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A B C D E F G Basic Major Scales to Improve Your Skills

By Klaus Crow 18 Comments

Photo by Janek Mann
The one thing most beginners hate to practice is scales, because they don’t see the point of it. It takes some practice to learn scales properly and then it takes another while before you can use them as a tool for your playing. Patience is a virtue.

But once you master the major scales you can really unlock their full potential.

Scales are used for improvisation, analyzing chords, progressions, warming up, speed picking practice and much more. In other words just about everything that is important to become a good guitar player.

When the time is right you will recognize the importance and effectiveness of scale practice.

Today I wrote down 7 basic major scales for you to practice. One scale for every whole note. In music there are 7 whole notes. Whole notes are: A B C D E F G.

Most of the scales below are open major scales, which means they contain open string notes.

Play the scales using alternate picking (alternating up and down strokes ascending and descending).

While there are many other scales, the pentatonic scale and the major scale are the two most important scales to know. With these two scales you can already rule the world.

Study the major scales thoroughly. It’s good for you!


A MAJOR SCALE
e:------------------------------2-4-5---------------|
B:-----------------------2-3-5----------------------|
G:----------------1-2-4-----------------------------|
D:---------0-2-4------------------------------------|
A:--0-2-4-------------------------------------------|
E:--------------------------------------------------|
Continue Reading

10 Essentials On Guitar Improvisation

By Klaus Crow 46 Comments

Photo by Simone13 AKA John Pastorello
365-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps-by-simone13-aka-john-pastorelloBesides writing and playing songs I just love improvising.

When I practice improvising I always first pour myself a cup of green tea, I put on some folk music (e.g. Ray La Montagne, Damien Rice, Stephen Fretwell, Glen Hansard, Sheryl Crow, etc.) on Last.fm or Spotify and then I start to improvise over these songs. I get totally caught up in the moment and let my fingers carry me away.

Other times I practice melodic patterns, triads, arpeggios, licks, everything that will spice up my improvisation skills. You can never stop growing. There is always more to learn and explore.

Improvising is one of the most fun and fulfilling aspects of guitar playing, but also something that requires a lot of hard work and dedication. It’s the next step in becoming a better guitar player.

Here are 10 basic essentials that will help you become a better improviser.

1 – Pentatonics / blues

Learn to play the pentatonic/blues scale all over the neck in all five shapes. It will take some time to learn this thoroughly, but if you practice regularly it will really pay off. The pentatonic / blues scale is the corner stone of all soloing in blues, pop, country, rock and metal. Learn not only the scale, but also how to use it for improvisation. See below.Continue Reading

3 Basic Blues Licks Using The Pentatonic Scale

By Klaus Crow 19 Comments

For all you blues beginners out there, in this video I will teach you the A pentatonic scale and three basic blues licks that use this scale.

The Pentatonic scale is the most often used scale for soloing and improvising in blues and rock. If you are just starting out in blues you should definitely check out this video. The 3 blues licks are free and for you to use in your own improvisation. Copy them, rip them apart, turn them around and make them your own. Use the pentatonic scale to create your own licks and solos. Be cool!

 

 

Tablature explanation:
p = pull off
h = hammer on
bd = bend down
bu = bend up
\ = slide



A MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE:
Continue Reading

3 Cool Blues Licks To Spice Up Your Improvisation

By Klaus Crow 11 Comments

Today I will teach you three cool blues licks to spice up your improvisation skills. There are a lot of blues licks out there that sound a little ordinary so here are some cool blues ingredients to make your improvisation sound more alive.

The licks are all derived from the A minor pentatonic scale, so you can play the licks over an A blues chord progression or a song in Am. I wrote down the tabs (tablature) below. Check out the video to hear what they sound like and how to position your fingers.

Enjoy!

 

 
LICK #1: Continue Reading

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