Scales and Soloing 1

Here are the 5 positions of the major scale, The r means root note, and these scales are in the key of G
major, actually, most of the stuff here is in Gmajor, but can be
put in a different key, honest!
|--------------------------------------------2--3--5----|
|--------------------------------------3--5--------------|
|-----------------------------2--4--5-------------------|
|--------------------2--4--5----------------------------|
|-----------2--3--5-------------------------------------|
|--2--3--5----------------------------------------------|
r

|--------------------------------------------5--7--8------|
|-----------------------------------5--7--8---------------|
|--------------------------4--5--7------------------------|
|-----------------4--5--7---------------------------------|
|-----------5--7-------------------------------------------|
|--5--7--8------------------------------------------------|
r

|-----------------------------------------------7--8--10-----|
|-------------------------------------7--8--10---------------|
|-------------------------------7--9---------------------------|
|---------------------7--9--10-------------------------------|
|-----------7--9--10-----------------------------------------|
|-7--8--10---------------------------------------------------|
r

|-------------------------------------------------------10--12----|
|-------------------------------------------10--12--13----------|
|--------------------------------9--11--12-----------------------|
|---------------------9--10--12----------------------------------|
|----------9--10--12---------------------------------------------|
|--10--12---------------------------------------------------------|
r

|----------------------------------------------------------12--14--15-----|
|----------------------------------------------12--13--15-----------------|
|----------------------------------11--12--14-----------------------------|
|--------------------------12--14-----------------------------------------|
|--------------12--14--15-------------------------------------------------|
|--12--14--15-------------------------------------------------------------|
r
It's also a good idea to learn the scales so they connect up the fretboard.
This is beneficial to go from the low to high frets or vice versa.
Here's one example. This is just a cheesy way to go from the first
position to the last smoothly. Hammer-ons and pull-offs can be incorporated to make a legato sound.
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|----------------------------2--4--5--7--5--4--------------------5--7--9---
|-------------------2--4--5--------------------7--5--4--5--7--9------------
|----------2--3--5---------------------------------------------------------
|-2--3--5------------------------------------------------------------------

------------7--8--10--------------10--12--14/15~--|
--7--8--10------------10--12--13------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|
It's also a good idea to learn the scales up and down one string. It
gives you a different approach, than just box scale patterns. This will
allow you to see the scales all over the neck, and to learn the notes,
rather than just positions.

1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 etc
|--0--2--3--5--7--8--10--12--14--15--17--19--20--22------------------------
|----------------------------------------------------22--20--19--17--15--13
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--12--10--8--7--5--3--1--0-------------------------------------------------
----------------------------0--2--4--5--7--9--10--11--12--14--16--17--19---
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--21-----------------------------------------------------------------------
------22--21--19--17--16--14--12--10--9--7--5--4--2--0---------------------
--------------------------------------------------------0--2--3--5--7--9---
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--10--12--14--15--17--19--21-----------------------------------------------
------------------------------22--20--19--17--15--14--12--10--8--7--5--3---

---------|
---------|
---------| do this the opposite way, starting down on the high E string.
---------| Do this for all scales.
---------|
--2--0---|

You can do a variation of the above using two strings instead of one.
Do this will all strings, then try just three strings, then just four. This
exercise will show you little scale patterns, and how they connect, and
make it easier to switch postitions using the high strings.

|-----------0--2--3-----------5--7--8------------7--8--10--------------12--
|--0--1--3-----------5--7--8-----------7--8--10------------12--13--15------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------

--14--15--------------17--19--20---|
----------17--19--20---------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|

Another good excersise is to tape a progression, play it a few times, on the
tape, then play over it. Limit yourself to only 4 notes. The first time
through, just play notes only picking them. The next time, just using
hammer-ons, then just pull-offs. Then try bending the notes, then using
vibrato on all notes. By using only 4 notes, you have to pay attention
to what you're playing, and making the notes mean something. (Not getting down on playing fast, I'm guilty of that a lot), but this will help you
on quality rather than quantity. But only use 4 notes, no octaves, just
the same 4 notes. About 3 minutes should do, do this for all keys.

 

This is a simple run, This is one of the things I can pull off no matter
how long it's been since I've played last, I think I could do it asleep
BTW, play it fast, it's meant to impress.

|----------------------------------------------10h12----10----------------|
|----------------------------------10--12--13--------13-----13--12--10~~--|
|-----------------------9--14--12-----------------------------------------|
|------------9--10--12----------------------------------------------------|
|-9--10--12---------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

It's just pattern, easy to remember, and easy to play fast. But don't over do it


|-----------------------------------------------------------------7--8--10-|
|-------------------------------------------------------7--8--10-----------|
|----------2--4--5-----------4--5--7-----------5--7--9---------------------|
|-2--4--5-----------4--5--7-----------5--7--9------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Here's another

|-17--15--14-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------17--15--13--------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------14--12--11--------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------14--12--10--------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------14--12--10--------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------14--12--10--|


Here's one in Aminor, that I got (and slightly modified to suit me) from
Yngwie Malmsteen's instructional video.

|-------------13--15--17--15--13--------------------------12--13--15--13---
|-13--15--17----------------------17--15--13--12--13--15-------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------

--12--------------------------10--12--13--12--10---------------------------
------15--13--12--10--12--13----------------------13--12--10---------------
--------------------------------------------------------------12--10--9----
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------10--12---
------------------------------------------------------10--12--13-----------
-------------------------------------------9--10--12-----------------------
--12--10--9---------------------9--10--12----------------------------------
-------------12--10--8--10--12---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

--13--12--10--------------------------12--13--15--13--12-------------------
--------------13--12--10--12--13--15----------------------15--13--12--13---
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------13--15--17~---|
--15--17----------------|
------------------------|
------------------------|
------------------------|
------------------------|

Yngwie did this in A harmonic minor, I don't use harmonic minor very much, and he stopped on the G on the A
string on the descending scale run. I kept going back up and repeated
the pattern in the begining, but instead of descending, I ascended up
the pattern.

Something else I'd like to stress, most of these licks are just for speed,
plain and simple, but it's nice to incorporate melody as well. I don't
know how to write something about how to play melodies, I guess it's just
in the ear, coming up with a melody for a song, you can use fast scale
runs as embellishment for these melodies. When doing a solo, try to
improvise a melody, I listen to singers, you know they're not going to
shred up or down a scale for a vocal melody, it would sound strange, not
to mention the audience would give her/him a strange look I would.
The guitarist from Fates Warning plays nice melodies in his solos, he
knows how to kick back and let it flow, so does Ronnie (I can't remember
his last name) from TNT. He can shred, but only does it sometimes, he's
got good chops and a good sense of melody, as does Alex Skolnick sp?
he's got a wide variety of influences to grab from, it helps. I guess the
closest I can get to explaining this is the taping chord progressions, and
improvising only 4 notes. This will help to be choosy with notes and what
you do with them, rather than blowing your wad in the first 3 seconds of
a solo

 

how do you distinguish scales. is it only based on the root note?

i am a self taught guitarist (ie. musically illiterate.), and can play most things i hear. Though I would like to learn some fundamentals of guitar theory

 

Cool i do the same.. Its generally distinguished by the root note..

 

would that be the first note in the scale/solo?

for eg.
in this... is the root note b-minor or d-minor?

---------------------5-7--
----------------7-8-------
----------8-9-------------
----9-11------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------

 

See it may not be the first note in the scale always.. The root note her is Dm..

 

hey i am from bangalore too!

well, originally... where are you studying (if you dont mind me asking!)

 

This is not the place for this.. In future avoid..

Moderator..

I'm studying in BNMIT.. If you have yahoo, PM me your id we can discuss there.

 

ooh sorry! not aware of the rules of this site!

and, no i dont have yahoo.

 

Please dont continue this.. We can use PM..

 

hey jayanth it will be great if u can tell me how does scale help u? i mean wats the use of scales . i know some of them but how is it useful. thanx buddy i am a newbie so i may be sounding stupid but plz help me.

 

Yoiu can play solos endlessly.. Not a stupid question. Listen to some metal songs and you hear those blazing solos. If you know scales in and out, You can easily play solos..

 

i think solos means leads right? or does it mean tab? plz temmee jayant

 

Yes Jatan.. Laeds solos all the same.. Tab can be different.. Leads or Riffs or Even Rhythm can be tabbed,..

 

|----------------------------------------------10h12----10----------------|
|----------------------------------10--12--13--------13-----13--12--10~~--|
|-----------------------9--14--12-----------------------------------------|
|------------9--10--12----------------------------------------------------|
|-9--10--12---------------------------------------------------------------|

What is the meaning of 10h12 here ?

And whats the meaning of ~~~ ?

cOoL iS :rule:

 

10h12 means H means Hammeron
it means u pik 10 and imeddietly pik the other note which is 12 and ure finger shud still be on 10 while u hit teh other note...
and the biggest thing ...in the scales is ...DOWN UP STROKES...always use down up stroke only that way u will be fast! .....

 

10h12. In this h means hammer on.Hit the 10th fret and then without picking the string again hammer on the 12th fret with your other finger.

~~ refers to vibrato. That is hit the note and then bend the string up and then bring it back to its original postion.Do this over and over again and you have a vibrato.

I hope that was not too confusing.

 

pick only once on 10th fret.

 

You play the 10 fret and they use a finger to hammer or hit the 12th fret to get the sound..

 

Arsi

Hey Jayanth. I recently got a guitar. I was so amused by the instrument itself and to see some ppl play it so amazingly. I have learned some of the guitar techniques in tablatures like how to perform hammer-ons and pull-offs ... slides etc. etc. But the thing is that the chords ur talking about never get to me. I don't know wat they r or how they help. I mean ... i tried playing them but they never sound right to me. I even got some song tabs but never got them to sound like they do in the actual song. Im a newbie and ready to learn. Help me out ppl

Arsal :think: