@nickm324 have you checked out the second diagram on the learn more section on the lesson or are you only using the app for the lessons?
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Hello @nickm324 and welcome to the Community.
Using the video alongside the written content and diagrams should give you all you need. Asking in here when anything remains unclear is always a good step to take too.
There are people here to help.
Hopefully now you have had the questions answered.
On the open string indicators being a different size, I know that the software I use to create diagrams (Neck Diagrams) always makes these smaller. It is simply a software function, not of musical significance.
Here is one more diagram that should settle the matter. Note, I created it with alternate picking in mind. If you are learning with all down picks the tab and notation is exactly the same.
Cheers
Richard 
Sorry but although I recognise that, for example, a major scale has the intervals TTsTTTs, I do not get why we need to play through them. What does it help me to do ?
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The major scale is nothing more than an alphabet. Itâs a scale, a group of 7 notes that sound good together. With these notes, you will soon be constructing chords, improvising melodies, soloing with licks (âwordsâ) and phrases (âsentencesâ) etc.
If you start on C and play the remaining notes all the way up and back down to C, then youâre playing a scale. A scale is just a tool that helps you memorize the notes and the sound of the alphabet. Thatâs why we play the notes up and down with a steady rhythm: to get comfortable with the alphabet. Thatâs it.
When you have the scale under your fingers and the sound in your ears, you can make it more interesting by playing melodies: using all or some of the scale notes and make music with them. Repeat some notes, switch the order, skip notes, play a different rhythm, leave pauses etc.
Why do we learn this scale first? Because the major scale is the foundation of Western music. Everything else we learn (chords, other scales, modes, âŚ) is based on the framework of the major scale.
Why these seven notes? Because the intervals (distance) between the notes create a sound thatâs inherent to the Western world. There are many other scales with seven different notes, or less than seven notes. All of these have their unique sound. Some will sound more Eastern, others more Spanish / Latin, and so on. Remember: a scale is just an alphabet and every alphabet has a different sound.
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Thanks for taking the time to write such a comprehensive and understandable response.
I will try again with C major.
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Practicing scales can be a little ho hum, but I watched a few YT videos about it. Instead of strumming one note per beat, strum in pairs. One fellow (GuitarEssentials?) shows how to strum scales in 8th notes, 16th notes (kinda fast, relies on alternate picking) and practice TRIPLETS which is very fun and new (to me anyway). Start the metronome at like 68bpm.
Just donât make mistakes while your having fun. You think learning scales is boring, try relearning them because you learnt them wrong the first time around.
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