Improvise without scales?

[bassmidhigh]

Hi,
i am wondering if its possible to improv without knowing scales. Just rmb the chords and its alt shapes then play from there. Is it a good way to learn?

I am asking because my teacher is not teaching me any scales, jus the chords and he expects me to solo with his chord prog.

Please advice me thanks.
I hope this is the right section to post, newbie here haha.

 

[yucki8aby]

anything is possible

 

[Superlocian]

It's not right that he's asking you to solo without you knowing the scales. He should at least teach you one scale 'pattern'.

The purpose of practicing scales is not so much to play the scale when soloing but rather to remember or 'memorize' how the scale looks like so that when you solo you can play any of the notes that belong to that scale pattern in whatever manner or combination you wish.

Hope that helps

 

[cobain1980]

Its absolutely possible, and quite an effective way of learning how to improvise actually. The chord shape contains all the chord tones root, 3rd, 5th of the particular chord and most of the time during soloing over a particular chord, you can emphasize more on their chord tones and then use any other outside notes as passing note. Begin and end any phrase on the chord tone and you will not sound out.

 

[aloychow]

I suppose what your teacher is teaching is starting simple first by learning the basic chord structure first.. which we can also call it arppegios. After you learn how to listen out the characteristics of each chord and it's differences, it'll be more effective to bring in scales into application. So one step at a time is good. However if your teacher cannot explain that in theory, then you can forget about him/her teaching you more indepth. Cheers to learning!!

 

[Likui]

do chordal solos, u know those solos you just play chords but voice a note of the chord so you have a melody line going when u change chords,

 

[bassmidhigh]

Thanks guys for the reponses.

My teacher tells me to play the melody part when he does the chords. I dont think he has taught me any scales yet. It has been 3months already.

He does however teach me to....for example if i am wan to solo in the key of G. I play the 3F6S for a G. And add 2 frets So it becomes 5F6S (A). This applies to the bottom 3 strings. So basically i am allowed to play these 6notes to sound in tune, he then tells me to add 'other melody notes to it'. He says i need to be imaginative but i really dont know how.

Hope i made sense.

 

[bf0502tr]

if u're a beginner i suggest u either get him to explain more in depth on what he wants u to learn from this or u get another teacher. he gives u 6 notes to solo in a key. wow. i had trouble getting 17 notes to sound nice and he only gives u 6 notes!! well if he says be imaginative then apparently he wants u to play by ear. which as a beginner (which i think u are) u cant possibly do at this stage. as for playing melody parts, i'm thinking the melody parts means the solo parts. if not then ignore this post

 

[bassmidhigh]

Well i am not really a total begginer, i know the basic stuff. Give me chords and i can play it. I am more of like mid beggine if you know what i mean. haha
However i find playing by ear hard, he says i have to develope my imagination.

 

[theunknown]

Sure you can solo w/o knowing scales. Listen to the chord progression and hum some nice notes. Don't limit yourself.

My friend and I usually play over each other, and the only scale we know is the pentatonic. Though I can't say we are good at it. Haha.