Guitar Scales 101


What is a Guitar Scale?

Scales (on any instrument) are comprised of repeating patterns of specific notes played in a specific sequence. Different notes played in different sequences comprise different scales.

In the Western tradition of music, each key and mode is comprised of a specific set of notes. When the notes of a given key and/or mode are played in succession from one octave to the next, a scale is said to have been played.

Why Learn Guitar Scales?

Scales comprise the basic building blocks of all melodic phrases. If you are a guitar player and aspire to be able to play lead, improvise in specific keys, and/or write your own melodic phrases and songs, then you will HAVE to learn scales at some point. Fortunately there are a number of benefits to learning scales in addition to those already delineated. They include:

  • Improving finger dexterity,
  • Improving one's "ear" for music,
  • Gaining a better understanding of theory,
  • Gaining an enhanced understanding of music in general,
  • Obtaining the ability to make clean, pleasant sounding musical phrases,
  • Increasing one's ability to improvise and solo,

And much more…

How Does One Learn Scales?

There are a number of great resources online and offline for learning scales. Scale books, fingerboard sticker sets (with the scale printed on them), scale charts, and other visual cue devises are essential to learning scale patterns. The other essential ingredient is practice, practice, and more practice.

This website provides a number of resources for helping you to learn scales. You can view the related articles section for some links to helpful information, or if you are ready to take learning scales more seriously, you can purchase a variety of products on this website, including fingerboard sticker sets (Manufactured by Fret Daddy), scale books, and scale charts.










Popular Products



The Fretboard Notemap
For Acoustic/Electric Guitar

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The fretboard notemap is the perfect sticker set for beginners as well as intermediate and advanced players who never learned the names of the notes on the fretboard. Don't worry, you're not alone. The fretboard notemap is our top seller!
Combo Pack
For Acoustic/Electric Guitar

Fret Daddy's Combination Pack Package for Acoustic Electric Guitar - Learn to Play Fret Daddy's most popular scales

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Fret Daddy News



Fret Daddy Makes Ultimate-guitar
Magazine's 2011 Hotlist

Fret Daddy Makes NAMM Hot List 2011


Thousands of amazing new products were featured at NAMM's world-famous trade show in Anaheim this year, but only 20 made it onto Ultimate-Guitar magazine's Hotlist! Fret Daddy is very pleased to have made the cut!

Read the article
Introducing Fret Daddy's
A minor/C major Pentatonic Scale

Fret Daddy's A minor Pentatonic Scale For Acoustic Electric Guitar - Learn to Play the A minor Pentatonic Scale

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This versatile sticker set is designed to teach guitar players of all levels the A minor/C major Pentatonic scale. Whether you plan on mastering the blues or exploring new hard rock riffs, this essential scale is a must!