I wanted to get some opinions on how to best practice scales.
Do you think it’s better to learn one position in all keys and then move on to the next position or to learn all five positions in one key and then learn all five positions in the next key and so on?
The scales are moveable on the fretboard. Once you learn them in one key, you can move them easily into any key.
To add to what Mark said you don’t move on until you can make music with the pattern you know. All 5 patterns contain the same notes so if you can’t use pattern 1 to make music learning the rest won’t help.
He’s Justin take on learning scales.
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/when-not-to-learn-scales-sc-104
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Yep. Listen to what @stich says.
This is what was drilled into me nearly 5 years ago by Justin, @stich, and others who have trodden the path for years.
And now its paying off in spades…
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Just a minor correction: in the scale-related lessons, you will see the term “pattern” instead of “position”. They are easy to mix up, but it’s worth learning it when you start out.
Also, while a movable pattern (i.e. without open strings) makes it easy to play a given scale in all keys without thinking too much about the notes, it’s a good technique exercise to regularly play the given pattern up and down the neck and get used to how it feels under your fingers at different areas of the fretboard.
Thanks! I knew I could count on you guys for sound advice. (No pun intended).
Think as practical as possible: practice what you can use in a song; a song you know or a song you are currently learning.
Start with one shape, learn it well, it us, feel it, use it in those songs so your learn to use that shape in a REAL musical context. You get real use out of what you are learning. it is the best way to memorize it anyway. learn to improvise with it, write your own little licks and phrasing with it and blend it in the song. Use the song as backing or use it in your own version of it.
Learn to work with bends, slides, hammer-ons/pull-offs and vibrator in that one scale.
So, I repeat, GET MUSICAL with it.
in Brief: be goal oriënted: learn what you will and can USE.
I always say that it is better to be creative and musical with ONE shape than learnign everything and doing nothing with it (who cares if you know all the scales if you sounds sloppy, fumbling or boring with them?)
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To go with the flow
[quote="LievenDV, post:8, topic:396967”]
Learn to work with bends, slides, hammer-ons/pull-offs and vibrator in that one scale.
[/quote]
I’m guessing that autocorrect turned vibrato into vibrator.
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Aaah DAMN yeah that’s what you get when using your phone 
I’m going to leave it there, the fail is too good
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PMSL…… yup it is a rather interesting one 
Well, I suggest you learn the minor penta position 1 in A and the the major penta also in A. The muscle memory will learn the pattern BUT your brain must learn the relations between the note. I.e. Root = 1 then all the other notes: Thus the min penta notes are 1, b3 (lowered 3 scale note ), 4,5, b7 and the major penta is 1,2,3,5,6 ! This I so much more important then to know the names on the notes ( it also good but later). Of Cours you must know the name of your Root. Justin has a good app for learning the names of the notes on the neck. To develop further the approach o the reactangle and the box (fretsciensce) is the best approach instead of learning 5 patterns of all scales !!!
Back in the 80s (or it might’ve been early 90s) when he was in Tin Machine, Reeves Gabrels used to play electric guitar with a vibrator. He’d hold it near the pickups and adjust the motor’s speed in different ways, and even touch it directly to the strings. I couldn’t find any video, but he mentions it in this interview.
My advice on learning scales is to learn a scale in relation to chords. That is, don’t just think about the scale as a pattern of black dots or a collection of shapes. Learn how chords in the key map to the scale, learn which notes in the scale are powerful “chord tones” like the root, the third, the fifth, and the seventh.
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JWC I agree!
Player27:
I do also think it is important when learning patterns/notes to understand that the way the guitar is tuned i.e. in a 4’th between every string from E, A, D, G but then a maj 3’rd to the B and again a 4’th to the high E means that as a pattern moves from G to the B string ( the odd interval 4 to 5’th string is often called the warp) will be moved on fret down towards the bridge. If you play a pattern on the big e and b string and move up to the G the pattern will have to be shifted on fret up against the nut.
To re-state advice already given that Justin himself has given too …
One scale, one pattern, pattern 1. Learn it inside out, back to front, all ways around. Make music with it and come to know it.
Once very comfortable try the same pattern in one or two different keys.
That is going to take a month or more.
Next, pattern 2 and do the same.
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