Chords, Scales, & Arpeggios

Learn their differences!

At this stage, I hope you’re questioning the differences between chords and scales! You’ve probably heard about arpeggios too. But what exactly are they? When do we use what? In this lesson, you'll learn all about them and what makes them unique. :)

What are Chords

Most beginner guitar courses start with learning chords! If you're following my Beginner Guitar Course, you’ll learn the 8 essential open chords for beginners right in the first grade. But what are chords?

Guitar chords are groups of two or more notes played together. They usually have a specific structure, not a random collection of notes! But in theory, any combination of notes played together is some chord.

You can play chords in many different ways, such as strumming or finger picked. As you go further in your guitar playing, you’ll learn different types of chords, such as barre chords, power chords, etc.

What are Scales

The word scales makes many players feel queasy! But at JustinGuitar, we learn scales the fun way! :) And, seriously, when you do it the right way, and for the right reasons, scales are loads of fun.

They’re the key to improvising on the guitar! Scales allow you to create your own melodies and solos and express your musical imagination. They also help you understand more about the music you like, which will help you become a better guitarist.

💭 My teacher tried to convince me to learn scales for years, and I always put it off. Then by chance, I discovered why I should do it. During a lesson, my teacher gave me a scale. Later that evening, I was transcribing the first solo of Fade to Black by Metallica. I noticed the scale shape my teacher had given me earlier, and the solo had precisely the same notes! That one moment started my music theory journey - one of my biggest passions today!

But... what are scales? Here's a simple explanation:

Scales are groups of notes that work well together. The 12 notes come from those available in an octave.

The most common scale and the basis for all Western music is the Major Scale, the first scale you encounter in your guitar journey. The Major Scale has seven notes that’ I’m sure you’ve heard before as:

Do

Re

Mi

Fa

Sol

La

Ti

Do

The Minor Pentatonic Scale is probably the easiest one to learn, and you’ve probably heard it before. It’s an essential scale to nail if you’re up for jamming the Blues - but more on that later! ;)

What are Arpeggios

When analyzing the notes that create a chord, you'll see a specific formula behind their choice and order. We’ll still learn about that all, but here’s the thing:

When we play these notes at the same time, we call it a chord.
When we play these notes one at a time, we call it an arpeggio.

For me, a chord is a frozen' arpeggio, and an arpeggio’s a liquid chord. We won’t be looking at arpeggios before our Intermediate level because they are more relevant to Jazz and Modern Blues. Most players won't ever need arpeggios!