| Bluegrass music is an offshoot of the country and | | | | scale by skipping some notes or playing the notes |
| western musical genre. As with country music, | | | | randomly. You need to become very familiar with the |
| bluegrass has its foundation in the music of Ireland, | | | | major scale because bluegrass solos rely on major |
| Scotland and England. If bluegrass is centered on one | | | | keys. To get further into bluegrass guitar scales, find |
| area of the USA, it is Appalachia. The people are of | | | | examples of the major pentatonic and the major |
| Irish and Scottish descent and in their music | | | | diatonic scale. |
| instrumental virtuosity is not a poor relation of singing. In | | | | |
| most forms of popular music the instruments back up | | | | Another basic scale that is important in bluegrass, |
| the vocalist, but in bluegrass the vocals and the | | | | blues, country and rock music is the minor pentatonic |
| instruments are all just members of the team. In a | | | | scale. It has five notes, should be learned in all positions |
| bluegrass band everybody is expected to take a solo | | | | on the guitar neck in all keys, and has been used for |
| just as they do in a jazz band. The instruments | | | | lead solos by every guitar player known to man. It is |
| associated with bluegrass music are acoustic guitar, | | | | also popularly known as the blues scale. If you do not |
| banjo, fiddle and bass. | | | | know much about modes, do an internet search to get |
| The main thing to remember if you want to learn to | | | | some idea of the difference between a scale and a |
| play bluegrass scales is to learn some tunes. That is | | | | mode. If you have trouble understanding the theory, do |
| what music is made of. The scales are just the | | | | not worry, just try playing. |
| foundation of melodies and you need to be able to | | | | The mixolydian mode is a good "scale" to practice on |
| break out of the confinement of your scale as soon | | | | also: |
| as possible. The other thing learning tunes is good for is | | | | |
| developing right hand speed. As you can tell from | | | | ----3 |
| listening to bluegrass music, speed flatpicking is | | | | |
| essential. | | | | ----- |
| If you are interested in learning bluegrass music and | | | | |
| you would like to start by learning scales, start with the | | | | ------ |
| major scales in the open position. Do not bother with | | | | |
| going up the neck of the guitar yet because learning | | | | ------ |
| your scales in the open position is crucial for playing | | | | |
| bluegrass solos. Learn the scale in the key of G first, | | | | ------- |
| then C, D, F, A and E. Learn the keys one at a time so | | | | |
| that you are comfortable with one before you go onto | | | | ----- |
| the next key. As with all musical learning, the more | | | | |
| work you put into it at the beginning, the greater the | | | | To get more in-depth knowledge of bluegrass guitar |
| rewards and the quicker your progress. | | | | scales, some great bluegrass guitar players to listen to |
| When you sit down each day to practice your scales, | | | | are Vassar Clements, Doc Watson, Darol Anger, |
| spend five or ten minutes going up and down the scale | | | | Clarence White, Norman Blake and Sam Bush. |
| alternately. Then experiment a little. Try playing the | | | | |