Guitar Scales Method Software Review

Guitar Scales Method Software Review ( http://www.GuitarLessonsTests.com)

I've been using this software for quite a while, and I think it's time to share my experience.

This tool is dedicated to the art of mastering scales and modes. A lot of people are struggling with this stuff and there are tons of books and softwares out there trying to teach it (I for myself own quite a few…).
I think Guitar Scales Method has a unique way to organise the whole topic. First of all, it explains the whole theory behind scales, modes and even chords. Personally, I did not make use of that part, because I have already studied all this years ago. Still, it's well explained and will help the novice to really understand what it is all about.

Then, it shows how it translates to the guitar. This is where a software beats a book: you can see the grids moving on a fretboard, so it is easier to understand how it is organised on the guitar. 5 small grids are revealed. Now I haven't seen this organisation anywhere else. I know the CAGED-system pretty well, and these small grids lead to something similar. The advantage of this method lies in the amount of material to learn. The grids are so small, they are very easy to remember.

Now you're ready for the interesting part: learning to play the major scale and its modes in all keys and all positions. You'll also learn all the scales degrees and how to relate them to chords. That may sound like a lot of work. Right, you're not gonna master that overnight. But the software has some really, really good drills to help you. Actually, I even had some fun learning that, because you can always practice with some kind of backing track. The progress map shows you how well you're doing (motivating!). The pattern section teaches you how to make the scales musical. That's where I am now, but there's more. There are workouts for pentatonic, chromatic, blues... You can make your own play-alongs. They sometimes sound a little bit muddy (some chords just seem to be played too low) and, yeah, it's midi, so don't look for, say, aebersold's high quality. But it's definitely more than enough to jam. Another weak point is that symetrical scales, harmonic minor and melodic minor are not explained as extensively as the major ones. However, if you know a little about it, you can practice them with the tune or play-along feature. It's ok for me because,as I said, I know the theory so I just need the tools to practice. And that's what I got. Now, I'm quite confident with the scales, and I barely have to think about them anymore.

All in all, I would say this software is probably the best way I know to learn scales on guitar. It's not quite cheap, and it does have a few weak points, but the drills are so cleverly designed and so unique that I have to recommend it highly.

Chris Bryant

http://www.GuitarLessonsTests.com/