Start Playing Scales Fast On Guitar With Creative Practice & Unique Patterns That Make Your Soloing Stand Out

Don’t make the same mistake most guitarists make by practicing guitar scales using this same approach every time:

  • -Look up a bunch of scale patterns
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  • -Practice them up and down the fretboard to a metronome, one-after-the-other
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  • -Try to solo with them later
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This limiting approach not only makes the process of learning scales slower, but makes it more difficult to actually use them in a musical way.

 

There are many more effective ways to learn guitar scales fast while also improving multiple areas of your guitar playing at the same time.

 

Use the practice approaches below to quickly learn to play guitar scales at fast speeds and improve your soloing while practicing them:

Quickly Build Effortless Speed With Guitar Scales Using Triple Picking

 

One of the biggest reasons why it sometimes feels difficult to play guitar scales fast is inefficient picking motion.

 

Your speed with guitar scales quickly increases when you practice by using efficient picking movement together with a triple picking approach. Triple picking here refers to picking each note of the scale 3 times. This quickly programs you to use excellent picking technique while helping you learn the notes of any scale.

 

Try this by using this unique scale:

Here is what to do:

 

  1. Pick the first note of the scale three times using this picking approach: Downstroke + Upstroke + Downstroke
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  3. Repeat this for the next note in the scale.
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  5. Repeat this again for note three on fret 11, but continue the pickstroke downwards to begin the downstroke of the next note on the next string.
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  7. This integrates sweep picking into your scales to make them faster and more effortless. You make your picking technique efficient by sweeping to the next note (during string transitions).
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  9. Continue using the same picking approach for the rest of the scale. While ascending (moving from higher pitched notes to lower ones) use a picking approach of upstroke + downstroke + upstroke to maintain efficient picking.
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Creativity Tip: Record yourself playing an E7 chord for 2 minutes. Then improvise using the scale above over this chord. Focus on staying within this octave and use the triple picking idea as part of your phrasing approach (together with your normal soloing approach).

Learn Guitar Scales Faster Using Repetition Training While Improvising

 

The more times you repeat something, the faster you memorize it. Most players’ only approach for learning new guitar scales is to play the pattern up and down while picking each note once. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is possible to memorize the pattern much faster by repeating the notes more times per scale repetition.

 

Check out the guitar scale below:

Use repetition to quickly memorize it and program it into your muscle memory like so:

 

Instead of picking every note only once, pick every note 10 times before moving onto the next one. To more easily keep track of your pick strokes, look up “5-syllable words” online.

 

Use this repetition approach for several minutes, then practice like normal. This speeds up the process of memorizing the scale so you are able to quickly use it to play solos and licks.

 

Creativity Tip: Improvise over an E7 chord as in the previous point while using 5-note phrases. This challenges you to think more creatively while playing your guitar phrases and gives your soloing a unique sound.

Memorize A Guitar Scale Faster While Learning How To Solo With It Note-By-Note

 

Every great guitar solo starts with a single note. The better you are able to play just one note, the more likely you are able to play multiple notes that also sound great.

 

Use this concept while learning guitar scales to quickly memorize them and improve your ability to improvise creatively using them.

For example: Improvise this scale over an E5 power chord using the instructions below.

Beginning with the first note, improvise using only this note while trying to make it sound as musically expressive as possible for 1 minute. Do this by ornamenting the note with vibrato, string bending tremolo picking, sliding to it from above/below or using harmonics.

 

While doing this, listen closely for how the note feels. Does it feel unstable (like it wants to go somewhere) or stable (for example the “E” or “B” notes)? Then move onto the next note in the scale and repeat this process.

 

Creativity Tip: After improvising in the manner described above, improvise using the entire scale for 5 minutes. While doing this, focus on adding intensity to your playing using more of the notes that felt unstable. Make your soloing feel more relaxed using the notes that felt stable.

 

Want to learn more ways to play creatively using guitar scales, arpeggios or any other patterns you’ve learned? Become a creative and awe-inspiring lead guitarist using these free guitar phrasing resources.