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Once you have mastered how to play chords on your guitar, the next logical step is to try and emulate some of the lead lines that you hear played in your favorite songs. Lead lines are the parts of the melody played by the lead guitar in the band. This usually includes the small licks and phrases during verses and choruses, any riffs in the song and of course, guitar solos.

After all that time spent learning how to group your fingers into the proper positions required for playing chords, it can be daunting to try tackling what is really the exact opposite task – learning how to move your fingers quickly, and individually up and down the guitar’s neck, in time with your picking.

There is a way to kill two birds with one stone. Learning guitar scales not only teaches you solid musical theory that will be a huge help to you in your playing, but it also lets you practice your picking and fingering in a repeatable manner similar to playing a solo or a riff. It helps to think of scales as they related to the chords you have been playing.

Chords are composed of notes from the same key that when played together form a harmony. The notes in chords are usually separated by specific intervals – thirds, fourths and fifths, for example. What scales do is fill in these intervals with connecting notes that link the harmonies together. Just as a chord is rooted in a specific note, scales are rooted the same way. For most instruments, a G scale begins and ends on G, but on the guitar, due to the way that the fret board is arranged, usually only basic scales will respect this convention.

Another interesting aspect of a scale is that it can be transposed to any octave on your guitar. For example, a C scale can technically be played starting from any C note on the neck of the guitar, way up near the top or down low. Obviously, some scales will be easier to play in certain positions, given the relationship of the individual notes. By learning the notes in different scales, you will be better able to situate yourself on the fret board while playing lead or a solo, and have a more complete understanding of which notes would sound good in your current key. This is a huge help when it comes to improvisation.

Theoretical knowledge isn’t the only thing you will gain by learning to play scales. The dexterity required to pick and finger each appropriate fret in the scale sequence might seem difficult at first, but as with all things, you will soon become accustomed to making the 1 or 2 fret jump that represents the interval between each note. Not only will your fretting hand get stronger and more flexible, but you will learn how to pick in a sweeping pattern while moving up and down the guitar strings. Your wrist will develop more control as well as greater stamina.

Scales might sound like something a guitar teacher uses to threaten students who refuse to practice, but they can be your ticket to building the ability you will need to tackle the new lead guitar parts that make your heart race and cause the crowd to roar.

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