How to Practice Scales on Guitar ... (5 Levels)

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🎸ABOUT THIS LESSON
There are countless ways of play a scale, and I am not referring to the number of different scales available: Major, minor, pentatonic, melodic minor, harmonic minor, etc.
I am referring to all the different shapes of a given scale.
How do we even get started with this, and how do you know which scale's shape works for you?
Some shapes are great for improvising. Others work better if you want to focus on developing speed and control.
In this video, I thought I would show you the different levels of a scale so that hopefully, I can help you figure out which one you need.
Classical shapes (Open strings).
Basic shapes (Noodling scales).
Vertical shapes (Modal scales).
Three notes per string shapes (Rock scales).
Symmetrical shapes (Technique scales).
All the examples will be done with major and minor scales. If you need, you can apply the same system to the other scales you know.
0:00 About scales.
1:01 Classical scales.
2:11 Basic scales.
5:31 Vertical scales.
8:10 Three notes per string scales.
9:50 Symmetrical scales.
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[@floydsmithjr7999]

My problem with scales is, having never been taught anything except the scales themselves, is how to make them interesting. You can only run up and down a scale so many times before your head explodes and you go find something else to do. At this point when noodling or improvising Im basically mindlessly, randomly running up and down the scales. Learning solos from popular songs doesn’t really help. When listening to professionals such as yourself it seems you guys know something I don’t and I cant for the life of me figure out what it is, the way you just throw in these beautiful, melodic sequences without even looking at your guitar is mind boggling to me. Every once in a while I’ll play something nice by accident but its pure luck and I can’t reproduce it on the fly. Im desperately seeking a solution for organizing my chaos.

[@EvilSapphireR]

Some ideas I think would help, try jumping notes, throwing in triads in between, maybe some chromcatic notes as well.

[@tomm5023]

Stop practicing them in boxes, use melodic intervals or diatonic sequences and find them in other places on the fretboard. Use rhythm. Challenge yourself. Forget the scale shapes and box mindset, it’s all about intervals. More important to know than the notes is where the degrees are from your root.

[@ricky9376]

Learning scales is just a way to learn how to play musically. Learn the 1,3,5 and how those are , 2,4,6 and how those are, and every other note is a way to accent them and connect them more melodically. Learn about the sus 2 and sus 4 to Create tension while regular chords are more like a landing spot. You can do this from any starting position. So you can do 2,4 and 5 to creat another sound and then it’s really just about trial and error. See what works and then how to connect octaves and scales together by using theory. So you can use the a minor scale and then jump to the e major scale or the c. Its a lot of brain power to think about it but when you sit and consciously out stuff together instead of mindlessly playing, a lot more ideas will come into play. Eventually it’s like the fingers know where to go and you can make some interesting tunes

[@floydsmithjr7999]

@@ricky9376 I posted that a year ago, here’s the first thing I did after getting pissed, I play all 12 notes on all 6 strings from fret 1 to fret 12 first thing in the morning EVERY day, a simple exercise that takes maybe 2 minutes if that. Now when I’m figuring out a popular solo I take note of every fretted note and name it. You’re right, it’s a brain buster but if you don’t put in the work you don’t collect the pay. I’m beginning to understand or look at a solo based on the chord that’s being played and the structure of a chord progression. I’m beginning to be able to target notes in a solo. Now I look at scales as little more than finger exercises. From what I gather the most important scale is the 7 note major scale. Learn it all over the neck, it is home base for every other scale. I’ve taken lessons in the past but no one explained this to me. I wish I could go back in time and do this the right way but it is what it is. Now I’m battling destroying old subconscious habits and building new ones. The human mind can be a nasty piece of work if you don’t keep it in check.

[@subratpaneru6830]

Same problem

[@gopithota21]

Wonderful Lesson Sir.... Very inspiring..!! 7 positions are the 7 modes of a scale with each degree as the new root of that mode.. C-Ionian D-Dorian E-Phrygian F-Lydian G-Mixolydian A-Aeolian B-Locrian..

[@nimasasani]

Michael. Really inspiring videos and content is spot on. Fantastic

[@rebuiltbyusn]

I have been looking for information on Practicing and Play Scales. This is EXACTLY what I have been looking and waiting for. I think this will aid in learning Chords and Keys and being able to locate on multiple places on the neck. Thank you for the lesson. You just made my day!

[@MarcoCirillo]

Thanks Michael! Enjoy the lesson ☀️🎸

[@rebuiltbyusn]

@@MarcoCirillo You have got to be one of if not the most accomplished guitar instructor I have ever seen. If only I had you 40 years ago when I started playing. But you are also extremely frustrating because you make EVERYTHING look and sound so easy. I have a question for you. I have always had difficult with my thumb placement of my cording hand. Now I also have Arthritis in my thumb. Do you know any exercises for strengthening and working on thumb placement on the back of the neck? Thank you

[@rishiraman998]

@@MarcoCirillo macro please also teach us ear training.

[@ahallekatti]

great genuine guidance. thank you so much

[@giglehart]

Landed here right off!!! Bravo

[@roydluyando158]

Cheers Marco. You always refresh my mind with your pieces. Thumbs up man

[@MarcoCirillo]

Thanks Royd 🎸

[@roydluyando158]

@@MarcoCirillo welcome

[@siyaram2855]

The only guy with guitar that make sense while talking anything on guitar!

[@RahulKumar-yr7rh]

When I see people like Marco, Paul Davids, Gabriela.. Only one though comes to mind.. This is why KZbin was invented. Really appreciate you guys.❤️ I'm gonna post this comment to Paul Davids also😂😂

[@MarcoCirillo]

On not even closer to Paul and Gab but I appreciate you putting me in this fine trio 😆. Enjoy the lessons 🎸🎸

[@sarthakq]

There's a guitarist called Dax Andreas... Go check him out..

[@johnupdike4885]

Thanks again 👍

[@nangpriyakshi3485]

It helps a lot,,,, Thank you very much❤

[@MarcoCirillo]

Thanks 🎸☀️

[@abrahamedache5146]

Awesome!

[@1straycat99]

AWESOME TEACHER HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU I BIN PLAYING 40 YEARS .AS I REMEMBER Saying 10 YEARS IN A SCALE WAS JUST THAT UNTIL YOU PUT THE HUMAN TOUCH ON IT IS MOST IMPORTANT . IT HAS TO SAY SOMETHING .AND TIMING FEEL . MOST IMPORTANT IS THE INDIVIDUAL .What THEY GOT INSIDE ..AWESOME WORK ON ALL YA DO .MYSELF LOVE YA MELODY S FINGER PICKING STUFF AND LOVE BALLADS BEST ..THAT'S ME STUFF

[@gewoonsam3125]

OKAY. THINK YA LIKE CAPSLK HUH? 🤣

[@WolfRanger2008]

Scales are MEDICINE but Good Medicine and I give you my solemn word as a fellow guitarist AND your student to do practice them daily. Thank you for the lesson and Levels to study.

[@biswarupbaruah8211]

Awesome...

[@marcarsenault9202]

Thank you!

[@rajanvijayudu1337]

Great video quality

[@AllanThang]

Thank you

[@dumindasanjeewa9162]

Thanks master..

[@smartmarak5385]

thank you Brother very nice video this video

[@bhavishchaudhary6618]

Please make a fingerstyle arrangement tutorial on any popular song and the way of arrangement so we can learn accordingly

[@Rahul-di9sl]

You are always great sir But i want a tutorial video on your emotional guitar video

[@lmnfrequence9456]

Sir Marco, Please make a "fast fingerpicking excercise or techniques" tutorial like what u did on asturias-leyenda😍😍Pls. Pls.

[@fiachoconnor]

Great lesson Marco Playing the C scale beginning on the different degrees of the scale is paying the Greek modes no?

[@JayJay-fb6hz]

Unrelated, but cute English/Español accent. Eres la leche!

[@lincolnmicrophonellc]

I played a classical C ! Thanks! Changed the playback speed settings to the slowest @ 0.25 and then was able to see how you walk up the 1st string with what fingers go where and now I can do that perfectly just like in the video! 1 day of practice!

[@lincolnmicrophonellc]

Kind of amazed at how fast I'm getting better at both remembering the shapes/patterns of the scales and with how my fingers are adapting and becoming more proficient. I'm only on day 2 practicing these.

[@lincolnmicrophonellc]

I've been practicing these (I'm only up to 3:29 in the video) for now going on a week straight, every day solid time every day, making sure to play and hit the notes and hold and sustain and do the little wrist wiggle for some vibrato effect(i think this actually strengthens the hands too!) and my playing has never been better. I cannot wait to see where this leads. Playing these scales I find has value in that I can hear little licks and then practice those. I also like to focus on the transition points where my index or pinky has to shift over a fret and then hop a string, i like to really work these aka drill these back and forth and then it just becomes fluid. So grateful you made this video 🙏

[@user-mi7db9lg9x]

Shout out pinoys fans here I know u understand me lodi magaling po

[@dukenukembubblegum7311]

It’s amazing how acoustical that guitar sounds

[@MarcoCirillo]

Btw, if you receive a reply to this comment from someone saying you won a guitar don’t contact them. They are Telegram scammers.

[@dukenukembubblegum7311]

@@MarcoCirillo 😂, I might be a mediocre guitar player but I’m not really to gullible

[@alieniverson8139]

@@dukenukembubblegum7311 but you are not a mediocre person!

[@SonOfManMusic]

nice.

[@nickname3798]

PITCH AXIS THEORY LESSON ...PLEASE BY THE WAY THIS IS SO COOL

[@MannyWalks]

Tutto ciò è devastante!!!! mamma mia!! mi son perso a gogò xD

[@lorerecru]

1:15 as a classical guitar player, i don't usually practice specifically that "classical scales", and neither my friends do. The classical guitarists I know, practice scales all over the neck, with left-hand shift positions. Moreover, why "classical scales"? I mean, apart from the open strings, what are other special and exclusive "classical" features they have?

[@rockstarrellbeats]

That guitar is 🔥 lol

[@heisenberg2514]

FBI wants to know when you are coming to India 🤐😶

[@blee0d]

Haha

[@mozetzz434]

Just got recommended

[@rockstarrellbeats]

I have the a7x’s too nice brother

[@konradzareba9935]

You seem cool

[@garrymiller9892]

Would have been really useful to have had the shapes on the fretboard?

[@VitoGaarin]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@javierdavalos8551]

I have nightmares when I listen to the word SCALE 😳

[@MarcoCirillo]

We all do 😅

[@nickgreen4731]

Oddly I love scales. I find them relaxing. But I do love the way Marco makes them more interesting...

[@javierdavalos8551]

I like scales too but sometimes they are too much it makes music so much easier to understand but I’m too lazy to memorize the flat scales I’m gud on all the other scalds

[@murusif1]

I really love how my teacher Marco Cirillo 💕💕🙏🙏the way I am today is because because of u

[@MrGiocaffa]

Complimenti come sempre. Corde 0.10 o 0,09 ?

[@kanathriachchigedoncudithl7354]

My friend where I can i by your books? Pleace let me know

[@Thewerwolf]

We can also call 4 the Lydian mode

[@joe800096]

Maybe I missed part of the intro, are we working on Major scales? Just basic major?

[@blee0d]

Sir can I play that basic scale on acoustic guitar? Love your videos teach me a lot

[@MarcoCirillo]

Yes you can :)

[@blee0d]

@@MarcoCirillo thank you sir I am practising it at 1 am from India 🇮🇳

[@Harsh-yg3cc]

@@blee0d what's the update

[@blee0d]

@@Harsh-yg3cc all done

[@alessandro9740]

@@blee0d u mastered the scale?

[@bekherimanuel1823]

I got a question: should we who play guitar need to read notes?

[@vincenzosimonelli237]

è possibile avere la lezione in italiano ?

[@udayanmustafi3963]

🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@dangonsalves4193]

Ohhhh very beautiful scales brother 😃👌 But... why do I need to learn this, what's the purpose of learning scales, I would really appreciate it if you answer this one.... I am really confused right now 😳

[@lukeedward9748]

Perfect for...warming up...technique and fret board knowledge

[@shoresofpatmos]

Knowing scales can help with writing riffs and coming up with chords and progressions. It also enhances freting technique and fingerpicking

[@floydsmithjr7999]

They are good for finger exercizing but they are an intrical part in making music sound musical, connecting 2 chords together via a scale run. My suspicion is timing is the key. By starting a scale a half beat early, like on 4 and a half of a 4 count, it changes the whole feel of the exact same sequence started on beat 1. Also theres “swing”, swing will help you sound less rigid and mechanical, its a feel thing that may not be appropriate in every situation but it will loosen you up. I remember an old saying, something like “You dont know a thing if you aint got your swing”

[@lincolnmicrophonellc]

for myself, playing scales opens up a whole new world of awareness. I hear so many songs playing these scales. So many that already exist that I recognize and then so many more that come to me noodling around on the scales.

[@dangonsalves4193]

@@lincolnmicrophonellc Thank You for your comment, yeszzz You are right, now i understand what you mean. I posted this question 2 years ago when I didn't understand the concept of scales but I can tell you now that i have gotten to understand how it's connected. Wow 😀, time went fast. I never thought I would get the idea, but after 2 years of listening, reading and playing different music genres i have interest in, i finally unlocked creative mode, playing around with notes based on Scales🤯.

[@warlockben8176]

He looks somewhat like henry cavill

[@budhadityachatterjee6270]

Can you please do an informative video about all scales and provide them please ?

[@floydsmithjr7999]

I hear you, the problem I have is scales are basically very simple, they are only 7 notes for the most part, my issue is theres got to be a technique, a theory or some kind of exercises to spice them up, Im becoming obsessed and frustrated in trying to break the code.

[@Harsh-yg3cc]

@@floydsmithjr7999 can you tell me few beginner scales in the right order to practice , like I know the c major one , after that ???

[@Harsh-yg3cc]

@@floydsmithjr7999 and also what is pentatonic and why are there so much hype around it

[@floydsmithjr7999]

@@Harsh-yg3cc Im in no position to give out any advice, but from my experience of not really being taught anything, memorize the box positions from the low E string through 12 frets. Its a good place to start but it can get you stuck in boxes if you dont progress out of it. The pentatonic is just taking a 7 note scale and breaking it down to a 5 note scale. To start with those learn the boxes through 12 frets. You can find these shapes on youtube, theyre out there. I had to learn, pre internet, writing them out on a piece of paper. As far as learning all the note names, A, B, C, etc., there are many methods to do it, its not easy but if you at least attempt a little bit everyday eventually you’ll get it. Try starting that C scale shape 2 frets up, I believe that would be D and figure out each notes name and where it is on the fretboard as you hit it. You can do that starting on any random fret. The point you want to get to is to be able to blindly target any fretted note on the neck and instantly know what that note is. Try to make a daily habit of naming random notes on the guitar even if for only 5 minutes. Ive recently made it a top priority to do this first thing every day no matter whats going on musically or otherwise. Another thing Ive lost and recently been reminded to do is “HAVE FUN!!!” I think a good exercise is to pick any song from youtube or just turn on a radio and play along with whatever comes on, just figure out what key it’s in and start jamming. It’ll be a disaster when you first start but after a while you’ll start getting quicker at jumping into something. And don’t stick to one genre, try top 40, metal, classic rock, jazz, disco, blues, and yes, even country. The more you get exposed to the more versatile and in demand you will become. The most important thing you have to find in playing any instrument is you have to have an attitude, put your personality into it whatever you’re playing. That cant be taught, you can only find that within yourself. I hope some of this makes sense to you, the important thing is to just keep doing it. Theres so much to learn it can become overwhelming. Take whatever is giving you the biggest problem and work it out before you take on anything else. The single most important things to master are the lowest bottom line mechanics, like fingering a note correctly or plucking a string cleanly. If you can master those two things it’ll save you years of angst and frustration. One more thing, find other musicians to play with, another guitar player, a bass player, even a cello if thats all you can find.Even if you dont know what you’re doing don’t be afraid to fall on your ass in front of other people, you’ll learn more from falling on your ass in an hour than you will from 30 years of mindlessly running through exercises.

[@floydsmithjr7999]

@@Harsh-yg3cc Heres something you can try right now.: On youtube search “Rythm tracks in C major” you’ll find all kinds of music styles you can minipulate the C major scale over any way you want. Then try the same track with a different C major scale box so you get a feel and an ear for what the sound is, then try it again connecting the two boxes together.

[@JulioCesar-cf9gm]

Brasilllll

[@jerem5757]

ENORME cette version!!!!

[@plo-mid2308]

I 🖤 👉🎸

[@kayjay8784]

They play WEED 💀

[@Bobby007D]

Scales should be practiced UP the fingerboard NOT across the fingerboard .

[@user-jm9qs9ph6b]

Too speedy....no use....jhus showing ur skills