Guitar Scale Exercises to Improve Picking and Fretting Hand Technique
When first learning guitar scale patterns, it’s important to get the shapes under your fingers so muscle memory takes over and you can play through the patterns without thinking. In this lesson we’re going to take a look at some guitar scale exercises that will not only help you get the patterns under your fingers, but also improve both picking and fretting hand technique.
Scale Exercises
For the exercises in this lesson we’re going to be using the first position of the major scale.
While the exercises in this lesson work out of a single position of the major scale, the concepts should be applied to all positions of major and minor scales. The exercises can even be adapted to the pentatonic scale.
As with all guitar scale exercises of this nature, it’s best to practice with a metronome to keep your timing consistent. Depending on your skill level, you’ll want to start around 70bpm and adjust from there. The example audio tracks are played at 72bpm.
As you work through the exercises, I recommend using alternate picking to help develop your picking technique.
Exercise 1: Ascending and Descending Scale Pattern
With this first exercises we’re simply ascending and descending through the first pattern of the A major scale. While the tab shows 8th notes, the exercise can be adapted to quarter or sixteenths as well.
Exercise 2: 2-note Ascending/Descending Step Back Pattern
This 2-note step back pattern is a lot of fun to play once you get the groove. In the ascending direction, you’re going to start with the root note and then drop down one note to the major 7th, then play the major 2nd and back to the root and so on. You’re always stepping back a note as you ascend the scale.
We can also take this note pattern and descend the scale. This time, instead of going down a note in the scale, you’re going up…root to major 2nd, major 7th to root, and so on.
Exercise 3: 3-note Triplet Pattern
With this next exercise, we’re going to play a triplet pattern to switch up the feel of the exercise. With triplets, you’re playing three notes per beat.
Now for the descending pattern:
Exercise 4: 4-note Scale Pattern
In this exercise, you’re going to use a 4-note pattern. Starting from the root, you play up four notes, then go back to the 2nd and play up four notes, and so on.
We can descend the scale using a four note pattern as well.
Exercise 5: Ascending and Descending Scale in 3rds
This exercise gets a little more tricky at first, but you’ll be able to develop a groove for it. With this exercise you’re playing in thirds, which means you’re playing notes that are a 3rd apart.
Starting with the root note, the second note you play will be the major 3rd. On your next note you move up one note from the root to the major 2nd and then play the perfect 4th, which is a third from the major 2nd, and continue with this pattern.
You can also descend the scale in thirds:
Exercise 6: Ascending and Descending Scale in 6ths
If you thought playing in 3rds was a bit tricky, this pattern takes it up a notch. In this exercise you’re playing the scale in 6ths, which adds in some string skipping to challenge your picking hand technique a bit more.
Now let’s reverse the pattern and descend the scale.
Exercise 7: Pedal Point
Our next exercise is a pedal point exercise. A pedal is a note that is either sustained or repeated. In this instance, we’re using the root note as the pedal as we descend the scale. This is another great string skipping exercise as well.
Now let’s reverse it and ascend the scale.
These patterns can also be combined to make one continuous pattern. You can also change the pedal note to a different note in the scale. For some additional pedal point exercises, check out the 5 Pedal Point Licks Make Great Lead Guitar Exercises lesson.
Exercise 8: Ascending/Descending Combination Pattern
This last exercise is a combination pattern where the movement is both ascending and descending at the same time. The first note in the exercise starts the ascending run and the second note starts the descending run.
Additional Scale Patterns
As stated at the beginning of this lesson, these guitar scale exercises can be applied to all of the major and minor scale patterns.
For more, see the major scale lesson and minor scale lesson.
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