Beginner Electric Guitar Lessons - The Basics of the Fretboard and Scales

It has always been hard to locate a good guitar teacher, which is why finding good beginner electric guitar lessons is a task. Thanks to the internet it has become a lot easier to find quality lessons at a reasonable price.

This article will introduce you to some basics that you need to start playing the electric guitar correctly. If you're serious about learning how to play you need learn and practice scales.

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You can identify scales as a group of notes that are used to generate different chords, songs, and melodies. This group of notes normally has 7 notes and the first note in the group is known as the root note. The first note called the "Root" note is known as the C major scale. The C Major scale has a much different sound than it's Minor scale counterpart. In order to create this scale you must go 2frets, 2frets, 1fret, 2frets, 2frets, 2frets, 1fret. For most people it's a lot easier to memorize the fretboard than it is to memorize just a scale. Once you begin understanding notes you will not limit yourself to just scales and you will have a lot more freedom when it comes to soloing. Here is a quick example of the C Major:

e-------------------------5-7-8---------------------
B-------------------5-6-8---------------------------
G-----------2-4-5-7---------------------------------
D-----2-3-5-----------------------------------------
A-3-5-----------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------

As soon as you begin to understand the fretboard you'll have the ability to play any kind of scale, note, or song. The electric guitar has 6 strings and 20 frets for every string. The standard tuning for these strings are E, B, G, D, A, E. Every guitar fretboard usually has metal discs or strips inside them at specific frets to help you finding the right fret. You can find these fret markers on the third, fifth, seventh, ninth, twelfth, fourteenth frets, and sometimes higher.

The most important scales you should memorize on the guitar fretboard include the pentatonic major, pentatonic minor, harmonic minor, natural minor, and the major. You should place your hand on the fretboard so your index finger rests on the fret corresponding to the root note of your scale. The finger pattern for the natural minor scale is 1,3, 4, 1, 3, 4, 1, 3.

The harmonic minor scale is similar except the 7th interval is a half step higher. You should utilize the fingering position 1, 4, 1, 4, 1, 4, 1, 3, 2, 4, 2 when you want to play a pentatonic major scale over two octaves. To play the pentatonic minor scale play 1, 4, 1, 4, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1.

Lastly I want to discuss playing power chords. Simply begin with your index finger on the root note to play a power chord. Now put your third finger on the following highest string, two frets down.

When it comes to playing the electric guitar the right way you need to learn your scales and the fretboard. There are many other beginner guitar lessons online that will teach you a lot more, but these fundamentals will start you off in the right direction.

Beginner Electric Guitar Lessons - The Basics of the Fretboard and Scales

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