So you wanna play guitar solos. Well let me tell you what I've learned over the years. The major scale is the 1st thing you should learn and unless you have a tremendous long reach (which I don't) then I recommend you to learn it in 3 note per string groupings. I'm not sure why this works (if somebody does know please enlighten me) but it does. when i want to know what key a song is in I play each of these patterns with the song until i find the one that sounds right. This technique is sort of like a mode shortcut or "cheater modes". First is the F mode and it goes F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F and i play it like this:
e-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3----5----7------
B---------------------------------------------------------------------------------3---5---6--------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------2---4----5-------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------2----3----5--------------------------------------
A-------------------------------2-----3----5------------------------------------------------
E----1----3-----5--------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok next is the G mode and it's like this:
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5---7----8--
B----------------------------------------------------------------------------5---6---8------------
G----------------------------------------------------------4----5----7---------------------------
D--------------------------------------3-----5-----7--------------------------------------------
A--------------------3----5----7-----------------------------------------------------------------
E---3---5----7-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


After that is the A mode:
e------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7---8----10------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------6----8----10-----------------
G-------------------------------------------------------5----7----9-----------
D--------------------------------------5---7----9--------
A---------------------5---7----8---------------------------------
E----5---7----8---


Here is the B mode:
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8---10---12---
B--------------------------------------------------------------------------------8---10---12------
G-----------------------------------------------------------7-----9-----10---------------
D----------------------------------------7-----9----10--------------
A----------------------7---8----10-------------------------------------------
E---7---8----10------------------------------------------------------


Here is C:
e-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10----12----13
B----------------------------------------------------------------------------------10----12----13---
G------------------------------------------------------------------9---10----12-----------
D-----------------------------------------------9---10---12--------------
A--------------------------8---10---12------------------------------------
E-----8----10-----12----------------------------------------------------------


Here is D:
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12--13--15
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------12---13--15---
G-------------------------------------------------------------------10---12---14-------------------
D----------------------------------------------10----12----14-----------------
A------------------------10----12-----14---------------------------
E----10---12----13----


and finally here is E:
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13---15---17
B---------------------------------------------------------------------------------13---15---17---------
G-------------------------------------------------------------12----14----16-------------------
D--------------------------------------------12---14---15-----------------------------------
A-----------------------12---14----15--------------------------------------------
E----12---13---15-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Try each of these with your song until one fits. In the event that none of them sound right then start moving the whole pattern around the neck until it does. When i used to be into the speedy playing bit I would run each scale from top to bottom forward and backwards as fast as I could without mistakes. If I was messing it up then I'd slow down until I wasn't. Corrections and/or additions in case I forgot or messed something up are very welcome and much appreciated.


                                              C minor scale   (C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C)
                                  can be used in songs keyed to C major or minor

e-----------------------------------------------------10-11-13---------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------9-11-13------------------------------------------------
G---------------------------------8-10-12-----------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------8-10-12----------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------8-10-11-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E---8-10-11---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         

                                              C Melodic minor   (C, D, Eb, F, G, A, B, C)
                                   can also be used in songs keyed to C major or minor


e---------------------------------------------------------10-11-13---------------------
B---------------------------------------------10-12-13----------------------------------
G-----------------------------------8-10-12----------------------------------------
D-------------------------9-10-12-------------------------------------------------
A---------------8-10-12------------------------------------------------------------
E-----8-10-11--------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                              C Harmonic minor  (C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, B, C)
                                  again can be used for any song that is keyed to C major or minor

e-------------------------------------------------------10-11-13------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------9-12-13------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------8-10-12----------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------9-10-12-----------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------8-10-11---------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----8-10-11----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         Harmonic minor scale has a definite middle eastern sound thing going on








                                      Bob

nice scales, the 4th note in the f scale should be a Bb, haven't looked at the others, just for editing purposes

also, i don't understand.... 'whichever of these works then you can take that pattern and move it 3 frets higher and play in minor'

in a minor you flatten the third and alter the 6th and or 7th depending if your doing harmonic or melodic minor.

moving the scale up 3 frets higher would just make it be in a minor third harmony but still in a major scale rather than actualy being in a minor scale. unless ofcourse that is what you meant =P

guitarfreak wrote:

nice scales, the 4th note in the f scale should be a Bb, haven't looked at the others, just for editing purposes

also, i don't understand.... 'whichever of these works then you can take that pattern and move it 3 frets higher and play in minor'

in a minor you flatten the third and alter the 6th and or 7th depending if your doing harmonic or melodic minor.

moving the scale up 3 frets higher would just make it be in a minor third harmony but still in a major scale rather than actualy being in a minor scale. unless ofcourse that is what you meant =P

Ok let me attempt to clarify, this post is intended as a guidline demonstrating how the natural scale can be used for playing solos to any song. Very little theory is used here, mostly this is by ear. Each of these fingerings represent the natural or C major scale. Choose any music and play each of these patterns to it ascending in order and you will find one that fits in with the music. Now whichever one does fit take that exact fingering and move it 3 frets higher and play these new notes with your music and your solo will now take on a minor like texture. I managed to get by as a lead guitarist for many years using this method due in large part to a lack of having any means to actually learn music theory. However, I recommend that any and all musicians learn theory and not rely exclusively on playing by ear.

so you mean that you're doing a minor third harmonization with the orgional key....
summed up your paragraph =P

guitarfreak wrote:

so you mean that you're doing a minor third harmonization with the orgional key....
summed up your paragraph =P

LOL, if that's what it is then thanks for the info. My theory has gotten stronger recently but still sometimes I have trouble explaining some of the stuff that was learned back when Fake Books were the only guitar books available.

lol it's cool. when i did my exams i had to be able to hear cadences, hear key changes and say to what the key has changed to etc. so i do most of that stuff by ear now. although i cant say im always right so i have my guitar going just incase =P

when i make a solo in my bands songs i always use the chord sequence's in the song to figure it out but your way develops your ear so thats a good way to do it too.

Just reviving this thread for whoever may need it.

Thanks Bob, I for one have always thought that post and lesson was a really good one and that anyone trying to solo and improv should work with it...helped me lots then and now...

Cheers,

GuitarZen

yeah i like it tooo!

very useful for finger patterns!!!

Thanks guys.

Here's another scale I know. Its similar to Harmonic minor but not really.

                                                         C Egyptian scale   (C, D, F, G, A#, C)

e------------------------------------------------13-15---------
B----------------------------------------13-15---------------------------
G--------------------------------12-15-------------------------------------
D------------------------12-15---------------------------------------------
A-------------10-13-15--------------------------------------------------------
E---8-10-13-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the 'Egypt-shean' scale....got to noodlin' around in there and recognized some Dylan and possibly some Santana riffs...will work with this more and doesn't seem to be a difficult scale to memorize. Neck's wider up there too....!

Cheers,

GuitarZen

Here's a series of articles that can possibly help shed some light on soloing.
http://www.guitarnoise.com/lesson/turni … os-part-1/

Thanks again Bobo!!  As a;ways you go above and beyound for newbies like myself.  Thanks!!!

Thanks for this post, it really cleared some things up for me and my quest for music theory knowledge over just playing by ear.  I am hoping to fill in some holes in my playing and what to be more versatile.

So I understand the maj scale; that is very straight forward.  My question is about the minor pentatonic, my first (probably a lot of people's first) scale learned.  I the know the 'penta' part means 5 notes, but where does the minor fit into the equation?  Any clarification on this would be greatly appreciated. 

A preemptive thanks to anyone who helps!

Hello A_M026, well i learned the answer to your question right here in chordbook as i asked exactly the same question. Simple answer first....it's the b3 (flatted 3rd degree note) in the scale that determines the scale's 'minorness'. If that leaves you hangin', here's the somewhat longer version and i give credit here to our own Old Tele Man that spent a year and four months tutoring me (some of it stuck too) and bobo808, the author of this thread and others that when  i asked in the chat your very question, i was given an answer.

Looking at the Am pentatonic scale, there is a formula that makes it so and that is 1(Root note), b3, 4, 5, b7, 1. From there you'll find the notes A C D E G A.
Yep, looks like they're all Major scale notes, which was where i was confused when i'd name the notes to myself while playing the Am pentatonic scale. They're not though, according to the scale formula and the C note becomes a flatted 3rd degree note (b3). I'm going to leave this right here A_M026 in case you have questions, which i or someone that has something to add will answer. Hope this helps.

As always, if i've messed some of this up ppl, help me out !

GuitarZen

Alot of my solos are based around the melody of the song...Alot of picking patterns and blues licks...thrown in between sections of the melody...but thats just me...its hard ot explain really....I just play....

I'm so suckish at solos. I just can't seem to writ even the simplest solo using G major or pentatonic scales. Any advice?

crazsim8 wrote:

I'm so suckish at solos. I just can't seem to writ even the simplest solo using G major or pentatonic scales. Any advice?

Yea, learn other peoples solos to give you a better idea of what you can do for yours.

Oooo this seems useful
though, i havent played in a while..
it feels  as though there's a gap between me and my guitar..
things are difficult these days...
i really have to get back to it soon..
and i will be using this info to be able to solo..
and i will soon be a solo god-ess

haha,
TMR3