If you’ve been following along with the lessons, then we’ve already covered a few different scales, including the pentatonic minor scale, and the diatonic minor scale. Well, today we’re going to take a look at the diatonic major scale.

Try to think of the minor scale and the major scale as just different positions to play the same notes… this may seem strange, but if you look at it, the same notes are in both scales. The only thing that is changing is the note that you start on, and of course the position on the neck where you’re playing.

So the upshot of this is that if you’re wanting to solo, you can use either the major scale, or the relative minor -- they are both equally valid choices.

Personally I prefer the minor scale, as the guitar is tuned minor and works extremely well in the minor, however you need to know both as you’ll need them to cover the fretboard.

If you’d like to learn more about the various scale patterns found on the guitar, I’d recommend checking out my Guitar Scale Patterns lesson.

The diatonic minor scale is very similar to the pentatonic scale that you’re probably familiar with by now. The only difference is that you’re adding the two notes the pentatonic scale leaves out. In the Am example in the video, these two notes -- the ‘color’ notes -- are B and F. In the scale pattern, that’s the II and the VI notes.

If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about with the II and VI, you might want to checkout my latest lesson on I, IV and V. It’s quite a fundamental one in my opinion, and really helps open up the guitar.

But onward and upward! Today we’re talking about the diatonic scale. Please add this one to your practice routine -- its a very important scale -- more so than the major scale, as the guitar favors the minor. Piano teachers (and most guitar teachers) always start you off with the major scales (most commonly C major), but that’s because piano is geared for that. Guitar isn’t. Guitar is an extremely minor-friendly instrument.

Besides, A minor is the first scale that was ever invented. Not C major.

How do I know that?

Simple. When you start counting your marbles, do you start at 3? Nope, you start at 1.

So, the first scale was simple -- A, B, C, D, E, F, G.

NOT C, D, E, F, G, A, B -- that just wouldn’t make sense, would it?

Anyways, there’s your guitar scale trivia for the day -- here’s the lesson!

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A few of you have asked me about how you can play faster, so this video on guitar speed exercises is in response to that. I realize I’m not a string shredding speed demon from Mars like some of the guys you’ll find online, but at the same time, I can play fast enough when the circumstance requires. In this video I cover a few of the basic techniques you’ll need to start boosting your speed.

First off, the most important thing to know is that you’re never going to be a fast and accurate guitar player without lots and lots of practice. (I mean ANYONE can be fast, but you want to be fast AND accurate, while sounding good, right? We’re not just talking about gluing six picks to your cordless drill and playing one note 943 times per second!)

Skyrocket your guitar skills today

So you might as well get used to the fact right now that you’re going to have to practice lots to get fast. But don’t let that be a downer. Done right, practicing can be a lot of fun. Just make sure you’re getting familiar with your scales.

Secondly, the ‘down-up’ technique I mentioned in the video is ultra important. As far as guitar speed exercises go, this one is super important. If you can’t get this technique down, it WILL be a glass ceiling in your playing, and it will be hard to ever break through that without correcting bad habits.

Thirdly, if you want to sound faster than you actually are, trying using hammer-ons as I demonstrated, and use those to boost your speed, if only until you can actually catch up with your normal picking speed.

Video Trouble? Watch Guitar Speed Exercises on Youtube

If you’ve got other guitar speed exercises that work well, please leave a comment below and tell us about them!

Improvising really isn’t as difficult as you might think. I know many of you have probably been trained in the school of “play what’s on the page, dummy -- and don’t deviate!” but that really doesn’t do anything for you when it comes time to improvise or create a solo. You’ll find I maintain a fairly strong emphasis throughout these videos on how to develop your own skills improvising with the guitar.

Questions or Comments? Leave one at the bottom of the page!