Guitar Scales in Context: The Practical Reference Guide

I had previously bought another book but it didn't give me what I wanted; its Ok knowing scales but, how do you use them! Fortunately i came across this book by Joseph Alexander and as the title says it puts scales into context, provides backing tracks to down load and importantly gives me licks to try and play along. This is exactly what I am looking for. The book is well laid out and easy to understand. Not all scales are included, but the main and important ones are and therefore more than enough to get on with. Mastering any or all of them would make you into a fantastic guitar player - so who knows! Whilst everything is in one key - C and it would be more helpful if there was a blend of scales, Joseph does explain how to play in different keys which helps me to improve my knowledge rather than relying on looking at scales and riffs only - which (may be an age thing I am a senior starting late on my guitar journey) just looking I don;t seem to retain as much as "learning" and figuring things out for myself! All in all a great book if you want to know more about scales and how to use that knowledge.

Really useful for starting off song ideas in a certain mood. I never really got modes or how to use them before, but this book has really helped me understand how to use them creatively.

Reading this book has improved my technical ability. My solos are more varied and more fluid and I am finding I am able to access more of the fretboard. The book has a teach yourself style, despite the scales being very detailed. I would like more advice in scale progressions and examples of how to either merge or transit from one scale to another. Perhaps I will achieve this through more practise though; which is fine.

I have been playing rythm guitar for many years and wanted to learn lead and tried many scales books to help me better understand scales then came across this book from Fundamental Changes written by the excellent Joseph Alexander who de-mistifies the whole subject and makes it a pleasure to learn and develope my lead guitar skills. As a result I have now also purchased a number of other books from them and would highly recommend them to anyone wishing to learn any aspect of the guitar for all genre's.

Hi, just purchased the kindle version, as a guitarist trying to reboot my playing after many deserted years and I'm finding this book a fantastic source of information. Its structure and layout is easy to follow and the content is explained in a considered way so understanding is really easy. Other reviews claim that all scales are not included however I find the content very comprehensive and great source for both theory and practice. Highly recommended, Royb01

Very good

I bought this book because the writers theory book is very good. I'm a home player but working hard to progress to gigging or busking doing jazz standards and funk maybe. Here is what's missing: 1. You are learning shapes which is useless. You aren't shown the 3rd, flat7 etc only the root so if you dont' want to start the scale or arpeggio off the root you are going to be stuck. 2. Backing tracks are good but everything is in C major. 3. All the modes refer to the b2 or relevant note to make it that mode but there is no explanation of where that note is. Just the root. It could have been made much better with a bit of the theory explained and the relevant intervals shown in the figs. Instead you are left with the same problem the author tried to address. Playing shapes. Paul

Although these are just scales you see time and time again, this time Joseph puts them into context so you feel like you know what you are playing. The licks are very good and I've enjoyed playing them to the backing tracks. I like your charts and arpeggios etc... I had to print them off because my phone keeps going into standby. I've had guitars for about 30 years but with no teachers, just using books and videos. Finally starting to understand that scales are not as bad as they look. It would be good to have a nice big diagram of the guitar neck with patterns shown across, maybe just the major and minor roots because it helps to see other shapes especially the stretched scale shape which is easier to learn and can be layered into the existing patterns.

"Guitar Scales in Context" is a no-nonsense and very focused approach on the topic of guitar scales. A rich variety of scales is described, each description offering the full scale along with 3-tone (Major chord based) and 4-tone (Major7 chord based) arpeggio scales in five positions on the fretboard, as well as guitar licks that put the given scale to the test. I really like the trainings concept that gives a solid framework for exercising these scales, and it also puts the audio files to good use as background tracks. Having a metronome at hand is preferable, though you can also set any given audio to be played in loop and play along. The audio files, by the way, are in excellent quality. I have found this book to be very helpful.

This book is a must have for any guitarist who wants to learn scales in a very clear and organized way, with the chords which they can be played over and some licks to guide you to phrase and show the possibilities with the scale. About the publisher : I only recently found about Fundamental Changes and I must say I am shocked and amazed at the way their books are written I have 6 of their books and I must say I always want to get another one as they are very systematic and only with what is needed to be conveyed NO b.s. I 1000% recommend any book by them to anyone of any level.

This is really excellent. I am learning guitar and all the included content will greatly help me on my journey. I have a few books by this author and all are really excellent.

Well written and easy to understand

My first memories of studying scales when I was a teenager are about books where you had this sentence: "here are the major scales" followed by 90 pages of diagrams and tabs, no comment added... This book is great as it is not an encyclopedia. It sets the context for a scale, briefly explaining what it consists of and then (obviously) it provides the diagrams in different prositions of the neck. The added value, in my opinion, are the supporting backing tracks and suggested licks that allow you to practice scales without the usual metronome, but rather in a musical context. I've found this is fundamental in understanding how to move through a scale inside a musical context. Not necessarily an aseptic "up-and-down". I really enjoyed (and still enjoy) practicing with this book and believe it's a must-have for guitar students (and not only students!)