TOPIC: Scales

I only caught the tail end of Fretmentor's blues class and it was focused on pentatonic scales. I've been practicing several major scale patterns and minor scale patterns and now adding pentatonic scales - but it gets monotonous after awhile. Does anyone have some tips that might help make practicing these more fun?

Not sure there's a way to make them more interesting. But I try to play them in various ways. In other words, not always play the same scale in the same key. I usually pick a key and play an open and closed version of the scale to start off, then play backwards and forwards a couple of times. I play a vertical or horizontal pattern. And I try to say the number of each note I hit (that especially halps with pentatonics, I've found). Then I'll work minor the same way, then the pentatonic scales. Anyway, it can be mind-numbing to do more than 10 or 15 minutes of this at one sitting.

Another thing I've been doing lately is adding some of the scales to solos I'm practicing. I have not perfected this yet, but it makes the scales a little more interesting and I'm hoping I'm developing a little more ease with moving around the fingerboard.

Andrew, find songs that you like that have the scales in them. Now it's not practicing!

Enjoy

I also say the numbers when I practice the scales, major and minor. I also try to put a little melody into it, makes it more interesting.
sparks

I mix them up alittle, try some forward and backward rolls, hammer ons, bends, etc. The endings Fretmentor desires from our playing are nothing more than a tonal scale lick from the key we're playing in. The hardest part is the technique of the lick, should i hammer on, slide, bend, etc. It makes playing the scales fun, and i would say the interval out loud.
Ispencerini, what's an open or closed scale? I know the term relates to chord forms, never heard it mentioned for scales....

Dave2311 -

An open scale starts on an open string or uses open strings for some of the notes. For instance, if I do a G major scale starting from the G chord position, the first note would be 6th string, 3rd fret, then an open string A (5th string) would be next and so on. For a closed scale, you would have to have your fingers on a fret for every note you play. This allows you to move scales up the neck of the guitar. For instance, you can play a G closed scale anywhere you find a G on the fretboard. I like to practice both types when I'm playing so I can get used to moving up the neck of the guitar a little.