If you want to be the guitar player that is in constant demand you need to learn guitar scales. There is no way around it. They are a long term goal that will prepare you to for just about any form of music you might want to pursue. Whether it is rock, Latin or classical or anything in between, everybody needs scales. But if all you want to do is strum along with Barney, skip the next bit.

Scales are the universal language of music. It makes no difference if the music is classical, pop, rock, grunge or whatever. There is a scale involved. These sets of notes are the same for almost all instruments. When you see a jam session where everyone is somehow magically in the groove, they know scales.

Knowing scales really well is basic to earning your chops. Earning your chops means you have arrived. The sooner you get those scales into your fingers and your head, the sooner you will be in demand. Short, daily sessions are pretty much the only way to get really good with scales. Long intermittent practice will only get you frustrated. Ask any really good musician. It is too easy to lose focus after about ten or fifteen minutes.

It is possible that Carnegie Hall is not your ultimate goal, but getting every possible note that can be played on a guitar into your fingers, probably is. This kind of practice, short and focused will give you flexibility and control of your instrument. This kind of practice is also a long term project. Really great musicians never give up scales. The sessions are short and the payoff is huge.

One way to keep your steps short and consistent is to begin all practices with which ever scale you are working on. Perhaps play each note slowly listening to the tone. Do it again for accurate fingering.

Now try it very slowly without any tension in your grip or fingering. That is really difficult to do. But having some sort of plan for getting the daily scales done is important. Short and sweet is the way to go at it.

What you will probably discover if you use the steps suggested is that you are out of time before you finish. Stop anyway. That is right. Just get on to whatever piece or song you are working on. It will take months or years to learn every one of these collections of notes before you have them right where you can find them. Longer session really will not help hasten that time.

The goal of every guitar player that takes the time to learn guitar scales is to get better. If you can find a good guitarist that can play anything with anyone, it is quite likely he or she knows every scale, or at least most of them. This is the kind of knowledge that can be used as long as you play. Yes it takes consistent practice, but you do want to be in constant demand, right?

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