys.

Marco.

7 Chord Progressions Perfect for Songs and How to Actually Play Them

Mar 11, 2019

What’s the best chord progression for a song and how can you write beautiful yet simple chord progressions on guitar?

In this fingerstyle guitar lesson, I am going to show you 7 chord progressions perfect for songs. Each example is played in a different key and shows you how to make a simple chord progression beautiful and song friendly.

For me, the perfect chord progression for a song should be simple. After all, the chords are there to enhance the melody and provide a solid background to the song.

The 7 chord progression we are checking out today are:

G major: Gadd9 | Em | Cadd9 | Dadd11
C major: Csus4 | Em7 | Fadd9 | C | G
D minor: Dmadd9 | Bb(##11) | C
D major: Em9 | A7(13) | Dmaj7 | B7(b13)
D major: D | Cadd9 | G
A minor: Am | Am/G | D/F# | F6
C# minor: C#m | Bsus4 | F#m/A | E/B | F#m11/C# | B

Enjoy this lesson.

Tab available on my Patreon page.

Tab Available on Patreon.

Tab Here

Lagrima by Francisco Tarrega Fingerstyle Guitar Lesson

Mar 10, 2019

Hey guys, let me show you how to play this beautiful piece by Francisco Tarrega called Lagrima.

This is indeed one of the most famous classical pieces on Classical guitar and today I am going to teach you how to play it step-by-step.

We will take a look at the melody and chords as well as the fingerpicking patterns.

Overall, this is a very simple piece that almost every guitar player learn or attempt to learn. It alternates easy and more challenging parts which make it cool to learn.

This is a top 5 pieces you should know if you like fingerpicking guitar.

The full tutorial is available on my Patreon page. By becoming a Patreon you will access all the YouTube tabs as well as all the courses available on this website. You also support my work and become an active member of the BlitzGuitar family.

Enjoy this lesson.

Listen to Lagrima by Francisco Tarrega down below.

Guitar Warm-Up Exercises that will Also Fire Up Your Creativity

Mar 3, 2019

What’s the first thing you play when you grab your guitar? Do you warm up?

I personally love guitar warm-ups. Driving blood into your fingers is an excellent way to start your practice session.

Scales, arpeggios and symmetrical exercises among the most popular warm-ups for guitarists.

There is a downside though!

Every time I practice the famous 1 2 3 4 exercises or the old time favorite scales, I inevitably start thinking about other things — that phone call I have to make or the doctor appointment.

My fingers are moving, but my brain is somewhere else.

Is this beneficial for my fingers? Absolutely! But we can’t say the same for my brain.

So, what if you could play an exercise that also warm-up your creativity?

In this fingerstyle guitar lesson, I am going to show you three warm-up exercises that will also fire up your creativity.

We will learn how:

How to warm-up using melodic scales.
How to create use chords to warm-up.
A less tedious symmetrical warm-up exercise

Enjoy this lesson guys.

Tab Available on Patreon

Tab Here

Studio N.22 – Op.35 by Fernando Sor. Beautiful Piece in B Minor

Feb 28, 2019

Hey guys, let me show you how to play this beautiful piece by the Spanish composer Fernando Sor.

The Studio N.22 – Op.35 is a melancholic classical piece in B minor full of beautiful minor cadences.

The monotonous arpeggio transforms the chords into a sad lullaby that will steal your heart from the very first time you listen to it.

This piece is a must for every guitar player who wants to learn how to play chords that sound beautiful, melancholic, and sad.

Some of the sections can be quite challenging with bar chords always around the corner and some stretchy chords but as somebody once said, “No pain, no gain.”

Good luck people.

Tab Available on Patreon!

Tab Here

Gorgeous Chords and Melody on Acoustic Guitar

Feb 26, 2019

How can you play gorgeous chords and melody on acoustic guitar? Most importantly, can you transform simple chords into a beautiful chord progression?

There are mainly four things you should do if you want to write beautiful chord progressions on guitar.

1. Come up with a chord progression.
2. Add additional notes to the chords.
3. Give a structure to the chords.
3. Write a simple melody that fits the chords.

I am oversimplifying here, but I am sure you got the point.

You don’t need to create something new. Just transform the chord progressions you already know into something more interesting.

I have been playing these chords so many times, yet I was able to find a different way of playing them.

This is how I did it!

I decided that each chord will have to be played with the top E string open. All I had to do was playing the chord progression and make sure I left the top E string open.

The result was awesome.

I came up with a gorgeous chord progression in C major within minutes.

I also implemented a Spanish technique called Tremolo. Let me show you how to use it.

I hope you enjoy this lesson guys. I did!

Tab Available on Patreon.

TAB Here

The 12 Most Important Fingerpicking Guitar Exercises you MUST Learn

Feb 25, 2019

Fingerpicking technique is one of the most creative ways to play guitar.

Think about guitarists such as Tommy Emmanuel, Sungha Jung, Andy Mckee, and Michael Hedges and how they can create beautiful music with the guitar.

They combine chords, melody, rhythm, and percussive technique to create fantastic music arrangements.

However, playing the guitar isn’t as simple as they make it look.

To become good at fingerpicking guitar, it takes time, practice, and passion. Most importantly, you have to know how to get started.

Today I am going to show you the 12 most crucial fingerpicking guitar exercises you must learn if you want to become great at playing guitar.

The word “Great” doesn’t mean you have to become a professional guitar player. Even if you don’t become the greatest guitar player on earth, you still want to be able to enjoy practicing and mastering the fingerstyle technique.

This is just a starting point, but we will be covering many important aspects of playing fingerpicking guitar.

Here are the 12 most important fingerpicking guitar exercises for beginners.

Fingerstyle picking.
Easy fingerpicking pattern for beginners.
Fingerstyle scales.
Fingerpicking chords for beginners.
A simple fingerstyle song. Amazing Grace.
Fingerstyle classical piece in A minor.
Travis picking fingerstyle technique.
Fingerstyle classical song. Asturias (for beginners)
Fingerpicking warm-up.
Fingerpicking blues.
Fingerstyle Spanish Song.
Percussive fingerstyle

1. Fingerstyle Picking

We can play guitar in two different ways: With a guitar pick or with our fingers.

When we pluck the strings with our picking hand, we call it fingerstyle technique or fingerpicking guitar.

The very first step is to understand how to position the fingerpicking hand so that you can pluck the strings smoothly.

Naming the Right Hand Fingers

Guitar players use letters to indicate the right-hand picking fingers.

Here’s how it work:

Thumb: letter “P” from the Italian word “Pollice.”
Index: the letter “i” from the Italian word “indice.”
Middle: letter “m” from the Italian word “medio.”
Ring: letter “a” from the Italian word “anulare”

We don’t pluck the strings with the little finger even though some guitar players do.

One of the most common words you will see a lot around fingerpicking music is “Pima” which represents the four plucking fingers.

Some of the most famous fingerpicking arpeggios are:

Pima
Pimami
Pimiaimi
Pami
Pimaim

How to Pluck Guitar Strings Correctly

Two basic fingerpicking rules show you how to pluck the strings smoothly.

These two rules are essentials for any guitar player who wants to become familiar with the fingerpicking technique.

The two fingerpicking rules are:

Thumb position.
Fingers position.

Fingerpicking Rule #1 – Thumb position

Place the thumb in front of the fingers and pluck the strings downwards. Only use the major knuckle that connects the finger to the palm of your hand.

Plucking the guitar strings with the side of the fingertips produces a smooth and dull tone.

Fingerpicking Rule #2 – Fingers Position

The picking hand fingers should pluck the strings at a 45-degree angle.

Pluck the strings upwards towards the palm. Start the plucking movement by moving the finger away from the string to generate speed an momentum. This movement is called “Preparation,” and it comes from the major knuckle. As your finger touches the string, articulate with the minor knuckle upwards. This part is called “Plucking.”

2. Easy Fingerpicking Pattern for Beginners

Let me show you a straightforward fingerpicking guitar exercise for beginners.

This basic fingerpicking pattern is among the most common patterns for fingerstyle guitar and can be played over different chord progressions.

The pattern is called “P i m a m i,” a six notes pattern very popular in Classical and Folk music.

Here’s the exercise:

The basic chords I am playing in this example are straightforward and perfect for beginners. Some of them will probably sound new to you (and your ears).

Practice one chord at a time if you have to and practice the exercise slowly.

3. Fingerstyle Scales

There are different ways to practice scales on the guitar.

Some guitar players practice scales to improve their technique and speed or to improvise over a chord progressions.

Others use scales to learn more about music theory.

For me, scales are among the most important things every musician should learn. Today, I am going to show you how to get started with scales and how to practice scales with purpose.

How to Practice Scales on Guitar

Mastering scales takes time and practice.

If you want to get started playing single notes and melodies on fingerpicking guitar, you should learn the scales below.

In this lesson, we are going to learn and practice all the example in the C major key. You can then transpose this concept in other keys.

There will be a musical example for each scale so that you can see how to transform scales into beautiful melodies.

Let’s get started with the fingerpicking guitar exercises for technique and speed.

The C major Scale – For Technique and Speed –

The notes for the C major scale are C D E F G A B C.

If you want to practice the C major scale to improve your technique and speed, you should start by playing the scale up and down the neck.

*About the fingering*. The number next to the notes show you the left-hand fingers you should use.

Number 1: index finger
Number 2: middle finger
Number 3: ring finger
Number 4: little finger

C Major Scale Exercise #1

C Major Scale Exercise #2

The C major Scale – For Writing Fingerstyle Melody –

In the following example, we are going to learn how to write a melody on guitar by using the notes of the C major scale.

So, how do we write a melody over chords?

There are three steps you must follow:

Step 1: Learn the C major scale
Step 2: Write a chord progression
Step 3: Simplify the chord progression
Step 4: Play the notes of the scale over the chords

Step 1. Learn the C major scale

Learn the notes of the C major scale in one position of the neck. Notice that the scale starts with the note G, but it is still considered a C major scale.

The reasons why we play the scale on the top three strings only is because we have to keep the 4th, 5th, and 6th string for the bass note of the chords.

Step 2. Write a Chord Progression

How do you write simple chord progressions?

You should know that chords come from scales. Each scale degree generates a chord.

Here’s how it works:

Write down the scale. In this example, we will take a look at the C major scale.

Select the first note of the scale, in this case, the note C. We will call this note the “Root note” of the chord.

A chord is built by stacking up to three notes of the scale. Once you recognize the root note, add the 3rd and 5th.

This is called “triad,” the most basic chord we have in music.

In the example below, we have the Root note C followed by the 3rd, the note E, and the 5th, the note G.

Play these three notes simultaneously to play a chord.

Do the same starting from each degree of the scale, and you end up with seven chords.

C major
D minor
E minor
F major
G major
A minor
B diminished

These are the chords from the C major scale/key.

Select some of the chords from the scale to come up with chord progressions.

The most common chord progression in music is the I V vi IV. If we go ahead with this option, we will play C, G, Am, and F major chord.

You can build other chord progressions such as:

I V
I vi ii V
I IV V
IV vi I V
I II III IV V
I III IV V

In this example, we will only refer to the I V vi IV chord progression.

Step 3. Simplify the Chord Progression

Make the chord progression simple by removing all the notes of the chord except the bass note (the lowest note of the chord.

Step 4. Play the Notes of the Scale Over the Chords

The last step is about playing the notes of the scale over the chord progression.

Check the four different examples below.

N. 4 Fingerpicking Chords for Beginners

Let me show you how to fingerpick chords easily.

There is a basic fingerpicking rule that every guitar player follows to play fingerstyle chords easily.

This rule goes as follows:

Pluck the 6th, 5th and 4th string with the thumb, the 3rd string with the index finger, the 2nd string with the middle finger, and the 1st string with the ring finger.

A simple variation of this rule occurs when we change the set of strings plucked by the index, middle and ring finger.

In the example below, I am going to show you practical examples of this simple yet effective rule.

Exercise #1 – Picking Simple Chords

In this first exercise, I am going to show you how to apply the fingerpicking chords rule.

Learn these basic chords played with a simple fingerpicking pattern.

E minor chord: The thumb is on the low E string, index on the D string, middle on G string and ring on the B string.
Cadd9 chord: Thumb on A string, index on G string, middle on B string and ring on E string.
G major chord: Same as E minor chord.
D/F# chord: Same as E minor chord.

Exercise #2 – Picking Chord Together

In this example, I am going to show you how to pluck the strings simultaneously using the fingerstyle chord rule.

Notice that we are also going to combine chords and melody. The note indicated with the “cross” is played with the thumb slap percussive technique. Every time you see this note, strike the string with the right-hand thumb.

N.5 Simple Fingerstyle Song | Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace is one of the most simple yet beautiful songs that you can play on the guitar.

The remarkable thing about fingerpicking technique is that it allows you to combine chords and melody.

It is entirely up to the composer to decide how difficult the arrangement of the song should be.

In this lesson, I am going to show you a simple Amazing Grace fingerstyle arrangement for beginners that I am sure you will enjoy learning and playing.

Pluck the strings using the two fingerpicking rules we talked about at the beginning of this post, and play the melody as evenly as possible.

This arrangement is explained in full in this YouTube video by LicknRiff. Click here to enjoy this lesson.

N.6 Learn a Fingerstyle Classical Piece in A minor

Fingerpicking guitar is the technique classical guitar player use to play classical music.

As you probably know, classical music is an extremely sophisticated style of music that challenges even the most talented guitar players.

Learning a Classical piece is an excellent way to improve your fingerstyle technique, as well as speed, control, musicality, and tone.

Today I am going to show you a fingerpicking classical piece in A minor called “Allegro” by Mauro Giuliani.

You can watch the video lesson and download the tab below.

Get the Tab Here.

N.7 Travis Picking Fingerstyle Technique

With the Travis picking technique the right-hand thumb plucks two bass notes on a steady beat while the index, middle and ring finger play the accompaniment on the top strings.

The Travis technique was popularized by the American singer-songwriter Merle Travis, who uniquely mastered this technique.

Today I am going to show you a few examples on how to get started with the Travis picking technique.

How to Play Travis Picking on Guitar

With the Travis technique, the thumb plucks two bass notes.

The very first step to getting this technique right is learning the thumb movement.

Pluck the strings with the side of the thumb and keep your hand close to the strings.

This is a fundamental bass line in a Travis style played entirely with the thumb.

Basics and Variations of Travis Picking Technique

Once you are done learning the bass line, you can then add the accompaniment which will be played on the top three strings by the fingers.

Notice that Merle Travis only used his index finger.

How crazy!

8. Fingerstyle classical song. Asturias

Asturias is one of the most popular fingerstyle songs on Classical guitar.

So many guitar players started playing guitar after they heard the main theme of this fantastic classical piece.

Isaac Albeniz composed Asturias. The first arrangement was written for piano in G minor key.

Many transcribed this piece for Classical guitar, but Segovia transcription remains the most popular. He also changed the key in E minor to suit the guitar range.

In this lesson, I am going to show you how to play the first theme of Asturias on fingerpicking guitar.

Again, another classical piece that will improve your technique and musicality as well as tone, control, and overall playing.

Asturias – Part one – Main There

Asturias – Part two – Main There + Accompaniment

9. Fingerpicking warm-up

How should you warm up for a fingerstyle session?

A good fingerpicking warm-up prepares your fingers and mind for a good rehearsal; this is why it should be done before you dive into your favorite songs and exercises.

In this section, I am going to walk you through three things you can use to successfully warm-up your fingers.

1. Scales.
2. Arpeggios.
3. Symmetrical exercises.

1. Fingerstyle Warm-Up with Scales

Warming up with scales is probably the number one thing that most guitar players do.

Every time I grab my guitar, I play a couple of scales up and down the neck. It helps my fingers to get going and focus on what I have to play in the session.

Music scales are incredibly beneficial for both technique and music theory. Nearly all the music written in Western music comes from scales: intervals, harmony, chord progressions, improvisation, and composition.

Let me show you three different scale figure you could use for your fingerpicking warm-up with scales.

Figure 1. Vertical Fingerpicking Scale

The vertical scale is played in one position of the neck between three and five frets.

This is example number 1.

The fingerpicking pattern is: i-m-i-m (index, middle), but there are plenty of different variations such as m-i-m-i, i-a-i-a, i-m-a-i-m-a.

Figure 2. Fingerpicking scale over two octaves

In this example, we are going to play the scale over six strings. For this reason, the exercise is more difficult because the scale is played over two octaves.

Check the example below.

Figure 3. Horizontal Warm-up Scales

Another way to warm-up using scales is by playing them horizontally.

This is an excellent fingerpicking guitar exercise for both warm-up and fretboard memorization.

In this example, I am going to show you how to play an E major scale horizontally.

2. Fingerstyle Warm-up with Arpeggios

An arpeggio is a right-hand fingers pattern that repeats itself.

The P i m a is one of the most popular fingerpicking patterns on guitar. Such patterns can be used to play chords, and they represent a tremendous warm-up tool.

In this section, I am going to show you the three most popular fingerpicking arpeggios every guitar player use for warm-ups.

How to name the fingers

Before we get started, learn the picking hand finger’s name.

The letter “P” – Thumb
The letter “i” – index
The letter “m” – middle
The letter “a” – ring

Fingerpicking Arpeggio #1

In this first example, we are going to warm-up the fingers with a simple chord progression in C major using the P i m a m i fingerpicking pattern.

This simple arpeggio is played with six notes.

The chord progression goes as follows: G | D | Em | C |.

Fingerpicking Arpeggio #2

In this example, we are going to have a look at a fingerpicking pattern played with eight notes.

This pattern is perfect for warm-up your right hand, and it is used a lot by many fingerstyle players.

The patter goes as follows: P i m i a i m i.

3. Symmetrical Exercises

One of the most common warm-up exercises is the one I call “Symmetrical exercise.”

Almost every guitar player is familiar with this type of warm-up because it is virtually the very first thing we practice when we start learning guitar.

This type of warm-up works for many different reasons.

Coordination
Speed
Control
Stretch
Plucking
Timing

Let me show you a few fingerpicking guitar exercises.

Symmetrical Exercise #1 – Two Notes per String

In this example, we are going to play two frets on each string, starting with the low E string.

The left-hand patter is 1 -2 on one string and 1-3 on the other string.

There are three things you MUST follow when practicing this fingerpicking warm-up.

Number 1: Keep the left-hand thumb down behind the guitar neck.
Number 2: Learn space between the bottom neck and the palm of your hand.
Number 3: Pluck the strings with the index and middle finger close to the soundhole.

Symmetrical Exercise #2 – The Spider Warm-Up

The spider warm-up pattern is one of my favorite.

It consists of playing four notes on two strings alternating each note.

You can start with two strings only and build up to six strings when you feel ready.

This warm-up exercise looks like that.

10. Fingerpicking Blues

The Blues is one of the most popular styles of music of all times.

In this lesson, I am going to show you how to play a traditional fingerpicking blues in A.

We are going to combine chords and melody and make this lesson exciting and fun to play.

But before we get started, I should show you the fundamentals of fingerpicking blues.

There are only four things you have to know about the Blues.

1. The Blues chords.
2. The Blues structure.
3. The Blues scale.
4. How to play a simple blues on acoustic guitar.

1. The Blues Chords

The Blues is mainly played with Dominant 7th chords.

We are going to use a simple Dominant 7th chord shape that works perfectly with fingerpicking guitar.

In the chord diagrams below, you can learn how to play the three chords we need to play a Fingerpicking Blues in A.

The chords we are going to learn are:

With these fingerpicking Blues chords, you will only pluck the strings with the dots.

For the A7 chord pluck the 6th, 4th, and 3rd string for the D7 and E7 pluck the 5th, 4th, and 3rd string.

The Blues chords you are about to learn are also called the “173” and the “137” chord. The numbers refer to the chord’s degrees. In the 173 chord, we are playing the Root note, minor 7th, and major 3rd. In the 137, we will play the Root note, major 3rd, and minor 7th.

2. The Blues Structure

The most common Blues structure is the 12-Bar Blues. This is a twelve-bar chord progression repeated over and over.

When you write it down, it looks like something like that.

Each bar (also called measure) is four beats long. The symbol you see on bar number 4, 6, and 8 is a repeat sign, and it means that the A7 chord is played over that bar too.

Play each chord one time and let it ring out for four counts.

3. The Blues Scale

When you play a simple 12-Bar Blues, you can solo with a bunch of different scales.

The most popular scale used in Blues is the Minor Pentatonic scale.

The Minor Pentatonic scale is a progression of five notes from the Natural Minor scale. It is a simple scale to memorize on guitar, and it is easy to implement in a Blues.

The difference between the A minor natural scale and the A minor Pentatonic scale is that the Pentatonic is a scale of five notes only.

Notice how with the minor Pentatonic the II and IV degree of the scale are missing.

Which Pentatonic Shape is Good for Blues

In this lesson, I am going to show you how to write a simple Blues melody using one Pentatonic shape only.

We are going to use the Pentatonic shape number 1, which is the one starting from the root note of the scale.

Learn the Minor Pentatonic scale below.

The notes in the red box are the ones we are going to use to write the fingerpicking blues melody.

4. How to Play a Simple Blues on Guitar

Let me show you how to play a simple Blues on guitar.

We are going to combine chords and melody.

The goal for this lesson is to alternate a blues chord with a few notes from the Pentatonic scale.

This is the Blues melody I wrote for this fingerpicking guitar lesson.

11. Fingerpicking Spanish Song

Let me show you a beautiful yet simple Spanish song that you can easily play on guitar.

This is one of the best fingerpicking guitar exercises that beginner can practice for control and speed.

This Spanish song is based on one of the most popular Spanish chord progression, Em | D | C | B7 |

The fingerpicking pattern we are going to learn goes as follows: P m i P m i P m.

12. Percussive Fingerstyle

Percussive fingerstyle is considered one of the most thrilling modern guitar techniques of all time.

With this technique, you can use the guitar as a drum kit and add groove to the chords you play.

There are a lot of different ways of playing percussive fingerstyle guitar.

In this lesson, we are going to explore a simple percussive technique called “Thumb slap.”

The Thumb slap technique

With this slapping thumb technique, you are going to strike the string with the side of your picking thumb. This sound is similar to the snare-drum of a standard drum kit.

There are three steps you should follow to get this technique right.

Step 1: Pluck a chord.
Step 2. Move the thumb away from the strings to create momentum and power.
Step 3. Strike the string with the side of the thumb. The string should be the same as the bass note of the chord.

Thumb Slap Exercise #1

In this first example, we are going to play a simple chord progression in E minor.

The slapping thumb technique is indicated with a cross.

Notice how the slapped string corresponds to the bass note of the chord.

Thumb Slap Exercise #2

Let’s Wrap This Up

Use the fingerpicking guitar exercises in this lesson to improve your technique and become better at playing guitar.

Each lesson can be customized based on your level.

I hope you get inspired, guys!

Keep playing; keep practicing, keep learning.

Marco.

5 Things that Will Make you a Better Guitarist … I wish I had known before

Feb 24, 2019

Today I am going to show you five things that will make you a better guitarist.

Becoming better at playing the guitar isn’t just about practicing more hours.

Sometimes becoming a better guitar player has more to do with finding your voice on the instrument. The question is “How do you convey your emotions through the guitar?”

In this guitar lesson, I am going to show you five things that will help you understand more about fingerstyle technique, dynamics, interpretation, sound, gear, and playing.

The five points are:

N.1 Fingerstyle technique.
N.2 Dynamics and interpretation.
N.3 Technique.
N.4 Sound.
N.5 Your voice on the instrument.

Enjoy this lesson.

Tab Available on Patreon.

Tab Here

5 Awesome Things you can Play in DADGAD Tuning

Feb 22, 2019

Hey guys, I have been playing around with the DADGAD tuning for a couple of days and I came up with a bunch of musical ideas I want to share with you.

For you who don’t know, the DADGAD is an alternative guitar tuning mainly associated with Celtic music.

This is how it works:

The 6th string is tuned in D (Whole step down).
The 5th string is tuned in A.
The 4th string is tuned in D.
The 3rd string is tuned in D.
The 2nd string is tuned in A (Whole step down).
The 1st string is tuned in D (Whole step down).

In this lesson, I am going to show you five musical ideas in DADGAD tuning.

Each idea explores the different possibilities that this tuning offers. The symmetrical shapes, open strings, and beautiful chords.

Enjoy this lesson.

Tab Available on Patreon

TAB HERE

Learn this Beautiful Latin Chord Progression | Next Level Guitar Chords

Feb 20, 2019

Hey guys, today we are going to talk about Latin chord progression on acoustic guitar.

If you are looking into expanding on chord shapes using altered and extended chords, you should learn the Latin chord progression I am about to show you.

The chord progression we are checking out today is in C# minor and features chords that you might not know. Chords such as:

7thb13 – Dominant 7th with the flat 13th.
Maj7#11 – Major 7th chords with the #11th.
7#9 – A dominant 7th chord with the sharp 9th.

There are a few things I want you to notice about this chord progression.

If you listen to the example played at the beginning of the tutorial, you will notice how each chord is immediately deadened by the right hand. This approach, also called “detached,” makes the music groovy and simplify the chord changes.
Each chord has different voicing shapes. By changing the singing note of the chord, we create the harmonic movement that makes this chord progression so interesting.

A great lesson for intermediate guitar players.

Tab Available on Patreon

Tab Here