Practicing guitar scales for at least ten minutes is healthy for the mind as well as healthy for the physical aspects of guitar playing. By having to use a little brain power, you can keep your mind naturally fresh, but there is perhaps an even greater benefit to practicing guitar scales.

You can use scales and modes and treat them as exercises for increasing your finger dexterity, your picking, whether it be finger or flat picking, and your musical reflexes. If you are interested in approaching scale practice from the angle of learning musical theory so that you can write awesome songs, then take it easy. Getting too wrapped up with theory will turn your playing stale, but in small increments, scales can give you a great understanding of the fretboard.

I would suggest only working with one scale or mode at a time, and to make sure that you have a good understanding of how it works, and the patterns before moving on to a new one. When it comes to memorizing a scale, there's quite a bit to tackle, so don't be afraid to spend as much as a month on one scale or mode, because if you learn it - you might as well make it stick.

Be mindful of the patterns and shapes. A lot of people don't realize it, but there are some common shapes that are privvy to certain scales. Try to look for these as they can also act as fretboard "landmarks" so that when you get good at soloing you'll know your way around a lot better.

Take your time with scales and you will surely learn and master guitar. Don't expect to get them over night, because it can take years to learn and master guitar playing, and always experiment with scales as you learn guitar.

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