Major Scale Exercises
To make scales a little more interesting you can use these patterns below to give some variation on a common scale. All examples are shown in the key of A Major (5th fret start) using this shape " Shape 1". If you're interested in playing fast like Steve Via, Richie Blackmore, Joe Satrani, Kirk Hammett and many more speed guitarists, then this is the basis of developing your speed. Playing fast on the guitar is a reflex action, you have to know your scales so well that you don't even think about what you're doing, your fingers just go into their set positions.
Playing the following patterns will trick you up at first, but that's the whole idea. You should always be challenging your self, it's the only way you can improve.
Ascending The A Major Scale In Groups of 4
To play this pattern you have to start at the 1st note of the major scale and play 4 notes up the scale, then start from the second note of the scale and play 4 notes up from there. Continue this all the way up the scale.
Listen to what the below
pattern sounds like first.
Now listen to it fast
Descending The A Major Scale In Groups of 4
This is played the same as the exercise above but going down the scale.
Listen to what the below
pattern sounds like first.
Now listen to it fast
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