scales

[freya]

i'm here to ask about scales. how many 'types' are there? i notice there are major, minor, blues, chromatic, pentatonic, etc. well what more is there to scales and what kinds can i learn?

[Don't Fuck With Me]

Learn the the major scale and then learn how other scales are derived from it by altering it.

Beats the hell out of trying to memorize 642 different "patterns".

Same goes for chords. Learn how chords are built from scale tones, and then you will be able to finger any inversion of any type of chord in any place where it can be produced anywhere on the neck, without having to memorize 4,956 of them out of a book.

[freya]

i knew that scales were repetitive. that is why i wondered why should i bother learning a bunch of scales that are almost exactly the same as the one note below it.

[sexymonkey]

Lets say... the Minor Pentatonic. There are lots of different "patterns" for it, but it's always the same 5 notes, in different order, an octave lower or higher, or just different, as you go up the neck the tone is overall better sounding. There's lots of scales, and then there's also lots of modes. Some patterns are worth memorizing, like lets say... two patterns for each scale, but also know how to make the scale so you can add phrases that aren't otherwise in the "pattern"

[T BAG]

Scales shmales.

[emixolydian]

Almost every scale can be related back to the major scale. Learn the major scale, and how it is formed. Then learn the natural minor scale, then the melodic and harmonic minor scales. These are the most frequently used in contemporary music- their modes included.

You probably already know the pentatonic scales, which are used heavily in rock music.