Help with scales

I have been playing for a few years now. Just reading tabs and learning songs. I have recently decided to try and actually learn the guitar through frustration of not really knowing anything about the guitar. I have never studied scales and through some reading have seen that the first important scale to learn is the minor pentatonic scales? Any advice on the best way to learn these scales will be so so extremely appreciated! Most importantly, starting out is it more important to just learn the patterns, or the notes as well?

wow. well... honestly, if you wanted to get start faster start with the easiest most symetrical scale, minor pentatonic. if you want to start the right way in my opinion, start with the major ionian scale. learn that and continue. id learn each scale...ionian, then aeolian. minor and major scales. then id understand them. get a teacher, or a friend. hear how the chords sound, connect and piece together with each of the scales. practice just playing the scales up and down to the chord. practice just playing the scales up and down period. understand where the 3rds, 5ths, 7ths are. understand what the 3rds 5ths nd 7ths are. understand what they do, how they sound, what they bring. understand the #s to the scale, a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and so on. understand what a scale is, what a mode is! understand that a tonal center is WAY different then the key. practice going up and down the scales in 4ths, and 3rds. SOOO much to do. thats the right way. slow, boring. the fast way is pentatonics and play songs you like.

what id do is have fun. play songs you like, that what you wana do anywway right? then take i guess 15-30 minutes out of the day to understand and learn scales. i honestly spend like 2-3 hours a day just doing scales and practicing. i think one day i was doing a "rolling lick" hammer ons, 1h3h5p1h3h5 and repeat. i was trying to get that rolling major lick to get up the fretboard. its boring and tedious but i did it with one hand...which allowed me to talk on aim, facebook, go on youtube, here, other things to keep my attention and with my left hand id just do that rolling lick like a drone lol.

anyway.....what is your goal? to play for your enjoyment? a band? teach? gig? understand the guitar? understand music(often missed by ignorant guitarists... they try to master the guitar as a guitar and not a guitar as a musical instrument or as part of music. hard to explain)? what are you looking for? you can do it, we can help. haha

not to sound contrary, but i would start with the pentatonic scales. theyre the easiest to learn, they good practice for getting your right and left hands coordinated, they help to simply find your way around the neck, and in my opinion they sound the best. but really you can start with what you want, you can try doing the major and minor scales, and if theyre too complicated you can switch to the pentatonic scales

pentatonics are part of the major and minor scales. pentatonics are easier, and youll learn faster, but in the long run, starting with major, and minor will be more benificial.

check out the "Scales help" thread for some additional info