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Lead


eclayson

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I was wondering if there was anything that anyone could tell me to help me with my lead. Are there any tips that you could give me..... What about scales... I don't know any of the scales. would that help.

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My first scale was the minor pentatonic, good for soloing over blues.

 

Here's the open version of E minor pentatonic:

 

e|---------------------0-3-|

b|-----------------0-3-----|

g|-------------0-2---------|

D|---------0-2-------------|

A|-----0-2-----------------|

E|-0-3---------------------|

 

Here's the closed / movable version of E minor pentatonic:

 

e|-------------------------------12-15-|

b|-------------------------12-15-------|

g|-------------------12-14-------------|

D|-------------12-14-------------------|

A|-------12-14-------------------------|

E|-12-15-------------------------------|

 

Here's A minor pentatonic:

 

e|---------------------5-8-|

b|-----------------5-8-----|

g|-------------5-7---------|

D|---------5-7-------------|

A|-----5-7-----------------|

E|-5-8---------------------|

 

You can also use these (loosely) to solo over major chord progressions, if you use the minor pentatonic scale that's relative to the major key. That is, use A minor pentatonic to solo over C major. Or E minor pentatonic to solo over G major. This is just a starting point.

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You can also use these (loosely) to solo over major chord progressions, if you use the minor pentatonic scale that's relative to the major key. That is, use A minor pentatonic to solo over C major. Or E minor pentatonic to solo over G major. This is just a starting point.

 

Dayum! :eek: That's the most useful basic thing I've read in the past three weeks scouring the web for an :idea: that I can use.

 

Now are there any easy relevent songs/links I can hear to practice this nugget of knowledge?

 

Thanx!:thu:

 

 

,

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Dayum!
:eek:
That's the most useful basic thing I've read in the past three weeks scouring the web for an
:idea:
that I can use.


Now are there any easy relevent songs/links I can hear to practice this nugget of knowledge?

 

Sure, why don't you try the A minor pentatonic over any C major song. I don't know what's in your collection, but there are a lot of C major songs: Piano Man by Billy Joel, Let It Be by the Beatles, Imagine by John Lennon, My Girl by the Temptations.

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Posted

 

I was wondering if there was anything that anyone could tell me to help me with my lead. Are there any tips that you could give me..... What about scales... I don't know any of the scales. would that help.

 

 

This is a pretty neat scale generator:

 

http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/guitar_scales.php

 

For all scales, remembering the pattern is key. To simplify matters at this point, just remember the pattern on the fingerboard (you can worry about the exact intervals for theory later).

 

Pentatonic is standard vocabulary for guitar. For instance, in A minor/C major...

 

------------------------------5--8----

------------------------5--8----------

------------------5--7----------------

------------5--7----------------------

------5--7----------------------------

-5--8---------------------------------

 

Starting at the 5th fret, 6th string (low E), you have A minor.

Starting at the 8th fret, 6th string (low E), you have C major.

 

Simply add 12 frets, and you are playing one octave up.

 

-----------------------------------------17--20--

----------------------------------17--20---------

-------------------------17--19------------------

-----------------17--19--------------------------

---------17--19----------------------------------

-17--20------------------------------------------

 

The pattern of notes here does not change unless you are playing "open," or you wish to play outside of these "standard" starting positions. But we'll stick with the standard for right now.

 

You hear pentatonic scales in pretty much all blues guitar music, and some players use it exclusively throughout their career.

 

What can really open doors for you is the major scale. Again, here it is in A minor/C major:

 

------------------------------------------5--7--8--

---------------------------------5--6--8-----------

------------------------4--5--7--------------------

-------------------5--7----------------------------

----------5--7--8----------------------------------

-5--7--8-------------------------------------------

 

(The same starting points, or "roots," apply here.)

 

You'll hear this from classical to jazz, pop to country.

 

There are several "in between" points you can start at. Since we've been sticking with A min/C maj, we'll stay there. Players like Eric Clapton and Santana love to start solos in these keys in the following position. First up, pentatonic:

 

---------------------------------12--15--(17)--(20)-------------

-------------------------13--15---------------------------------

-----------------12--14-----------------------------------------

---------12--14-------------------------------------------------

-12--15---------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

And now major:

 

---------------------------------------------12--13--15--(17)--(19)--(20)

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

-------------------------12--14------------------------------------------

-------------12--14--15--------------------------------------------------

-12--14--15--------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

(The notes in parentheses are in the scale, but require you to move out of the "boxes" we've been working in. There are also notes you can play on the low E string, but I'd run out of space illustrating them.)

 

Hope this helps, and feel free to ignore it if you're looking for more advanced things.

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