Yes, that means those boring old scales that you are so fond of. Scales have a purpose. They are there to teach you the basic notes that build a tune. If you learn a tune before you learn scales you could end up with gaps in your knowledge that will show later on. This first lesson goes beyond what you might learn from another teacher. Some numbers have been added underneath. You still need to learn the names of the notes, just add the numbers, too. It will come in handy for jazz or rock improv.

This does make things a bit more complicated. You will be learning about harmony from the start. This gives you a feel for the notes instead of just mimicking the notes in scales. Start with G major. It does not have all of the extreme highs and lows of C. That makes it easier for beginners. You must play these evenly. No speeding up or slowing down for different parts of the scale. Start out by thinking of the names of the notes, then the numbers on the second round and then go back and forth. Hold the last note as long as you can do so evenly.

A great thing about the number system is that it is based on a root note. This means that although you start on a different root note each time you learn a new note, it will always be number one.

You will notice that the arpeggio is the same. There are just a few steps left out. This is the least complicated arpeggio. It is called a triad since there are three different notes in it. On an instrument that can play multiple notes at once this would be called the G major chord. To separate it from a more complicated G major it is sometimes called the G triad

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