Guitar scales

* Alternate picking down up down up--even when playing back down the scale.
* The goal is to make the notes blend seamlessly from one to the next (i.e. no pauses when changing strings)
* Every day, do the scales in sequence, playing each a 3-5 times in a row. Try not to miss days--it's more important to do them every day than for a long time each time you sit down.

Once you have them memorized...
* Use a metronome
* Start at a pace that feels too slow, but which you can play cleanly. Something like 120 notes per minute (60 bpm hitting 2 notes per beat).
* Play through all of the scales 3-5 times. Increase the speed by 5bpm each time you play through them.
  If you make a mistake, play the scale you messed up again from the start.
* Each day try to do 5bpm faster.
* Eventually you'll hit an upper limit you can't go past. Reduce your starting BPM by 20bpm, rinse and repeat.

Go up the neck like below, changing the first note from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5
E|-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-|-4-3-2-1-----------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------1-2-3-4---------|---------4-3-2-1---------------------------------|
G|-------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------|-----------------4-3-2-1-------------------------|
D|-----------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|-------------------------4-3-2-1-----------------|
A|---------1-2-3-4---------------------------------|---------------------------------4-3-2-1---------|
E|-1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------4-3-2-1-|

Basic scale (used a lot in Judas Priest and classic rock)
E|---------------------5-8-|-8-5---------------------|
B|-----------------5-8-----|-----8-5-----------------|
G|-------------5-7---------|---------7-5-------------|
D|---------5-7-------------|-------------7-5---------|
A|-----5-7-----------------|-----------------7-5-----|
E|-5-8---------------------|---------------------8-5-|

More advanced scale (used a lot in Avenged Sevenfold)
E|-----------------------------5-7-8-|-8-7-5-----------------------------|
B|-----------------------5-7-8-------|-------8-7-5-----------------------|
G|-----------------4-5-7-------------|-------------7-5-4-----------------|
D|-----------4-5-7-------------------|-------------------7-5-4-----------|
A|-------5-7-------------------------|-------------------------7-5-------| <- only 2
E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|-----------------------------8-7-5-|

More advanced scale when played over a minor chord
E|-----------------------------5-7-8-|-8-7-5-----------------------------|
B|-----------------------5-6-8-------|-------8-6-5-----------------------| <- 6 instead of 7
G|-----------------4-5-7-------------|-------------7-5-4-----------------|
D|-----------4-5-7-------------------|-------------------7-5-4-----------|
A|-------5-7-------------------------|-------------------------7-5-------|
E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|-----------------------------8-7-5-|

 
Scale names (respectively): -- you don't need to remember this
Chromatic scale
Pentantonic scale
Major scale, Dorian mode
Minor scale, Dorian mode