QUOTE(easlynich @ Feb 15 2008, 01:45 AM)
say, any1 can tell me what the use of learning the scales? as in... now i can do major and minor pentanoid. so, what can i do with them?
1. You can move your fingers faster, more independence, and if you do it right, your pinky also useful, you become a 4 fingers player, like me. Nyuk nyuk nyuk.
2. Many songs are based on some sort of scales. You will be able to learn new songs and solos much faster.
3. You can improvise, write better songs based on certain scale progression theories. This is for the advanced players already, I am not there yet.
4. Improves your hearing and able to recognise notes better, helps you to learn songs by the ear. When you hear a bluesy music you know for sure it must be based on a blues pattern so you can find your notes easily after you found the root/key. If you hear a Chinese/eastern music, straight away think of the pentatonic minors from there.
But so far I think the immediate benefits would be faster/accurate fingers and easier to learn new songs. This applies to songs with leads/solos only. Chord strumming is not very related, that's where arpeggios comes but later lah, when you come to sweep picking.
The improvisation and composing part is later.
Many newbies make a mistake of learning to play songs first, and developed very bad techniques.
Many ended up a 3 finger player and completely neglected the pinky. I've seen those gwailos, good guitar players but always use 3 fingers only and stretch apart on areas that requires 4 fingers, 1 fret each finger.
If i told you I played nothing but scales for 1 whole year, not sure you believe or not. I am one who dont find playing scales to be boring... since I am quite obsessed with it and have developed some sort of OCD towards getting the perfect no-mistake scales.
But this damn helped me a lot, so my first song is saber rider and the star sheriffs.... Almost finished learning the song already, can play the solo/lead faster than the default 157 bpm.
Scales also helps you to be a shredder, if you wanna play like yngwie malmsteen you definitely gotta learn even more and practice them regularly and understand the theory behind it and scale progression.
This mostly apply to electric guitar players.
If you're an acoustic strummer, it wont be so useful unless you wanna play something like Paul Gilbert's acoustic 'Be With You' from Mr Big.