Why Do I Have to Learn Scales?

What is the one element that all music revolves around?

You guessed it, scales. Where do chords come from? Stacking scale notes. Where do songs come from? Taking scale notes and making them into a melody. Where do solos come from? Playing scale notes to form patterns that ultimately become the solo. That's why music teachers place such importance on knowing them. If you understand scales and how they work, your guitar playing improves. Knowing what you're listening to will make it easier to figure out songs and eventually write songs. Take the time to learn the different types of scales and what they're used for, you'll be glad you did.