Do I Really Need to Learn Scales?

(This post is part of an ongoing series about the importance of learning scales, which started with this post here: Why You Should Learn Your Scales)

Many students resist the idea of learning scales. They are not as fun or as exciting as learning songs, at least not to the untrained musician. Nevertheless, I always encourage students to learn scales. And most students will learn them, at least reluctantly. Having said that, I think there are still those of you who want to know if you really need to learn scales, or if you can get away without knowing them.

Is it possible to learn guitar, bass, or ukelele without learning scales? Yes it is.

1)  If you only want to learn songs, and you never have any questions or concerns about which fingers to use (which means someone is probably teaching how to play the songs), you might not need scales.

2) If you never want to have a deeper understanding of music, you might not need scales.

3) If you never want to write music (or at least understand what you're writing), you might not need scales.

4) If you never want to understand the easiest way to improvise or write a solo, and you always want to fumble around in the dark and do things the hard way, you might not need scales.

5) If you have no concerns about injuring yourself while playing (yes, this happens more often than you'd think), then you might not need scales (scales are often an excellent warm up and help with circulation).

Yes, it is possible to learn to play music without learning scales. But it is much harder to do. Learn your scales!