Rethinking Guitar Scales with Taylor Guitars

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Practicing guitar scales builds muscle memory but can leave you stuck in a rut. Grammy winning Taylor Guitar Artist, Wayne Johnson, shows you a different way to approach scales, one that will help you recognize shapes, groupings, intervals and symmetry. By concentrating on single-string and random scale-note practice, you'll learn to break free of muscle memory and improve your melodic development.
This is a companion video to Wayne's article, "Breaking the Mold," from the summer 2011 issue of Wood&Steel. You can download a PDF of the full article at www.taylorguitars.com/woodands...
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[@v1cr]

I've been playing for more than 40 years and you just shone a light on this for me. In hindsight it's obvious, but brilliantly demonstrated. Ta.

[@crummybagpipe6996]

Wayne, thanks for this! You're a great teacher and explain things very well. I am no beginner and its not often I come across some new way of looking at things and this is inspiring me to experiment. Thanks a lot man.

[@amguit]

Awesome loved this! Explained this so well. I’m 6 months and I struggle with remembering notes. This was super helpful

[@rumlerj]

Love, love, love that Taylor has started a lessons forum and page using the web! I play a Taylor GS, and I'm always looking to improve and learn. Thank you Wayne! I will be checking back often. Keep the lessons coming!

[@wmyers8742]

I absolutely love this approach. I'm a master at the E minor pentatonic scale...and thats it..I fumble around the neck everywhere else and avoid playing/writing songs in any other scale. Now I feel more confident and at ease about learning the rest of the scales, I may even go back and look at my beloved e minor again in this manor to maybe open up some new avenues. I'm so glad I stumbled acrossed this video, this is major for me. Thank you for sharing!!!

[@epiphonerox]

Learning the notes in a linear way is helping me get out if the " box" positions. Thank you, thank you

[@chaplainjerry]

Great video and I look forward to watching more!

[@allanbahati1942]

Really inspired after watching this, many thanks!

[@taylorguitars]

Remember, this is not a replacement for standard positional playing.You can study your existing scale forms in the different positions in order to locate and visualize the symmetry & shapes thus giving you the ability to then enjoy freedom from the limitations of standard positional playing. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask either on this page or via my email. We'll do more of this in future lessons as well as get to many of your suggestions such as what are modes? - Wayne

[@ztogo]

Great job. Very clear and concise.

[@scraggo-songmindstudios]

combining positions - awesome idea. those patterns (symmetries) are very helpful

[@travisjobin3642]

Thanks for the lesson......super helpful

[@elonebanks8613]

Thanks Wayne that was a great lesson. I really enjoyed seeing on June 3rd.

[@tennesseeron]

Read the article and love it. I had to read some of it more than once to get the full benefit but just the general message in valuable to me. Hope to be able to walk my fingers up the fretboard and you show the best way for me yet.

[@markstevens2823]

Great teaching moment. Thank you.

[@taylorguitars]

3 diff scale diagrams to consider 1) Reverse or opposite: Face to face - student viewing a teacher or video. This is what we see live or on a screen and what I’ve used. 2) Upside-down: From playing position. Flip guitar upside down, strings facing you so that low E is closest to the ground. This is conventional. 3) Mirror image: Like looking in a mirror. To me, this is the most accurate visual. Everything meshes up perfectly if the person you’re watching (teacher, live or video) is a lefty!

[@leojames321]

Hey wayne ...after talking to you at the wooster ohio road show I adjusted my T-5 neck myself and it is so much better...thanks for you help!

[@elaineashley1281]

Really interesting. Enjoyed it

[@MrJoeDestin]

Nice Job, thanks

[@LJG781]

nice tip.....definitely gives a different approach to scales, .... thanks, can't wait for my summer issue of wood and steel, will look for your article.... P.S. proud owner of three taylors......Lee

[@taylorguitars]

Regarding the orientation of the scale diagrams in the W&S article, this was totally my doing and not a miscommunication or misprint. I know this is an unconventional approach. Depending on the feedback, perhaps we’ll change it next time around. -Wayne Johnson

[@Brembelia]

It would be nice if you would post the article as a stand alone and give us a link to it. The Wood & Steel page currently doesn't carry any issues from 2011. Some of us are quite interested in suggestions. Thanks.

[@mjevenson1877]

Wayne, I tried to find the Wood&Steel article you reference and was not able to find it. There is a blog post, but the fretboard images are all missing. Any idea how to get a pdf of the original article. Thank,

[@MartinWeeksmw]

With all due respect to the comment: >> But the piano is a much harder instrument than the guitar, im a guitar player for 11 years and not much interest in piano, but when it comes to flat or sharp keys, its also completely different, they have 2 hands one for rhythm and one for melody, now combing the both is really hard, its easy for guitar cause your only strumming. But nice lesson though

[@ArvidNielsen]

@COGBach - Bela Bartok said it didn't much matter to him if his students played with their toes, as long as it sounded good!

[@mi2cents265]

Oh boy!

[@DarrenJohnson1973]

very nice approach but it`s either C major or C Ionian not C scale

[@ryantandy307]

just Segovia scales, calling out the notes as you play. You'll get the fretboard.

[@taylorguitars]

I chose the reverse/opposite approach because this is the exact perspective a student has at a lesson while he/she is listening, visualizing and trying to absorb not only shapes and patterns, but even the proper string order from low to high. - Wayne Johnson

[@quarter_moon_and_a_guitar]

Good lesson, but surely you own more guitars than that meager arsenal

[@JonnyFeltonMusic]

I am not looking to start an argument or anything but in my opinion scales are harder on a piano than on a guitar, guitar scales are all about symmetry and once you know the scale shape you can play around that scale shape. On piano however you need to know the notes or at least memorise the intervals for each scale. I am not trying to put this down at all I just think this guy is very biased. I do however like what the video is promoting.

[@kykistke]

U dont only strum in all ur 11 yrs of playing guitar, do you ?

[@joesatriani1200rulez]

obviously not, but you knew what i meant

[@AlanCurtisHI]

obviously classical guitar places much higher emphasis on technique than jazz or any other style. To say that someone should be disqualified from teaching on the basis of not having classical technique is arrogant & ludicrous. Many classical players are woefully ignorant when it comes to theory/and improvisation. Should they be disqualified from ever imparting knowledge about the instrument.? I've never heard you play but Wayne J has probably forgotten more chops than you will ever know

[@joesatriani1200rulez]

But the piano is a much harder instrument than the guitar, im a guitar player for 11 years and not much interest in piano, but when it comes to flat or sharp keys, its also completely different, they have 2 hands one for rhythm and one for melody, now combing the both is really hard, its easy for guitar cause your only strumming. But nice lesson though

[@DerJohannesMann]

yea but now try to comp for yourself while improvising like a piano player on guitar

[@pipagsock4205]

This is a bad lesson, it gets away from important things and takes people in the wrong direction