Guitar scale explorer
Pick a root and a scale to see it across the whole neck, one position at a time, with its notes and degrees.
A minor pentatonic
5 notes
- A1
- Cb3
- D4
- E5
- Gb7
Every scale, in every key
How to learn a scale on guitar
Learn one position at a time, not the whole neck at once. Play it up and down slowly, saying the root out loud each time you land on it — the root is your home base when you improvise.
Switch the labels between Notes, Degrees and Character: degrees show the scale's shape in any key, and "Character" shows which notes are restful, colourful or tense — the ones to land on and the ones to pass through.
Which scale to start with
The minor pentatonic. Five notes, no "wrong" ones over most rock and blues, and the box shape most guitar solos are built from. Add the blue note and it becomes the blues scale.
Questions
What is the difference between a scale and a mode?
A mode is a scale started from a different note of another scale. D Dorian has the same notes as C major, but centred on D — which gives it a different, minor colour.
How do I know which scale to play over a song?
Find the song's key first: a minor key starts with the minor pentatonic, a major key with the major pentatonic. Or upload the song to easyimprov, which shows what to play over each chord as it goes by.