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After you learn chord charts it will be a lot easier for you to understand scale charts, however it is not essential that you know how to read a chord chart to learn to use scale charts. The main difference is that a scale chart has more notes per string and the notes on the chart are not played all at once like a chord.

Scales

The easiest scale to play would be the chromatic scale. Some consider the chromatic scale more of an exercise than a real scale but it is important to know because it contains all the possible notes of the guitar. The next scales you will learn are the major and minor scales. Both the major and minor scales have 8 notes in them before they start to repeat the pattern. Another great thing about scales on the guitar is that all the scale types have the same pattern. That means once you know one major scale you know all 12, or once you know one minor scale you know all 12.

Scale Charts

Scale charts are very similar looking to chord charts. At the top there is the name of the scale, such as A Major or B Minor. Below that there is the same grid as a chord chart. This grid represents the neck of the guitar. Vertical lines show the strings from left to right, E, A, D, G, B, e. The horizontal lines show the frets of the guitar with the top line being closest to the nut of the guitar. The black dots show what notes are in the scale. Like a chord chart the black dots show where to put your fingers. But since most people don't have 8 or 16 finger you have to play one note at a time starting with the root note or the note on the E string (far left line) on top of the other note of that string. This is the lowest tone of the scale.

The root note of the scale is the note that is used to name the scale. If the scale starts on an A note and follows the major scale pattern after that then it is the A major scale. The root note can also be used to show where the scale pattern repeats if more than one octave is being played. The root note on a scale chart is usually shown by an outlined circle or a circle with an R in the middle. Think of the root note as the starting note of the scale.

After you learn the major and minor scale patterns you can play any of the 12 scales of that scale type. Just take the major scale, say C major, and move each note up one fret, now you have the Db major scale. You can do this with all of the scale on the guitar, but be careful when you get to playing the open strings near the nut of the guitar, make sure you are playing the correct scale pattern because they can change when you start adding in open strings.

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