Guitar Scales

Hi guys, i am very good on guitar but could do with a little help. One thing i am not great on is scales. Firstly what would you people say the most important scales to learn are. Ive seen this question asked a lot on the interner and the answer is normally the obvious ones like pentonic minor, but i want to push myself and know as much as their is know as you guys probably know. So which are most important, Currently i know Blues, Pentonic Minor, and Major.

My second question for example in the blues scale there is a moveable scale so whatever key you are playing you can simply move the scale up and down the correct frets. But what about the other areas of the guitar, is there a easy way of remembering the rest, is there a certain pattern for the other areas? If you dont understand this question i will try and make more sense of it when someone replies.

Thanks

You already know the most important scale, the Major. By knowing this scale you also know patterns for all the modes (including minor).

Some other good scales to learn might be the Harmonic Minor and Melodic Minor. After that you know pretty much all of the important scales and modes. In my opinion, learning any of the "foreign scales" is just silly.

Also, if you want to get into jazz. The Dominant 7th scale is a good one to know. It's just a major scale with a flatted 7th (i.e. a I Dominant 7th chord becomes diatonic). Plus it's in the area of some other good jazz scales like the various bebop scales. Most of those just have an additional flat something-or-other somewhere, so they have 8 tones instead of 7.

Ok thanks for the response.

How do i know the other modes because of the major scale.

I realise the foriegn scales are pointless, but there are alot of scales i hear about like the Dorian scale. Is that usefull? Whats the difference between the natural minor/harmonic/and melodic?

I can someone answer my second question?

Thanks

The Dorian scale is actually the Dorian MODE. The modes are just different instances of the major scale. For example, the Dorian Mode starts on the III of the Major scale. So if you're playing C Major, you'd start on E instead.

Harmonic minor has a raised 7th, and Melodic Minor is the same as the Major but with a flatted 3rd. The other thing about the Melodic Minor is that there are two versions of it. When ascending, you use the version I just mentioned. However, when descending you use the natural minor scale, so just lower the 6th and 7th.

Also, I think I left one of your questions unanswered. Most people learn scales all the way up the neck by memorizing the patterns. If you go to the guitar scales tool on this website you can find these patterns (select a scale, then just click through the numbers to see it broken down into patterns). The other way to learn is by learning it all the way up each string, then just put that knowledge together.

thanks for the info.

For the second question i dont think i explained clearly.

I-------------------------5-8-I
I---------------------5-8-----I
I---------------5-7-8---------I
I-----------5-7---------------I
I-----5-6-7-------------------I
I-5-8-------------------------I
A minor Blues scale

That is the movavble scale, which ever key you are play in you can just move this to the correct thret and that works and is very easy to remember, is they anyway of remembering the other areas easily or not?

You mean the other patterns?

Yeah...I think you mean 'fret' not 'thret'. Hmmm, this might just be me being pedantic but if you are 'very good on guitar' then I'd imagine you would have scales down already!
And also;

If you want to push yourself then you need to know as much as you possibly can - you don't need us to tell you which ones to learn! There are scales that are more common/everyday than others, but the more infrequently used ones have their own flavour and style; learn everything you can. But what everyone else said above is true I suppose.

Afro

Check out this lesson by bodom, all will be revealed. lol

http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/lesson.php?id=23

well, when I came here, I knew only blues scale (part of it). What ive learned here I think there are no "most important scales" I think it depends what style of music you are in to... for me its almost everytime minor scale, cuz my passion for melancholy in music.

to your second question. every scale is about different depends what key (root note as I expression it) is. So if you play a song that is say key E natural minor and playing minor scale on that with different key it not always work right. There might be something I misunderstood, but others can correct it.

Well if you want to stay diatonic, but where's the fun in that? :P