How to Apply Scales and Advanced Techniques to Guitar

By: Ryan Jarnagin

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Alternate Picking

When applying scale work and advanced guitar techniques, it’s important that your right and left hands be in sync with each other. Throughout these lessons you will play each note with alternate picking (unless instructed otherwise). This style of picking is where you attack a note with a down stroke and the next with an up stroke. It is important to keep the pick as close to the string at all times to ensure note attack efficiency.

First, lets warm up those fingers!

This is a warm up exercise that will help aid you in syncing your fretting hand’s dexterity and your picking hand’s alternate picking strokes.E|--------------------------------------------------------------1--2--3--4/5--4--3--2-------------------------------------------------------------B|--------------------------------------------------1--2--3--4-------------------------5--4--3--2-------------------------------------------------G|--------------------------------------1--2--3--4-------------------------------------------------5--4--3--2-------------------------------------D|--------------------------1--2--3--4-------------------------------------------------------------------------5--4--3--2-------------------------A|--------------1--2--3--4-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5--4--3--2-------------E|--1--2--3--4-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5--4--3--2/

Use all four fingers (pointer through pinky) to fret these notes. The / sign means to slide up to the next note. Continue this pattern until reaching the 12th fret on your guitar. Remember, every note is alternate picking!

Minor Pentatonic Scale

Now that your fingers are armed up, it’s time to learn your first scale! The minor pentatonic scale is broken up into 5 different sections. Each section is referred to as a shape. It is important to note that within each shape, every fret has it’s own designated finger. This means that all the notes that are found on each fret will be played with a specific finger while learning these shapes..

Minor Pentatonic Shape 1We will be learning the minor pentatonic scale in the key of G. This means we need to start our first shape of the pentatonic scale on the note G (the third fret on your low E string).

Shape 1 Tablature Fret: 3 4 5 6 7 E|--------------------------------3--6--B|--------------------------3--6--------G|--------------------3--5--------------D|--------------3--5--------------------A|--------3--5--------------------------E|--3--6--------------------------------

Shape 1 Designated Fingers

These are the correct fingers for shape 1.

Minor Pentatonic Shape 2

The second shape will start on the note A sharp, or 6th fret on the low E string (The note we left off from the first shape). Shape 2 Tablature Fret: 5 6 7 8 9E|--------------------------------6--8--B|--------------------------6--8--------G|--------------------5--7--------------D|--------------5--8--------------------A|--------5--8--------------------------E|--6--8--------------------------------

Shape 2 Designated FingersBegin this shape with your middle finger on the 6th fret on the low E string.

Minor Pentatonic Shape 3

The third shape will start on the note C, or 8th fret on the low E string (The note we left off from the second shape).

Shape 3 Tablature Fret: 7 8 9 10 11 E|-------------------------------------8--10--B|------------------------------8--11---------G|-----------------------7--10----------------D|----------------8--10-----------------------A|---------8--10------------------------------E|--8--10-------------------------------------

Shape 3 Designated FingersBegin this shape with your pointer finger on the 8th fret on the low E string.There’s one exception to the designated finger rule. The pointer finger will stretch from the 8th fret to the 7th fret when reaching the G string.

Minor Pentatonic Shape 4The fourth shape will start on the note D, or 10th fret on the low E string (The note we left off from the third shape).

Shape 4 tablature Fret: 10 11 12 13 14E|------------------------------------------10--13--B|----------------------------------11--13----------G|--------------------------10--12------------------D|------------------10--12--------------------------A|----------10--13----------------------------------E|--10--13------------------------------------------

Shape 4 Designated FingersBegin this shape with your pointer finger on the 10th fret on the low E string.

Minor Pentatonic Shape 5The fifth shape will start on the note F, or 13th fret on the low E string (The note we left off from the fourth shape).

Shape 5 Tablature Fret: 12 13 14 15 16

E|------------------------------------------13--15--B|----------------------------------13--15----------G|--------------------------12--15------------------D|------------------12--15--------------------------A|----------13--15----------------------------------E|--13--15------------------------------------------

Shape 5 Designated FingersBegin this shape with your middle finger on the 13th fret on the low E string.

The Scale as a Whole!Now that you know all of the five pentatonic shapes, you will want to memorize and practice connecting them. Once you have the whole scale memorized visually, you will be able to move the whole scale around and place it in the key of your choice!

1 2 3

4 5

3 Notes Per String Sequences

As you may have noticed, all of the scale work that you’ve learned thus far has had 2 notes per string. This allows for your picking hand to land on a down stroke each time you move to the next string. Now its time to advance to 3 note per string sequences, which will switch your pick stroke from down stroke to up stroke each time you progress to the next string in the sequence.

The Major Scale

We will now go over the major scale, which consist of 7 modes. Each of the modes are unique in dynamics to the overall scale. All of the modes will be 3 note per string sequences and may require addition practice due to the inconsistent up/down pick strokes when progressing across the strings. The names of the 7 modes are Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian.

The G Ionian ModeIonian is the first of the seven major scale modes. We will be learning the major scale in the key of G, which is why we will start the first shape on the 3rd fret of the low E string. Remember to keep the pick as close to the string as possible at all times.

E|-----------------------------------------------5--7--8-- B|--------------------------------------5--7--8----------- G|-----------------------------4--5--7-------------------- D|--------------------4--5--7----------------------------- A|-----------3--5--7-------------------------------------- E|--3--5--7-----------------------------------------------

The A Dorian Mode

The Dorian mode is the second mode of the major scale. It is also known as a minor mode.

E|------------------------------------------------7--8--10--B|--------------------------------------7--8--10------------G|-----------------------------5--7--9----------------------D|--------------------5--7--9-------------------------------A|-----------5--7--9----------------------------------------E|--5--7--8-------------------------------------------------

The B Phrygian Mode

The Phrygian mode is the third mode in the major scale.

E|-----------------------------------------------------8--10--12--B|------------------------------------------8--10--12-------------G|--------------------------------7--9--11------------------------D|----------------------7--9--10----------------------------------A|------------7--9--10--------------------------------------------E|--7--8--10------------------------------------------------------

The C Lydian Mode

The Lydian mode is the fourth mode in the major scale.

E|---------------------------------------------------------------10--12--14-- B|--------------------------------------------------10--12--13--------------- G|--------------------------------------9--11--12---------------------------- D|--------------------------9--10--12---------------------------------------- A|--------------9--10--12---------------------------------------------------- E|--8--10--12---------------------------------------------------------------

The D Mixolydian Mode

The Mixolydian mode is the fifth mode in the major scale.

E|--------------------------------------------------------------12--14--15-- B|--------------------------------------------------12--13--15-------------- G|--------------------------------------11--12--14-------------------------- D|--------------------------10--12--14-------------------------------------- A|--------------10--12--14-------------------------------------------------- E|--10--12--14--------------------------------------------------------------

The E Aeolian Mode

The Aeolian mode is the 6th of 7 major scale modes. It’s also known as a natural minor mode.

E|---------------------------------------------------------------14--15--17-- B|---------------------------------------------------13--15--17-------------- G|--------------------------------------12--14--16-------------------------- D|--------------------------12--14--16-------------------------------------- A|--------------12--14--15-------------------------------------------------- E|--12--14--15--------------------------------------------------------------

The F#(Sharp) Locrian Mode

The Locrian mode is the 7th of the 7 major scale modes.

E|--------------------------------------------------------------14--15--17-- B|--------------------------------------------------13--15--17-------------- G|--------------------------------------12--14--16-------------------------- D|--------------------------12--14--16-------------------------------------- A|--------------12--14--15-------------------------------------------------- E|--12--14--15--------------------------------------------------------------

Connecting the Modes

Now that we’ve covered all of the modes of the major scale, its time to practice them for memorization purposes. Much like the Pentatonic Scale, all of these modes connect to one another, thus creating the whole scale. A good way to memorize these modes is by playing up one mode and then down the next. Another way is by playing all of the scale notes across one string at a time.

Advanced Guitar Technique 1

Now that you have some understanding of scale work and how each mode or shape connects to one another, it’s time to develop some more technique skills.

The next section will cover sweep arpeggios.

Sweep Arpeggios An arpeggio is the notes of a chord played separately. There are shapes that are widely used by many players to accomplish this technique. While we review some of these shapes, remember to try and get only one note to ring at a time. The goal is not to play a chord (more than one of these notes ring) but to play the notes of a chord individually.While using the sweep picking technique, you should be dragging the pick across the strings instead of plucking them one by one. Practice this technique very slowly when beginning.

Sweep Picking Pattern 1

D Major Sweep Arpeggio. [Online image]. Available http://www.full-score-guitar-lessons.com/beginner-metal-guitar-lessons.html, 10/31/2012.

Sweep Picking Pattern 1 FingersThe 14th fret should be fretted with your pointer finger. The 15th fret with your middle finger. And the 17th fret with your pinky. Remember to drag the pick, not pluck. Practice SLOWY!

Advanced Guitar Technique 2

The next section discusses another technique for generating arpeggios called string skipping.

This technique is very useful when coming up with over the top lead lines.

String Skipping Arpeggio Shape 1

The following shape is a major shape in the key of D. Every note should be alt-picked.

E|--14--10------------------------10--14--B|---------------------------------------------G|----------14--11-------11--14-----------D|---------------------12---------------------A|---------------------------------------------E|----------------------------------------------

String Skipping Arpeggio Shape 2

• The following shape is a minor shape in the key of D. Every note should be alt-picked.

E|--13--10----------------------10--13--B|-------------------------------------------G|----------14--10------10--14----------D|--------------------12--------------------A|-------------------------------------------E|--------------------------------------------

Congratulations!

You’ve made it through the How to Apply Scales and Advanced Techniques for Guitar course!

If you review each section and practice all of the scale work and techniques thoroughly, you will have the ability to play some interesting lines over the top of tracks. Happy shredding!