Guitar Lesson -- How To Play The G Major Scale On The Guitar
There are a lot of different techniques involved in lead guitar playing
. One of these techniques is the ability to play different types of scales.
To be good at lead playing, you have to fill up your "crayon box" of lead techniques with as many "colors" as possible. These colors include the ability to play:
1. Scales ( major, minor, pentatonic, blues, chromatic )
2. Arpeggios ( playing the notes of a chord one at a time instead of all at once )
3. Developing "licks"
4. Special effects such as bending, pull-offs and hammer-ons, double note playing etc.
The more "colors" that you have to play with, the more interesting your leads will be.
On the theory that we have to start somewhere, let's start with major scales, specifically (for now) the G major scale.
The notes in the G major scale are: G A B C D E F# G
E------------2--------3-----------------5----------------
B----------------------3-----------------5----------------
G------------2-----------------4--------5----------------
D------------2-----------------4--------5----------------
A------------2--------3-----------------5----------------
E------------2--------3-----------------5----------------
The "root" or the G note in this case is in boldface.
This scale is played in the 2nd position, which means that every note on the 2nd fret is played with your 1st finger, 3rd fret 2nd finger. 4th fret 3rd finger, 5th fret 4th finger. Position playing allows you to play quicker and cleaner without moving your hand around unnecessarily.
Here is another way to play this same scale, this time in the 7th position. Your 1st finger goes in the 7th fret, then line up your fingers fret by fret.
E----------7-------8-----------------10-----------------
B----------7-------8-----------------10-----------------
G----------7----------------9----------------------------
D----------7----------------9--------10-----------------
A----------7----------------9--------10-----------------
E----------7-------8-----------------10-----------------
Again, the root (G) is in boldface. Make sure you stay in position.
Think of these two G scales as forms. There are other forms that would cover the neck of your guitar, but these are the two easiest.
Memorize and practice these forms forwards and backwards until they can be played easily. Start slowly at first, then gradually increase your speed using alternate picking.
by: James Emery Vigh
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