Satriani
Right, hopefully you've read the previous topic on how to understand formulas, find notes on your fretboard, and what intervals are.
Now I'll cover what are the 'main' scales you should know. The big daddy is the Major Scale. If you don't know it, and don't know how it's constructed, you are pretty screwed when it comes to learning ANYTHING else really, so please don't skip it.
For the purposes of modal study, I will tell you that ALL scales have 8 notes. This is not entirely true, but for modes, it is, so take that as a rule for now.
I will use terminology that may not make sense, I will explain it in brackets.
The Major Scale (Ionian Mode) W W H W W W H
Lets start on a nice friendly note, C. On the piano, this is the easiest major scale to play simply because it has no accidentals (sharps or flats ie black keys)
From C which is from now on referred to as the 'root or tonic' of our scale (root meaning it's origin), we use our Major Scale Formula which is W W H W W W H. It is also important to give each scale degree a number. When you get to building chords and understanding their construction, you will need to use numbers from scales.
So if C is our first note, and out first interval is a W (Whole Step), we then move up to D. Another Whole Step up brings E. Now we need a Half Step, which brings us to F (remember there is no 'black' key in between E and F, or B and C). From F, we need another Whole Step, which brings us to G. Another Whole Step brings A. One more Whole Step brings B and finally our Half step at the end which should ALWAYS bring you the same note you began on (root). This note we land on is called the Octave (Octa meaning 8)
Now we give each note a number, from 1 - 8. So C is 1 (root), D is 2 (Major 2nd), E is 3 (Major 3rd), F is 4 (Perfect 4th), G is 5 (Perfect 5th), A is 6 (Major 6th), B is 7 (Major 7th) and finally C again number 8 (Octave). For those who want to know why they're called 'perfect', it has to do with the frequency at which a certain pitch vibrates in relation to others. When you play for example a middle A, it vibrates at 440Hz. When u play the A higher than that, it vibrates at exactly double the speed, 880Hz. I don't wanna go into to much detail on that, but if you want to know, let me know.
Now, if you start on ANY other note, and follow the Formula for the Major Scale, you will have played the Major scale in the Key of whatever note you started on. The best way to learn how they sound on a guitar, is to simply use one finger, and go up 1 string from root to octave, just to get the hang of it and to internalise the sound of the Major Scale.
The Major scale has a bright, happy sort of sound to it. Just about all nursery rhymes use it, because they want to project a happy feeling.
I want to explain the purpose of the numbering of the scale, but that's away from this topic, so check out the topic on Chord Construction!
