Hi all! Here’s the 2nd installment of my take on memorizing the fretboard. In the 1st installment I talked about memorizing the notes on the guitar neck and on this one, I’ll be talking about grouping those notes together into scales or at least identifiable patterns to help you navigate the uncharted territories of the fretboard while you search for that perfect, inspired solo.

I won’t be giving you any new scale fingerings since I feel that there are a lot of books and publications that tackle the subject quite well. I will, however, focus on 3-note per string scales as I feel that this particular concept unifies the guitar neck better than the traditional, Segovia-approved scale forms. It’s not that classical guitar fingerings are bad, it’s just that 3-note per string scales are easier digested and understood, especially if you’re a beginner. Once you get the hang of the 3-note per string scale, I guarantee that you’ll better understand the all other scales that you might encounter.

The basic major and minor scales as well as the modal scales follow 3 types of fingering when grouped in 3s. Figures 1, 2 & 3 illustrate the types.

This starts out pretty simple, doesn't it? Well, it is. The major and minor scale forms show my point.
 

The black dots indicate the root of the scale. The root is the "name" or "key" of the scale. So if you want a B minor scale, play the minor fingering scale fingering above starting on the B note on the 6th string. (In case you don't know where the "B" note is, please review the 1st installment of this topic.) And so on and so forth....

You can also follow the Eddie Van Halen School of Thought on scales and take just one of the fingerings figured above and run it across all the strings. If you used fig.1, it would look something like this:

EVH uses this scale this scale in all of his solos. It yields an interesting mix of pentatonic, Aeolian, Dorian and pentatonic-blues flavors that is very characteristic of his playing. Try it out. You can try the other two figures and experiment. This way you can find your own favorite pattern and create your own signature licks.

Figure 2 has a Spanish, almost Locrian feel to it while Figure 3 introduces you to world of whole-tone melodies.

This should hold you folks for a while. In the next installment, I'll be talking about linking these scales together to form a "super" scale that unifies the entire fretboard. Should you find any of what I've said vague or unclear, email me and I'll try to clarify my point in the next installment.

Till next, practice, have fun and be........have?! :-) *LOL*