Members mark129 Posted January 17, 2007 Members Posted January 17, 2007 I have been playing guitar off and on for over 25 years. Mostly all the bands I played with years ago, I never had to play any lead guitar. All my life I have just been a rythum guitar player and never learned to play any leads. I am a self taught guitarist and don't really read music. I can figure out a song by ear or with guitar tabs. I can fugure out some leads from tabs, but I can't do a real guitar solo. This year I made a New Years promise that I was going to sit down and begin learning to play lead guitar. My problem is, where do I start and how? I know you have to learn scales, but which scales do I need to know to get started? Does anyone know of any good free sites out there that can get me started, or can anyone on here help. What would I have to learn first in order to get started, I just don't know where to begin. Thanks.........
Members AXEL276 Posted January 17, 2007 Members Posted January 17, 2007 What kind of music are you into? Scales are good but a beginner is not going to learn how to solo just practicing scales. IMO, scale actually work better for more experienced lead players. In your case, since you can read tabs, learn some solo's to the songs you've been playing rhythm to. Try to visualize the patterns (box shapes), transpose them to different keys. I've been playing for almost 30 years and am a strong lead & rhythm player. I leaned to solo by listening (and learning) early Cream, Clapton, blues, blues rock. The blues patterns are mostly all pentatonic box patterns. They are melodic and are easy to transpose. The blues riffs are the foundation to a lot of rock and hardrock riffs. Learn some easy blues stuff, think about the shapes, how they are relative to the chord or progression. Practice!!!! Buy yourself one of those looper's. Lay down some chords and jam! It's the only way your gonna learn!!!!
Members mark129 Posted January 17, 2007 Author Members Posted January 17, 2007 I enjoy playing classic rock, hard rock, and some blues rock. I just see lead players start playing from the middle of the neck and go all the way to the top of the neck. I wasn't sure if there was a curtain string, or scale pattern they were following. Example, if the song is in the key of E, is there a curtain pattern or scale you play, and if the song is in the key of A, is there a diffrent pattern or scale you play for that key and so on?
Members AXEL276 Posted January 17, 2007 Members Posted January 17, 2007 I enjoy playing classic rock, hard rock, and some blues rock. I just see lead players start playing from the middle of the neck and go all the way to the top of the neck. I wasn't sure if there was a curtain string, or scale pattern they were following. Example, if the song is in the key of E, is there a curtain pattern or scale you play, and if the song is in the key of A, is there a diffrent pattern or scale you play for that key and so on? For a beginner, concentrate on learning the pentatonic blues patterns. There are more than one for a given key or chord. I can play a solo in A and move from pattern to pattern connecting them up and down the neck. If I'm soloing in A over a I IV V progression (A, D, E), I can play these patterns over all 3 chords but the important thing is phrasing, and which notes I emphasize depending on if I'm playing over the A, D or E. In other words if your playing a A pentatonic pattern over A,D,E, try and land on the "D" note when your playing the D chord. Or you can play "tonely", in this example, staying in the A pentatonic patterns, again, phrasing and landing on the right note per chord. The patterns are very easy to transpose up and down the neck and they also repeat every 12 frets. Concentrate on one, two or 3 patterns, play the hell out of them and as I said, for God's sake buy a looper. You need to practice by hearing the patterns over the chords. This stuff is more art than science, you have to use your ears and be creative. There's a song covered by Aerosmith called "Train Kept A Roll' in". This song has a lot of the classic rock licks in it. It's a good place to start. Learn this song, steal the licks and your on your way. It's not easy, it takes knowledge, practice, and a good ear. But be certain, it's very attainable if you put in the time. AGAIN, buy a looper and practice/jam. Build up your confidence.
Members mark129 Posted January 17, 2007 Author Members Posted January 17, 2007 I know which song you're talking about. I will start there, and I'll go over the pentatonic pattern. Oh ya, I will look into a looper also. Thanks............
Members 335clone Posted January 17, 2007 Members Posted January 17, 2007 http://www.zentao.com/guitar/guitar-lessons.html http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/
Members AXEL276 Posted January 17, 2007 Members Posted January 17, 2007 Scales. Red, Nothing personel, but lets say you know nothing about playing solo's. How is learning a major scale, CDEFGABC, going to help you? As I am trying to explain to the original poster, the beauty of the pentatonic scale is that it omits some of the notes, consentrates on the "blue" notes, gives the "scale" more melody. When playing a solo, it's the melody that's important. I find practicing scales, major, minor, harmonic, etc. & modes, help the more advanced player break out of the box or pentatonic pattern ruts. But remember, the original poster isn't in a rut, he's trying to learn simple solo's. This brings me to another subject. A "good" teacher can make your playing advance years ahead of your time as opposed to plucking it out on your own. A bad teacher (or advice) can cost you time in terms of progress and motovation.
Members natasmi Posted January 17, 2007 Members Posted January 17, 2007 http://www.youtube.com/w/play-guitar-in-10-minutes-with-Nashville-{censored}?v=0mJ0gZUP7PU&search=%20nashville%20pussy Now ROCK!!!
Members Li Shenron Posted January 19, 2007 Members Posted January 19, 2007 Do you want to focus on improvising or are you currently interested mostly in interpreting someone else's solo? Because if it's improvising you're looking for, then learning scale boxes & note positions on the fretboard (but not performing fast "scale runs") is going to be needed. And the other thing is just jam over and over in order to (1) improve your chances of playing just what comes to your mind with minimal delay, and (2) collect your own favourite phrases and licks which will make up your own style. But if interpretation is your focus at the moment, don't yet bother about scales, and instead get transcriptions of many easy but nice solos and practice them note-by-not, to get used to the most typical techniques (bending, sliding, double-stops, legato) and also to learn what are the licks most common in that kind of music. In both cases possibly try to understand why a solo is nice: what are the notes that stand up best (usually it's not the actual note but rather an interval), what are the rhytmic movements or the phrasing, and later how does the solo changes with the chords below. Don't get stuck too much with scales patterns, for some people they actually become a cage, and the death of their own soloing.
Members Li Shenron Posted January 19, 2007 Members Posted January 19, 2007 PS Solos which are perfect for beginners (slow but great!) can be harvested for example from : PINK FLOYD THIN LIZZY DIRE STRAITS
Members Bluesidae Posted January 19, 2007 Members Posted January 19, 2007 Do you want to focus on improvising or are you currently interested mostly in interpreting someone else's solo?Because if it's improvising you're looking for, then learning scale boxes & note positions on the fretboard (but not performing fast "scale runs") is going to be needed.And the other thing is just jam over and over in order to (1) improve your chances of playing just what comes to your mind with minimal delay, and (2) collect your own favourite phrases and licks which will make up your own style.But if interpretation is your focus at the moment, don't yet bother about scales, and instead get transcriptions of many easy but nice solos and practice them note-by-not, to get used to the most typical techniques (bending, sliding, double-stops, legato) and also to learn what are the licks most common in that kind of music.In both cases possibly try to understand why a solo is nice: what are the notes that stand up best (usually it's not the actual note but rather an interval), what are the rhytmic movements or the phrasing, and later how does the solo changes with the chords below.Don't get stuck too much with scales patterns, for some people they actually become a cage, and the death of their own soloing. Well said. Get out your CD player and jam...
Members mark129 Posted January 19, 2007 Author Members Posted January 19, 2007 I've been trying to find songs that have slow simple leads to begin with. I'm also working on the major pentatonic scale, 5-8, 5-7, 5-7, 5-7, 5-8, 5-8? Can you use this pattern scale all the way up the neck? As I said, I'm self taught, don't know much on root notes or theory, some of this stuff is over my head, but I'm trying. Thought I'd post a few pics of my guitars.http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70/marshallman/Guitar2a.jpghttp://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70/marshallman/fullguitar.jpghttp://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70/marshallman/12.jpgMember of Sg army.............
Members 335clone Posted January 19, 2007 Members Posted January 19, 2007 I've been trying to find songs that have slow simple leads to begin with. I'm also working on the major pentatonic scale, 5-8, 5-7, 5-7, 5-7, 5-8, 5-8? Can you use this pattern scale all the way up the neck? As I said, I'm self taught, don't know much on root notes or theory, some of this stuff is over my head, but I'm trying. Thought I'd post a few pics of my guitars. http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70/marshallman/Guitar2a.jpghttp://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70/marshallman/fullguitar.jpghttp://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70/marshallman/12.jpgMember of Sg army............. That scale pattern is only Major or minor depending on where it is placed. As written, it's either Am Pent (A,C,D,E,G) (Root,b3,4,5,b7) or Cmaj Pent (C,D,E,G,A) (R,2,3,5,6). The A Maj Pent can be easily found by moving the Am Pent down 3 half steps to (A,B,C#,E,F#). This works in any key.http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/pentatonic.htmlThe root note defines the key of the scale, then the other numbers are scale degrees based on the harmonized Major scale. http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.html
Members mark129 Posted January 19, 2007 Author Members Posted January 19, 2007 http://www.youtube.com/w/play-guitar-in-10-minutes-with-Nashville-{censored}?v=0mJ0gZUP7PU&search=%20nashville%20pussyNow ROCK!!! Hey Natasmi, these vids helped out alot. Any other vids you find like this one, send them along. I picked up alot of info just watching, it's alot easier seeing it done than reading about it. Thanks...........
Members natasmi Posted January 20, 2007 Members Posted January 20, 2007 Cool, I think it's great that she sounds great even when he turns down the gain on her amp. I'm a fan of the band.
Members mark129 Posted January 20, 2007 Author Members Posted January 20, 2007 I never heard of the band before. I going to have to check out more of there music. Is this band from Nashville, do they have a cd out?
Members Dru Edwards Posted January 20, 2007 Members Posted January 20, 2007 For a beginner, concentrate on learning the pentatonic blues patterns. There are more than one for a given key or chord. I agree. It's an easy pattern to learn and you can fit it in a lot of places. Make sure you start off playing slowly - it's more important to hit the right notes at the right tempo than trying to play too fast and having it everywhere. Once you get familiar try to improvise. It's like public speaking - if you memorize your speech and then lose you're place, you're screwed. Be able to improvise. Good luck!
Members piesore Posted January 20, 2007 Members Posted January 20, 2007 I'd recommend the Fretboard Logic series for someone with no grounding in music theory. I have a copy on my computer, PM me if you want it.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.