The Easiest Scales To Learn On the Guitar

Is it really necessary to learn guitar scales? In reality, there are many successful musicians who never really sat down to learn their scales or any degree of extended music theory. It’s very possible to make it as a musician if you only play by ear and pick up various scraps of knowledge along the way.

Settling for such limited degree of understanding about the instrument will always put you at a distinct disadvantage however. If you actually sit down to learn some scales and practice them, you will be a far better musician in the long run. It will even help you improvise along with others, and write music more successfully. Visit (

The downside however is that “practicing is boring”. That’s the default stance that many guitarists (both new and experienced alike) take when it comes to the more technical side of playing. There are a few ways to remedy that, but first, it’s important to note that not all scales are difficult to master. If you want to make sure you’re as brushed up with your playing as can be, here are some of the easiest scales to learn on the guitar:

1 – Minor Pentatonic

Used widely in an expansive array of musical genres, the minor pentatonic scale will always serve you immensely well. It’s something you can always rely upon. While guitarists and musicians obsessed with only achieving the most technically proficient skill-set possible often scoff at pentatonic playing since it’s considered “basic”, it’s versatility and practicality make it invaluable. You can almost always rely upon it.

As the name suggests, the minor pentatonic scale consists of only five notes. On guitars with standard tuning, A minor and E minor pentatonic are going to be the most commonly used. Typically, the scale can be broken down into basic box patterns, where you can almost always play two frets up from your root note on the 5th, 4th, and 3rd strings (A, D, and G), and two frets up on the 6th, 2nd, and 1st (E, B, and high E) to stay in key.

2 – The Major Scale

Though inherently much happier sounding and thus potentially more limited in its use, there are still many genres of music and special instances where the major scale is absolutely perfect. Typically, this scale is comprised of 7 notes: the root, then 1 and 3 frets up, then the same three positions on the next string, then the same opening fret on the next string up before the scale cycles through an octave higher.

3 – Dorian

Finally, you should also be sure to learn the Dorian scale. This can be used in hard rock in various ways, but it’s traditionally a bit more jazz oriented. Like the major scale, Dorian is comprised of 7 notes. On the 6th string, you’ll play your root note and then the 2nd and 3rd frets up, then the same positions on the next string without the 3rd fret, then a fret lower than your root on the next string up and the same fret as the root before it goes an octave higher.