Lesson series

Essential Guitar Scales

Essential Guitar Scales shows guitar players how to connect the most important scales across the fretboard to create exciting guitar solos from scratch in every style.

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Online guitar course · Scales

Essential Guitar Scales

Connect the key guitar scales across the whole neck

Essential Guitar Scales is an online guitar scales course taught by Steve Stine. You learn the major (diatonic) scale in seven positions and the E minor pentatonic in five, and see how major and minor scales relate. Then you memorize the notes on the neck, move out of box positions, and add the major pentatonic, the blues scale, harmonic minor and a first look at modes. The course has 30 video lessons in three modules, with a 58-page PDF book and jam tracks, and is included in GuitarZoom Premium.

30video lessons

3+ hoursof step-by-step teaching

3 modulesin a clear order

Intermediatelevel

58-page PDF bookincluded

In Premiumwith 15 more core courses

Excellent · 4.8 out of 5 on TrustpilotRead our reviews

START FREE 14-DAY TRIAL BUY THIS COURSE · $67

Included in GuitarZoom Premium · course 10 of 16 in the path (Stage 3: Know the Fretboard and the Music)

Free preview

What Essential Guitar Scales is about

Steve breaks every skill into simple steps you can follow. In these videos, he opens with a jam, shows how to see the fretboard as one connected piece, and how to find any mode from the major scale.

Course intro: Intro Jam · 1:08

Free preview lesson: Visualizing the Fretboard as One Element · 4:40

Free preview lesson: How to Quickly Find Any Mode from the Major Scale · 11:14

Who it's for

Is Essential Guitar Scales right for you?

Players stuck in one pentatonic box. You'll connect positions so you can move across the whole neck.
Guitarists who want to solo with more than one scale. The course adds major pentatonic, blues and harmonic minor sounds.
Players getting ready for modes. The last module shows how to find any mode from the major scale.

What you'll be able to do

Skills you'll walk away with

Play the major diatonic scale in all seven positions
Play the E minor pentatonic scale in five positions
Find the relative minor of a major key
Memorize all the notes on the fretboard
Move horizontally out of box positions
Solo with major and minor pentatonic scales
Use the blues scale and the harmonic minor scale
Find any mode from the major scale and compare Aeolian and Dorian

What's inside

The course, module by module

Every module and every lesson, in the order you learn them.

Module 1

Major scale and minor pentatonic positions

Seeing the fretboard as one piece, the diatonic scale in seven positions, root notes and the relative minor, the E minor pentatonic in five positions, and the relative major pentatonic, with short G major and E minor jams.

19 lessons · 46 min

See all 19 lessons

Intro Jam 1:08
Visualizing the Fretboard as One Element 4:40
Diatonic Scale 1st Position 12:29
2nd Position 6:05
3rd Position 1:52
4th Position 1:50
5th Position 1:34
6th Position 1:12
7th Position 2:31
Root Note and Relative Minor 2:37
G Major Jam 0:23
Comparing Major and Minor 0:45
Minor Pentatonic Scale 3:03
1st Position - Em Pentatonic 0:25
2nd Position - Em Pentatonic 0:59
3rd Position - Em Pentatonic 0:39
4th Position - Em Pentatonic 0:42
5th Position - Em Pentatonic 0:28
Relative Major Pentatonic 2:31

Module 2

Notes, movement and pentatonic soloing

How to memorize all the notes, moving out of comfort positions, horizontal scale movement, major vs minor pentatonic soloing, major pentatonic soloing and expanding the blues scale.

6 lessons · 90 min

See all 6 lessons

How to Memorize All the Notes On Your Guitar 18:53
Moving Out of Your Comfort Positions On the Fretboard 11:24
Horizontal Movements for Creative Scales 7:38
Major Vs Minor Pentatonic Soloing 12:37
The Art of Effective Major Pentatonic Soloing 25:57
Expand the Blues Scale for Creativity 13:25

Module 3

Harmonic minor, chromatic patterns and modes

The harmonic minor scale, patterns built from chromatic runs, how to find any mode from the major scale, a mode comparison workout, and Aeolian vs Dorian.

5 lessons · 62 min

See all 5 lessons

The Harmonic Minor Scale 26:28
Creating Cool Patterns Out of Chromatic Runs 5:57
How to Quickly Find Any Mode from the Major Scale 11:14
Mode Comparison Workout 10:40
Aeolian Vs Dorian 8:10

START FREE 14-DAY TRIAL BUY THIS COURSE · $67

How it works

Learn at your own pace

Clear video lessons

Every move is shown up close. Pause, rewind and repeat each lesson as often as you need.

Practice materials

Includes 58-page PDF book, Jam tracks. Use them to practice what you learn in each lesson.

Part of a clear path

This is course 10 of 16 in the Premium path, so you always know what to learn next.

Your instructor

Steve Stine

GuitarZoom Master Instructor

Steve has taught guitar for more than 30 years and has helped millions of players in over 100 countries. He has a Music Education degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead and taught guitar at North Dakota State University. He's known for breaking hard things into simple steps you can follow. Read Steve's full story

Student reviews

What students say about Steve's teaching

Excellent · 4.8 out of 5 on TrustpilotRead our reviews

"I'm just overjoyed to come across learning material that I've yearned for."
Andy M.Australia

"Thank you for breaking down music theory and making it so easy to learn."
Travis B.United States

"I have definitely improved and I enjoy it immensely."
Melina K.United States

"Steve Stine is the teacher that I have been looking for a long time."
Jimmy H.United States

"I discovered your courses. I find them great. It's a complete guitar journey and I learned something every week."
Philip M.United States

"It made the fretboard much, much simpler and easier to understand than I have imagined it to be."
Geoffrey E.United Kingdom

Read 100+ more student reviews

FAQ

Essential Guitar Scales questions

Which scales will I learn?

The major (diatonic) scale, the minor and major pentatonic scales, the blues scale, the harmonic minor scale, and an introduction to modes such as Aeolian and Dorian.

Is this course for beginners?

It works best if you can already play a few scales or chords. The first module still builds each position one at a time.

Will I learn the notes on the fretboard?

Yes. Module 2 opens with a full lesson on how to memorize all the notes on your guitar.

Does it cover soloing?

Yes. There are lessons on major vs minor pentatonic soloing, major pentatonic soloing and expanding the blues scale for more creative lines.

How long is the course?

There are 30 video lessons, about 3 hours and 20 minutes in total, in three modules.

How do I get Essential Guitar Scales?

Essential Guitar Scales is one of the 16 core courses in GuitarZoom Premium. Premium costs $39 a month or $299 a year and starts with a 14-day free trial. You can also buy Essential Guitar Scales on its own for a one-time $67.

What else is included in GuitarZoom Premium?

Premium gives you Steve Stine's 16 core courses in a clear, step-by-step path, from your first chords to improvising your own solos, plus a Jam Tracks library. You get every course from day one.

Can I cancel GuitarZoom Premium?

Yes. You can cancel any time. If you cancel before your 14-day trial ends, you won't be charged.

Can I watch on my phone or tablet?

Yes. You can watch on any computer, tablet or phone with an internet connection, as often as you like.

Next in the Premium path