In this course concerning the use of scales on the guitar you’re learning the minor scales through three keys:
- The sound quality or musical character of the minor scales. This leads to an understanding of how to use the minor scale to make music.
- An understanding of the thoeretical basis of the minor scales. The scale spelling and the scale formula.
- The five interlocking interconnected fingering patterns for each scale, enabling you to play in any minor key, anywhere on the neck.
You Need Your Music Theory
To review, a minor scale (like all scales) derives its sound from its scale formula. A Major scale has half steps between notes 3& 4 and notes 7& 8, the rest of the notes are seperated by whole steps.
E Major Vs. E Minor
To put in that extra effort, copy the tables above and below in your music writing notebook.
| Degrees |
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8/1
|
| Major: |
E
|
F#
|
G#
|
A
|
B
|
C#
|
D#
|
E
|
| Minor: |
E
|
F#
|
G
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
| Degrees | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | 8/1 |
A minor scale has half steps between notes 2& 3 and notes 5& 6, the rest of the notes are seperated by whole steps.
Melodic Study….
In this course we first learn a scale in the Open Position, those using open strings. Below, you can review the Open Position E Natural Minor Scale to prepare for the breif and easy melodic study, When Johnny Comes Marching Home. This is a traditional American folk song which totally and beautifully illustrates the melodic quality and character of the Natural Minor Scale.
5 Positions of E Natural Minor…
Next, practice playing the 5 minor scale shapes we studied in the key of A minor now that they have been transposed to the new key, E minor. Once again, to benefit from the animation below, don’t try to instantly and masterfully transpose every new pattern in the wink of an eye. Instead, start your focus with the Root Note of each new scale pattern, trying to play that note and just 2 or 3 others from the scale as you improvise and jam along with the animation.
Many players find it helpful to think of the chord shape, or chord tones located in each position along with that positions’ fingering pattern as these chord shapes and series of chord tones arfe inspirational and highly melodic.
The purpose of this course is to learn how to play scales and how to use these scales as top guitarist, that means being able to play melodic material and improvise musical solos. To that end, try to create simple yet musically meaningful jams and improvisations with each of the 5 main fingering patterns -use these animations repeatedly throughout your use of my scales course of study.
5 Positions Thinking: E Natural Minor…
Next, carefully focus on the shape and feeling of playing each of the 5 Natural Minor scale patterns. As before, the scale are written in the format of simple ear training exercises, its important that you learn to hear each one of the exercises below as belonging to the Natural Minor Tonality. Approach these scale exercises the same way you would a favorite solo or melody, get them firmly in your ear and under your fingers, making sure you can play the quickly and cleanly.
Conclusion……
This lesson serves not only as a familiarization with the sound (the flavor or tonality) and scale shapes, of E Natural Minor but as ear training and a physical training of the fingers. practice until you’re entirely comfortable with the 5 scale shapes and can quickly and easily negotiate all of the exercises and melodies contained in this lesson.