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17/08/2009 6:56 pm
i am working hard at the minute getting to grips with breaking out of blues scale and utilising the major scale to improve melody and phrasing.
i have come to the following conclusion, and i'd really like to be either told im wrong so i can change the way i view it, or that i'm right so i can carry on as i am:D
when soloing in practice - i was trying to use arpeggio's, target notes, and major pentatoincs of the chords i was using (1,4,5 progression).
i realised that throughout the solo - because i was tracking the chords, i was actually using all the notes of the major scale without actually thinking "major scale". And because i was targetting my notes more, it sounded much more melodic.
If i wanted a fast run, i could use the major scale runs i know, but these fast runs were the only time i actually thought in "major scale patterns".
So, in short, apart from these fast runs, does using the major scale properly, and with melody, actually just mean using chord tones over a progression??
perhaps this is less of a theory question and more a discussion question, im not sure - either way i am really interested in what you experienced players think of the way i have come to view using the major scale.
"I like to play that guitar. I have to stare at it while I'm playing it because I'm not very good at playing it."
Noel Gallagher (who took the words right out of my mouth)
17/08/2009 7:11 pm
I don't think there's a "proper" way to do it - when you solo, you're creating a melody. Some melodies use only chord tones, others use chord tones and non-chord scale tones, and still others use notes from outside the scale. The bottom line: if it sounds good, it's right - whether you use chord tones or not. And if it doesn't sound good, it isn't right... even if you've followed every possible "rule" :)
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
27/08/2009 12:22 pm
Yeah, there's no right or wrong way, but I think you're on to something. Check out the book "Chord Tone Soloing" by Barrett Tagliarino. You've stumbled on the beginning of some powerful information :)
28/08/2009 12:59 pm
Al,
I would have to agree with Noteboat (because he knows 10,000,000 times more than me) but I'm kind of in the same boat and although using chord tones might be a safer starting place and maybe an easier way to start but to me it seems that is similar to just getting hung up on patterns.
I think obviously it's important to learn know the major scale patterns but I think it might be better to just use your ear and not try to follow chord tones exclusively. As Note mentioned if it sounds good then it is good and some of the notes might not follow the "rules".
I've had the same issues with trying to solo with the major scale and had even mentioned that to my teacher awhile a go but I haven't really worked on it much, but I think in the end you really need to internalize the tones and be able to trust your ear to find the appropriate note and if you do hit an "off" note you can do something with it so that it sounds OK.
To me following the chord tones all the time will in the end limit how your solo's sound.
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