[OhioBuckeye]

So I'm starting to learn scales. The C Major scale for now.

My question is why do scales make improving/soling easier? What I'm getting at is this. Are scales more appealing to the ear than just random picking? or some other made up pattern? Is there some theoretical reason why playing notes in a scale is the best way to improvise?

Thanks

OB

[Tennessee Jedi]

I think it might have something to do with playing in key.Its just a theory I've been working on.

[GratefulPat]

a scale is a set of notes that all sound good together. if you just pick random notes, they all may be in the same scale and sound ok, but if you just pick a, c a, e, f#,d, e, b,its gunna sound crazy... learn your major scales, and all of the majors relate to a minor... for instance Cmaj is Amin, same notes

[Pete B.]

Learning your scales is just one way to get from being a beginner, to becoming one who can play a wailin' Jerry solo without "Clam-ing out" all over the place (Clam = blatently wrong note(s)).
Practicing your scales builds muscle memory (the connection between you brain and your right/left hands/fingers) which will, again, help to keep you from Clamming out during a solo (if you play the right note, but pick the wrong string (or mis-pick the correct string), or put your finger too close to the fret, for example, and it comes out sounding like... a clam).
You can also use scales a means to practice adding 'vibrato' to every note.
You can also use scales to practice ascending/descending tripolets "do-re-me-do, re-me-fa-re, etc...), which can be commonly heard in Jerry G style.
Now the way I did it, is to learn a few box patterns that you can use on any song, play those for 30 years, then get so bored stiff, you finally decide you want to unlock the key to solo'ing, and you go back to square one and learn your scales.

[Pete B.]

So I'm starting to learn scales. The C Major scale for now.

Here's a seemingly easy excersize, that turns into a bit if a toungue twister the first few times through.
C Major scale... Learn to play the song "Doe, a Deer..." all the way through.

[IamDocWatson]

the major scale contains the notes of all your chords from your chosen key....

so learning scales will help you with keys/chords...and youll start to unlock the pattern in the relationship of each note and chord of keys...

also think of any melody you know...if u learn it on your guitar you will realize that 9 out of 10 times 90% of the melody are notes right out of the major scale

just look at the patterns as you learn the scales you will realize they travel right through your chord shapes...so aside from your ear, once you know all your chords and scales all over the board you will have a good visual of where the "right" notes are at to play