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The Simple Scale SystemA Revolutionary Approach to Learning Scales on the guitar. By William Wilson

Copyright © 2016 William Wilson. For all works contained herein: Unauthorized copying or adapting is an infringement of copyright.

All rights reserved.

Cover Art by Ryan Burke. Copyright © 2009 Ryan Burke. Used by Permission.

Visit us at simplescalesystem.com

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Table of Contents

Introduction.........................................................................................4 Prerequisites........................................................................................4Audio Samples.....................................................................................4

Part 1 - THe Concept............................................................5

Moveable Patterns.............................................................................7Fix the Guitar’s Tuning to Learn Scales................................10Create Arpeggios in Equal Tuning...........................................12Add the Octave...............................................................................14Stack Them Up!...............................................................................15Two Forms.........................................................................................16Stack Alternating Forms..............................................................18Incomplete Forms..........................................................................19Cover the Entire Fretboard.......................................................21

Part 2 - Scales......................................................................23

Build Scales From Arpeggios......................................................25Stack at Octave................................................................................26Second Form of the Major Scale...........................................26Stack Alternating Forms..............................................................27Cover the Whole Fretboard.....................................................28Other Scales.....................................................................................30

Part 3 - Adjust For Tuning.......................................31

What Happens When You Change One String?............33What Happens When You Lower Two Strings?..............36

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Part 4 - More Arpeggios and Scales....................41

The Simple Scale System in a Nutshell.......................................43Major Family...............................................................................................44Minor Family..............................................................................................45Dominant Family.....................................................................................47Half Diminished.......................................................................................48Diminished................................................................................................49Augmented...............................................................................................50Altered........................................................................................................51Pentatonic..................................................................................................52

Part 5 - Practice Tips............................................................53

Play in All Keys Across the Neck...................................................55Practice Until It’s Automatic.............................................................55Correct Repetition................................................................................55Sing Along..................................................................................................55Use Routes...............................................................................................56Skeletons....................................................................................................56

Appendices.........................................................................................57

Appendix 1 - SSS and CAGED......................................................59Appendix 2 - Fretboard Charts.....................................................60

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Introduction

The Simple Scale System is a method for learning any scale or arpeggio on the guitar. All scales and arpeggios are patterns of notes. Scales and arpeggios can be broken down into small simple patterns. Rather than relying on large scale charts, the Simple Scale System uses small basic scale patterns over and over.

Prerequisites

A basic knowledge of music theory including key signatures and chord construction, A basic knowledge of the notes on the fretboard. (A fretboard chart is provided in Appendix 2)

Audio Samples

Audio samples can be found at: www.SimpleScaleSystem.com/Audio

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Part 1 - The Concept

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Moveable Patterns

The guitar is a visual instrument. Chords, scales, and arpeggios create distinct visual patterns. Drawn as dots on a page it is easy to see these patterns. This book explores how these patterns can be used to easily fi nd the notes in a scale or arpeggio.

To start, on the guitar a scale or arpeggio pattern can be moved up the fretboard to change its key. Visually the pattern stays the same, but its location changes. Play the following G major arpeggio that starts on the 6th string 3rd fret. (Play it one note at a time from the lowest note to the highest).

Arpeggio (är-pêj’eó) n.- Chord played one note at a time rather than simultaneously.

(For audio go to SimpleScaleSystem.com/audio ) Audio Example #1

Audio Example #2

Now to make it a G# major you only need to move it one fret higher. (Notice it looks the same only moved to the right)

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Move it again and you get an A major :

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Audio Example #4

What happens when you move these same patterns to different strings? Is the following arpeggio a major arpeggio?

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Yes! It is C major.

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Audio Example #5

Audio Example #6

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Let’s move it again. Is the following major?

Yes again. It is an F major arpeggio. So far it appears that patterns can work on any string. Let’s try moving it again. Is the following major?

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No! Play it and you will hear that it doesn’t sound like a major arpeggio. The notes are A# C# and E, which makes an A# diminished arpeggio. What happened? Why doesn’t the pattern work across the third and second strings? The answer is the guitar’s unique tuning. All strings are 5 frets apart except the second and third strings which are 4 frets. Because of this, patterns can not be moved once you reach the third string.

Why should the guitar be tuned in such a way? Wouldn’t it be much easier if you could move scales or arpeggios any-where on the guitar neck? Read on...

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Fix the Guitars Tuning to Learn Scales

The guitar is tuned to make playing large chords possible. Since guitarists can only use four fi ngers to hold down chords the tuning was chosen so that several strings would be left open for most basic chords.

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Audio Example #9

While the guitar’s standard tuning (E A D G B E) works well for chords, it makes learning scales and arpeggios a challenge. As mentioned in the previous section, this is due to the space between the strings not being equal; the second and third strings are 4 frets apart (a major 3rd), while all other strings are 5 frets apart (a perfect 4th). Most stringed instruments that are used for playing melodies (violin, cello, etc.) have equal tuning between all strings. This makes learning a scale pattern easy. Any scale pattern can be moved to different strings and it retains the same shape. As we discovered in the last section, this is not so with the guitar. Due to the inequality of its tuning, scale shapes look different for different sets of strings, forcing players to learn different patterns for each set.

The Simple Scale System solves this problem by “fi xing” the guitar’s tuning for learning scales. You tune the guitar equally, thus allowing patterns to be moved easily. (Later the guitar will be tuned standard and the patterns adjusted.) For the next part, the guitar should be tuned (E A D G C F) as follows:

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Major Triad(tri’-âd )n. - The basic three notes that make up most chords. The simplest form of arpeggio.

Major Pattern:

Create Arpeggios in Equal Tuning

Now that your guitar is tuned equally any scale or arpeggio pattern can be moved to any set of strings without alteration. To create an arpeggio/scale, place its pattern starting on the root note. For example, to create an “A” major triad place the major pattern on the 6th string - 5th fret, the note “A” (See Appendix 2 for a fretboard chart)

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Now play the following triad:(Notice it’s the same pattern, but starting on the note “C”)

C Major

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A Major Triad

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D major:

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Unlike standard tuning, in our equal tuning no matter what string or note you start on, the pattern is always the same. To create a major triad (in equal tuning) you always use the same pattern. The location of the pattern on the fretboard changes the key (i.e. B major, C major, D major, etc.) but visually it remains the same. Remember, the note you start the pattern on is the root, which names the arpeggio or scale.

TODO:Experiment by playing the pattern all over the neck and listen to how it always makes a major triad.

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Add The Octave

An octave is a pitch that shares the same name, like “A” up to the next “A.” Let’s add an octave to the major triad pattern.

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TODO:Play this pattern in several places around the neck.

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Stack Them Up!

By placing another major triad pattern on the octave, you create a larger arpeggio. Stacking patterns in this way, you can cross all six strings using the same small triad pattern three times. In the chart below, the dots that are two colors signify that they are the end of one pattern and the start of the next. Play the following “A” arpeggio:

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You can start anywhere and just keep on stacking. The following is a “C” major arpeggio.

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TODO: Play the previous examples and experiment with creating your own.

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Two Forms

For each type of scale or arpeggio two forms (patterns) are necessary to cover the entire neck. If you move the last note of the major triad to the next string you create the second form. You are not adding any new notes, just using the same note on a different string.

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Audio Example #13

Notice that on both forms the octave is one string higher than the last note of the basic pattern.

TODO:Play both forms all over the neck, name the root note for each. Remember the root note is the fi rst note of each arpeggio/scale. So where ever you place the pattern it becomes that arpeggio. E.g. If the pattern starts on “B ” it’s a B arpeggio. (Refer to Appendix 2 for a fretboard chart.)

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Stack Alternating Forms

By stacking alternate forms (the fi rst and second version learned above) larger arpeggios can be built covering all six strings in a single position. In these larger patterns the fi rst and second forms alternate. In the following pattern (Key of “A”) the fi rst form starts on the sixth string, and the second form takes over on the fourth string. SSS-10

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Form 1

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By starting on different strings several different patterns can be created. But at their core there are still only two forms stacked on top of each other. Play all the following patterns (page 20), and say whether you are playing form 1 or 2, plus the key. It is worth spending several days (or even weeks) mastering the following 5 patterns (page 20).

Incomplete Forms

In order to cover all six strings sometimes only part of a form is included. When practicing you have the option of starting on the root or the sixth string. Both ways are important to mastering an arpeggio/scale. Note that the color (yellow or red) will help you identify which form is included.

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Form 2

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Pattern No. 1

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Pattern No. 2

Pattern No. 3 Pattern No. 4

Pattern No. 5

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Cover the Entire Fretboard

With these five large patterns you can play a major triad all the way across the neck. The five patterns fit side by side to create major triads across the entire neck.

TODO: Practice this in all keys. (Hint: the root of the pattern creates the key. See Appendix 2 for a fretboard chart) When you are comfortable with these forms, move on to the next section. For suggestions on how to practice, see Part 5.

Thank you for downloading this sample of

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It includes:

-How to apply the system to scales-How to adjust for standard tuning-Patterns for 28 different scales & arpeggios-Practice tips on learning the scales

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