A good way to start solo-ing is to memorise easy solos note for note, and then use your basic theory knowledge that you have to figure out what scale is being used. Then you will understand how the scale is applied in that particular song in that particular key.
To me, for most Rock and blues solos, they are all just cliche licks that are borrowed from many greats. Which is a good thing too if you are able to blend everything you know and mix it up and come up with something original or unconventional yet listenable.
Good luck to ya'll
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I have nothing to say, and I'll only say it once.
You bring up a good point - variation in rhythm can make a mundane solo sound refreshing again.
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"hehe, knowing whatcha like and want always a good thing, save money and time i guess. And the right to ridicule anyone who gas upon anything, everything they see "
just wondering who does solo here with little or no knowledge of scales?
i tried using scales , pentatonic ones, then the minor ones. Found it very restrictive..so in the end i didnt use them at all. As long as it sounds right together with the chords its ok?
You should read the book: Zen Guitar. Talks about playing guitar like a martial art mediatation process. You begin as a white belt, then you progress with time into a black belt due to use, experience and dirt, then with more time, the colour fades and the belt becomes white again with age, and the cycle repeats itself all over again.
I sort of began like that. I started learning chords and trying to listen to "notes" in a scale when solos were played. I learnt simple solos and figured out the scale patterns from those. I had no clue what they were called, and I actually still don't. I just remember patterns, and note qualities... Today, I just play what I hear in my head, and I pick my notes according to what I have already played, and what comes into my head next.
I sort of began with no knowledge of scales, to knowing what they were and how to use them back to not using them again conscientiously now. I went from thinking about my solos to NOT thinking about my solos... - Zen Guitar
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Lionel www.soundclick.com/demioblue "Whether I'm a good guitarist or not depends on who's listening"
Read carefully though (if you can be bothered). The key point is that there's nothing wrong with playing by feel AT ALL. The argument which lies at the centre is that telling others who want to learn how to solo by telling them to 'play by feel' is essentially useless.
how do i know which scales is the right one to use for the certain key of a song..all i know is for a G key song.. i can use the G major scale and the E minor pentatonic scales to fill in..i know there is still all the other scales but i not sure which one to use..
how do i know which scales is the right one to use for the certain key of a song..all i know is for a G key song.. i can use the G major scale and the E minor pentatonic scales to fill in..i know there is still all the other scales but i not sure which one to use..
Look for the root note...
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Lionel www.soundclick.com/demioblue "Whether I'm a good guitarist or not depends on who's listening"
Read carefully though (if you can be bothered). The key point is that there's nothing wrong with playing by feel AT ALL. The argument which lies at the centre is that telling others who want to learn how to solo by telling them to 'play by feel' is essentially useless.
I personally 'feel' (pun probably intended. heh) that learning all the notes, like which note to end on or which note to begin with or which are the right notes or the wrong notes is approaching the 'solo' in a highly counter productive manner.
My question is simple. So what if you know which notes should be in there? Does it help you 'solo' better?
Probably not.
That being said, I'd say, yes. Learn your scales. Learn your modes. But more importantly you have to listen. And listen closely. What are the great guitar soloist doing when they solo? No point in asking if this note is wrong or this note is right.. what does your ear tell you? Does it sound off?? If it does... trust your instinct.. It probably is wrong.. Keep on doing it.. You will have to condition yourself to remember the fretboard in a way you can never explain to someone else. Once you've reached that point where you can't explain what is happening.. you're that much closer to developing your own guitar playing identity...
Another point that I think is very relevant to this topic, is listening to the solo you are about to play... You must hear it, first, in your head.. Hear it in your head with the backing track.. Hear it in your head with the full band and the audience there as well.. The clearer you hear it in your head.. the easier it is to replicate it on the fretboard... Audiolize and Visualize... Once you do that.. all that hardwork you've put in practising your scales in every possible key will come out through that amp of yours...
Thus, getting back to the question.. how do you improvise? how do you solo? Practise what you must practise.. and when it's time to rock... seriously.. just feel it..
My question is simple. So what if you know which notes should be in there? Does it help you 'solo' better?
Actually it does. But it's not exclusive...
It helps when you know what notes can be in there, so you can end up throwing everything that's meant to be in there, or take notes out and know that it's still ok.
Which brings me to another point of this post. What is improvising? It's not playing solos note for note or memorizing scales. It's about exercising your "voice". This is when phrasing actually comes into your playing most. If you improvise, you are supposed to CREATE something unheard of before. Anything goes. Even scratching your strings rhythmically...
It's about how proficient you are with your instrument that matters... Scales, Modes, etc etc... There's not one thing that's exclusive. EVERYTHING matters. It's a sum of all the parts that plays a huge influence in how good you are. Focusing one just one thing alone doesn't help.
Of course, we all got to start somewhere...
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Lionel www.soundclick.com/demioblue "Whether I'm a good guitarist or not depends on who's listening"
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