The 10 Most Commonly Used Guitar Scales?

Guitar Scales Knowledge

Q: What are the Most Commonly Used Guitar Scales?

A: Each style of music has it’s important scales. Here is rundown:

• 1. The Major Pentatonic with scale Degrees: 1,2,3,5,6 is commonly used in Rock, Country, Folk, Bluegrass and even Jazz.
• 2. The Minor Pentatonic with scale Degrees: 1,b3,4,5,b7 is commonly used in Rock, Country, Folk, Bluegrass and even Jazz.
• 3. The Blues Scale with scale Degrees: 1,b3,4,#4,5,b7 is probably the most universal scale being used in all contemporary idioms.
• 4. The Aeolian Scale with scale Degrees: 1,2,b3,4,5,b6,b7 also known as Natural Minor is often used in Rock, Country, Folk, Bluegrass and Jazz.
• 5. The Major Scale with scale Degrees: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 is of course used in all contemporary idioms.
• 6. The Dorian Scale with scale Degrees: 1,2,b3,4,5,6,b7 is again used in all contemporary idioms.
• 7. The Mixolydian Scale with scale Degrees: 1,2,3,4,5,6,b7 is also used in all idioms.
• 8. The Harmonic Minor Scale with scale Degrees: 1,2,b3,4,5,b6,7 is commonly used in Heavy Metal and Jazz.
• 9. The Mixolydian b2,b6 Scale with scale Degrees: 1,b2,3,4,5,b6,b7 is also commonly used in Heavy Metal and Jazz.
• 10. The Symmetrical Diminished Scale with scale Degrees: 1,b2,b3,3,#4,5, 6,b7 is also commonly used in Heavy Metal and Jazz.

It of course is of paramount importance that you can:

• See the scale everywhere on your instrument. If you are a guitarist you need to know it in every position
• Learn these scales in all keys!
• Learn how each scale sounds in a key center to develop your ear training skills
• Apply the scales to Jam Tracks and songs to help you develop your own personal musical style.
• Learn the music theory behind these scales and others so you can communicate with other musicians.
• Develop Modal Sequences so you have a repertoire of ideas that you can express when soloing.
• Work on contextual based ear training so you can recognize these scales when you hear them.
• Work on contextual based ear training so you hear ideas using these scales in your mind and then apply them to your instrument.

To give yourself more color in your playing it is better to learn even more scales because there are some really awesome scales out there that will expand your musical palette. Of course you will have many other questions along the way so feel free to contact me via email and I’ll help answer your questions.

It is also recommended that you read Bruce Arnold’s Blog at his artist site. It contains more discussion of the musical topics found in these FAQs as well as other subjects of interest. You will also find the “Music Education Genealogy Chart” located here which shows you the historic significance of the music education products found on the Muse Eek Publishing Company Website.

The 10 Most Commonly Used Guitar Scales?