Guitar Scales For Country Music

by Mike Hayes
The trick with music theory is to break everything down into baby-step i.e., guitar scales for country music, guitar scales for bluegrass music, guitar scales for jazz music, guitar scales for rock music.

Let's say your primary style of music is country music. we could subdivide the subject of music theory into: what guitar scales for country, what chord progressions for country, what style of country music, what guitar techniques for country.

What guitar scales for country:

major pentatonic, major diatonic, cascading scales ...

What chord progressions for country:

two chord songs, three chord songs, four chord songs ...

What style of country music:

Traditional country, modern country, country rock ...

What guitar techniques for country:

Hammer-on's, pull-off's, bends, slides ...

As you zero in on the specific skills you need to learn the complex subject of music theory becomes a lot less stressful and much more achievable.

By dividing and sub diving any complex subject you also learn how to accelerate your progress on guitar. The scales you would learn for country guitar would be determined by what style of country music you intended to play.

Instead of just saying "I want to play country guitar", if you are prepared to dig a little deeper, you will decrease the amount of information and skills you need to acquire by looking at each area of country guitar playing i.e., chord progressions, if you predominately played three chord songs in the keys of G and D, you would only have to learn four chord shapes.

Three chord songs in key of G: G - C - D

Three chord songs in key of D: D - G - A

Although country guitar has spawned no shortage of modern greats (Albert Lee, Ray Flacke, Danny Gatton, and the Hellecasters come quickly to mind, although there are many others) in general, however the music buying public doesn't really know how hip and entertaining instrumental country guitar is.

Here's ten top country guitarists to get listening for specific country guitar playing techniques.

1. Chet Atkins 2. Merle Travis 3. Jerry Reed 4. Roy Clark 5. Hank Garland 6. Albert Lee 7. Maybelle Carter 8. Doc Watson 9. Norman Blake 10. Tony Rice

The classic electric guitar sound for country music is characterized by the undistorted sound of single-coil guitar pickups, usually a Fender Telecaster or Fender Stratocaster, and the employment of fairly undistorted amplification most often a Fender Twin Reverb 100watt amp.

Guitar scales for country music are: major Pentatonic, major diatonic, and to a lesser degree the minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale.

The most popular guitar scales for country music are without doubt the major pentatonic. the two most common ways of playing this scale for country music is :

A major pentatonic scale (PATTERN 1)

sixth string, fifth fret, fourth finger

fifth string, second fret, first finger

fifth string, fourth fret, third finger

fourth string, second fret, first finger

fourth string, fourth fret, third finger

third string, second fret, first finger

third string, fourth fret, third finger

second string, second fret, first finger

second string, fifth fret, fourth finger

first string, second fret, first finger

first string, fifth fret, fourth finger

A major pentatonic scale (PATTERN 2)

sixth string, fifth fret, first finger

sixth string, seventh fret, third finger

sixth string, ninth fret, third finger

fifth string, seventh fret, first finger

fifth string, ninth fret, third finger

fourth string, seventh fret, first finger

fourth string, ninth fret, third finger

fourth string, eleventh fret, third finger

third string, ninth fret, first finger

third string, eleventh fret, third finger

second string, tenth fret, second finger

The fingering for the A major pentatonic scale (pattern 2) may seem a little unusual at first, however with a little practice, it will work out fine.

Both these patterns feature the same notes in the same sequence, if you play each scale slowly and listen carefully you will notice however a tone from certain notes, this is because the notes are being playing on different strings resulting in a different tone. Thicker strings produce a more mellow tone.

By learning these guitar scales for country guitar you will soon be playing your favorite country guitar sounds.