Scales are the foundation on which all of music is built. A single scale, based on a particular tonal key, is one of the many building blocks that form this musical foundation. The key on which the particular scale is based, the tonic, serves as the scale's tonal center. Both melody and harmony are based on these basic musical units. Learning why scales are so important, as well as learning to play them proficiently, will put you on the road to becoming a successful musician.

Sometimes a tune departs briefly from its key, making it necessary to cancel what is required by the key signature. This is done by putting the required sign--sharp, flat, or natural--beside the note in question. These "road signs" are called "accidentals." They raise or lower the note by one half step. A sharp raises the note a half step, while a flat lowers the tone. This enables musicians to keep the same relationships among the notes when they move a song to a higher or lower range of notes. This is called "transposition." Guitarists and other musicians transpose music to accompany singers and other instruments.

The accidental called "natural" means "not sharp nor flat," A-natural, therefore, means just the note A, not raised nor lowered by a sharp or flat. Once an accidental is placed beside a given note, it will affect all instances of that note until the end of the measure. The accidental is then canceled. If, however, a note is tied, which means that it is held over into the next measure, the note retains its pitch alteration.

Now that you understand a few basic concepts about scales, you can see how important they are to making music. Though some would consider their practice to be boring, it is nevertheless important to practice the scale or scales upon which the pieces in your current repertoire are based. Practicing them will train both your ear and your muscle memory to become familiar with the notes in each scale. This, in turn, will make you a more fluid player on each piece. To deal with the boredom issue, focus on each scale and the relationships among all of the notes in the scale. When you find yourself becoming bored, simply take a short break, then return and refocus.

Practicing scales, if done with focus and attention to detail, will become one of the most powerful tools in your musical arsenal. They will train both your mind and your hands to perform in an effortless, relaxed manner, which in turn will pay dividends in a much-improved technique.