Guitar Hacks 3NPS Scales PDF

robert.e.filip@gmail.
com 24 Jul 2019
From the author of Hacking the CAGED System
GUITAR HACKS
3NPS
SCALES
BY GRAHAM TIPPETT
robert.e.filip@gmail.com 24 Jul 2019
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2
From 7 Patterns to 3 ............................................................................................................................... 3
Perfect 3NPS Picking ............................................................................................................................... 7
How to Practice Scales ............................................................................................................................ 9
Scales Section........................................................................................................................................ 10
Major Scales...................................................................................................................................... 10
Lydian (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7) ............................................................................................................. 10
Mixolydian (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7) ..................................................................................................... 11
Minor Scales ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Aeolian/Natural Minor (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7) .............................................................................. 12
Dorian (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7) .......................................................................................................... 13
Phrygian (1, b2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7) ................................................................................................... 14
Melodic Minor (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7) ............................................................................................... 15
Harmonic Minor (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7) .......................................................................................... 16
Other Useful Scales ............................................................................................................................... 17
Locrian (1, b2, b3, 4, b5, b6, b7) ....................................................................................................... 17
Hungarian Minor (1, 2, b3, #4, 5, b6, 7)............................................................................................ 18
Lydian b7 (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, b7) .......................................................................................................... 19
Mixolydian b6 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7) .................................................................................................. 20
Phrygian Dominant (1, b2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7) ........................................................................................ 21
What to Do Next ................................................................................................................................... 22
More from Unlock the Guitar ............................................................................................................... 23
www.unlocktheguitar.net
Introduction
3NPS (three-note-per-string) scales, as used by legions of guitarists but popularized mainly by Joe
Satriani, are one of the most efficient ways to navigate the fretboard and get your scales down IF you
follow the guidelines in this book.
As the name suggests, a 3NPS scale is any scale that contains three notes on each string, and as we
shall soon see, this makes for a very consistent way to map out scales on the guitar fretboard.
What we’ve done here is revamped the 3NPS scale system and turned it into an incredibly effective
means to learn a wide variety of scales all over the fretboard by streamlining the number of patterns,
as well as the picking system.
This is not a scale theory book, and contains no pentatonic scales. This is a quick and dirty (and very
effective) method for learning 3NPS scales all over the fretboard; something to work on in the
woodshed. It will improve your picking technique and speed. It does not require a great amount of
thinking as you only need to learn two picking patterns, which is really one in two directions, and
only three scale patterns instead of the usual seven per scale.
So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in!
Matt
From 7 Patterns to 3
I love the 3NPS system, but not the way it’s normally taught. Seven patterns are way too many and
life is too short. In fact, I’ve never heard a convincing reason for the seven patterns. If you find one,
which isn’t the ‘one for each mode’ idea (a terrible way to learn modes), let me know.
Let’s break it down and see if we can get rid of some of those patterns, as in my humble opinion
learning scales using 7 patterns turns it into a technical exercise rather than learning how to
improvise, or indeed learning what notes are available, and where they are on the fretboard.
By reducing the number of patterns, things become more musical and less technical as we’re
learning how to cover the whole fretboard instead of mindlessly running up and down scale patterns.
We’re going to be starting all the scales in this book on F, but remember that every pattern is
movable simply by shifting the whole thing to your desired root note (the note in red).
Let’s look at the major scale first and use it to clarify which patterns stay and which patterns go.
Position 1
Position 1 is nice because it starts on the root note so your ear gets a feel for what scale you’re
playing. This one’s a keeper because it covers a large portion of the fretboard.
Position 2
Position 2 is redundant because of the 18 notes it contains, 12 of them are already covered by
position 1 so we can safely scrap this one.
Position 3
Position 3 shares only 6 notes with position 1 so this one’s a keeper. Two positions in and we’ve
already covered 90% of the fretboard!
Position 4
Again, don’t bother with position 4 as it only gives us 6 new notes. We’ve already covered the other
12, so this position is redundant.
Position 5
Position 5 gives us a few new notes but it’s nothing that isn’t covered by positions 3 and 6 so we’ll
ditch this one too.
Position 6
Position 6 serves our purposes and includes the rest of the notes we’ll need to cover the whole
fretboard in just 3 patterns instead of 7!
Position 7
Don’t even look at position 7; position 1 has got your back as it contains 12 notes from position 7. If
you look again at Position 6, you’ll see that it slots nicely into the back of Position 1.
So, there you have it. The only scale positions we really need to cover 99% of the fretboard in any
key are as follows:
As you can see, when you stack these positions, they slot together perfectly. These are the first three
patterns I want you to learn. In the next chapter, we’ll look at picking technique and patterns.
Perfect 3NPS Picking

Of the two main picking techniques, alternate picking and economy picking, by far the best solution
for 3NPS scales is economy picking.
Economy picking means that when you go from a low string to a higher string, you always change
strings on a downstroke (toward the floor), and then vice versa when going from a higher string to a
lower string (toward the ceiling). Check out the diagrams:
Start on a downstroke at the first fret of the E string, and simply remember to change strings on a
downstroke. Take it real slow at first to get this down; speed will come naturally. Simply drag the
pick to the next string almost like sweep/picking. When you come back down the pattern, simply
reverse it and start on an upstroke as follows:
Economy picking is more efficient here because we have an odd number of notes on each string.
You’ll be pleased to know that the above picking pattern is used for all the shapes in this book.
If we had an even number of notes, say two or even four, then alternate picking (strict down-up-
down-up) would be more efficient. If you’re used to alternate picking, try it on these 3NPS patterns.
What you may find is that due to the odd number of notes, you’ll have to master picking inside and
outside two strings – the very thing you want to avoid when alternate picking.
If you haven’t come across economy picking, I’d encourage you to learn it as it has multiple benefits
such as facilitating sweep picking, and building up picking speed. Once you digest the concept of
always changing strings on either a downstroke or an upstroke according to your momentum, the
technique quickly becomes second nature and you can start to build up speed at a much faster rate
than you would with alternate picking. If you want to see how far this can go, check out Frank
Gambale’s playing.
How to Practice Scales

I’d encourage you to practice these scales in the following ways:
First, get the three patterns down. This simply means transferring them off the screen/paper and
onto the fretboard and into your head. When you no longer need to refer to the diagrams, you’ve
successfully done this.
Next, I’d encourage you to start playing in all directions. Imagine the flag of Great Britain stamped on
your fretboard, as in the crudely drawn diagram below, and force yourself to play in all directions:
vertically, horizontally and diagonally.
This will enable you to join up the three patterns (now imagine joining up seven patterns!) and open
up the fretboard for when you go to improvise with these scales.
It goes without saying that you should also move these patterns around the fretboard to other root
notes.
Changing between Scales
Another essential practice technique is to run all the patterns in the same position; for example,
choose 3 or so scales you want to practice and run the first position of each of these scales, then the
second position and so on.
Scales Section
This section contains the nuts and bolts of this book: the three patterns for the most useful scales
you can know on guitar, and which will have you covered in pretty much any situation where you
need to improvise or come up with a solo.
You may not realize it but 3NPS scales are incredibly ear-friendly. Why? Think about it, we have an
equal number of notes per string, the same picking pattern on each string, and the same three core
patterns for each scale. This means that the connection between your ear and your fingers is
reinforced through the consistent application of 3NPS scales, meaning you’ll soon be able to play
what you hear in your head as the notes will be where your fingers think they are.
As we’re dealing with three core patterns, you’ll also be able to distinguish and change between
scales more easily as it’s much easier to keep track of where the changes are.
First, we’ll look at the most useful/important scales that you’ll come across is most of the music
you’ll play, then we’ll add in a few of the most usable exotic scales to spice things up.
Major Scales
While the major scale is useful as a theoretical concept, it’s a little ‘vanilla’ as a practical one. What I
mean by this is that you may want to improvise over major chords with one of the following scales
instead.
Lydian (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7)

The only difference between the major scale and the Lydian scale is the #4 (the B in this case), but
it’s a hell of a difference and makes for a very usable scale over major, major 7, major 7#11 and
major 9 chords. Make sure you play one of the above chords before running these patterns, or better
still use a looper to have them going in the background. Here are the three patterns to learn:
Mixolydian (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7)

A bright and bluesy alternative to the major scale, thanks to the b7 (Eb in this case), which can also
be used over dominant chords (7, 9, 11). Strum or loop an F7 chord and learn these three patterns.
Minor Scales
Here are the five most important minor scales to know. Practice these patterns until you have them
in your head, then practice moving around the fretboard in all directions. Remember that the picking
patterns are always the same.
Aeolian/Natural Minor (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7)

Strum or loop an F Minor (m7, m9) chord and run the following three patterns.
Dorian (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7)

The Dorian scale is an incredibly useful minor scale for blues/rock, funk and even jazz soloing. Here
are the three patterns.
Phrygian (1, b2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7)

The Phrygian scale, while not as heavily used as the previous two minor scales, has a distinctive
sound due to the b2 and numerous applications across a variety of genres.
Melodic Minor (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Next up is the Melodic Minor Scale which can be used over minor chords or minor major 7 chords to
great effect. Notice that there’s only a one-note difference between this scale and the first scale we
learned, the major scale.
Harmonic Minor (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7)

If we alter another note from the Melodic Minor scale, we get the Harmonic Minor scale which you
can also use over minor chords.
Other Useful Scales

In this section, we continue to amass scales into our improvisational arsenal with the addition of the
following gems. These are some of my favorites, and ones that I’ve found to be useful, from the
modes of the melodic and harmonic minor scales, plus some others for good measure.
Locrian (1, b2, b3, 4, b5, b6, b7)

We covered all but one of the modes in the previous section, so this completes our selection of
modes from the major scale. The Locrian scale is used over diminished and m7b5 chords.
Hungarian Minor (1, 2, b3, #4, 5, b6, 7)

This is a gorgeous scale which can be used instead of the harmonic minor for a subtler Eastern vibe
over minor chords.
Lydian b7 (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, b7)

As the name suggests, this is a Lydian scale with a b7 which means you can use it over dominant
chords to great effect.
Mixolydian b6 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7)

Here’s another great option over a dominant chord.
Phrygian Dominant (1, b2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7)

Here’s another option over dominant chords for that Malmsteen-esque sound.
What to Do Next
As I mentioned in the introduction, this is not a scale theory book. This is a means for getting scale
patterns under your fingers as quickly and as painlessly as possible, and build up some technique on
the instrument.
There are more than enough scales for a lifetime of study here, so use this technical foundation to
explore the neck when improvising, compare and choose the scales/sounds you want to hear in your
solos, and above all, begin to play what you hear in your head.
Thank you for reading this book.
To your best playing yet,
Matt
More from Unlock the Guitar

We have a wide range of eBooks and print books available for purchase on the website:
-Hacking the CAGED System – Book 1
-Hacking the CAGED System – Book 2
-Melodic Soloing in 10 Days
-The Two Position Scale System – Scales and Arpeggios
-50 Guitar Hacks for the Thinking Man’s Guitarist
-50 More Guitar Hacks for the Thinking Man’s Guitarist
-50 Guitar Hacks for the Advancing Guitarist
-Shred Guitar Mechanics: Fretboard Dexterity through 4NPS Scales
-Let Go of What You Know – How to Improvise Freely on Guitar
-How to Play like Allan Holdsworth – A Guitarist’s Guide
-Soloing without Scales
-Guitar Hacks: Triads and Inversions
-7 String Guitar Method – Book 1

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robert.e.filip@gmail.

com 24 Jul 2019

From the author of Hacking the CAGED System

So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in!

Perfect 3NPS Picking

How to Practice Scales

Changing between Scales

Lydian (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7)

Mixolydian (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7)

Aeolian/Natural Minor (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7)

Dorian (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7)

Phrygian (1, b2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7)

Melodic Minor (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Harmonic Minor (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7)

Other Useful Scales

Locrian (1, b2, b3, 4, b5, b6, b7)

Hungarian Minor (1, 2, b3, #4, 5, b6, 7)

Lydian b7 (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, b7)

Mixolydian b6 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7)

Phrygian Dominant (1, b2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7)

Thank you for reading this book.

To your best playing yet,

More from Unlock the Guitar

-Hacking the CAGED System – Book 1

-Hacking the CAGED System – Book 2

-Melodic Soloing in 10 Days

-The Two Position Scale System – Scales and Arpeggios

-50 Guitar Hacks for the Thinking Man’s Guitarist

-50 More Guitar Hacks for the Thinking Man’s Guitarist

-50 Guitar Hacks for the Advancing Guitarist

-Shred Guitar Mechanics: Fretboard Dexterity through 4NPS Scales

-Let Go of What You Know – How to Improvise Freely on Guitar

-How to Play like Allan Holdsworth – A Guitarist’s Guide

-Soloing without Scales

-Guitar Hacks: Triads and Inversions

-7 String Guitar Method – Book 1

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