Scales often have a very tiresome reputation in the world of Music, but I promise you, they're worth the time and effort!
In this lesson, we shall be going over the C Major scale played in an open position. The C Major scale allows you to become familiar with the different notes across the strings for the first three frets. They also allow you to improvise and play the melody of the songs/piece across the fretboard instead of playing only on one string.
------------------------------------------------------------0(B)----1(C)--
--------------------------------------------0(G)----2-(A)-----------------
----------------0-(D)-----2-(E)----3-(F)---------------------------------
--------3-(C)--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
You start the C major scale with the lowest root note - on the 3rd fret of the 5th string. For this scale, the finger numbers match up with the fret numbers (ex. Finger 3 plays Fret 3).
Use only down picks, for now, and go slowly from the low C note on the 5th string and play the scale ascending from the root note. Once you get to the high C note on the 2nd string, start descending (going down) back to the way that you came from. Please keep in mind that a scale always ends on the same note that you started with.
Please note that the speed does not matter; rhythm does. In the beginning, use a metronome to stay in time and practise slowly and gradually increase the tempo according to your progress.
Happy practising!