• Registered: 2007-04-25
  • Posts: 551

Topic: Ugh

Been here before....stuck in a rut, a deep one, with my electric guitar chops.  I'm beginning to wonder if a lot of it has to do with my equipment.  My guitar is good and I like it a lot, but I don't think it's set up properly at all.  My amp is great, but it is very limited as far as tonal possibilites.  As far as actual playing goes, I know lots of riffs and stuff, a few solos here and there, but I want to be able to make up some of my own stuff, or at least be able to improvise on songs.  I know most of the scales that are used for soloing and how to move them around, etc, but I'm still dumbfounded as to how one goes about composing (or improvsing) a "solo" based on these scales.  What to do?

"A steering wheel don't mean you can drive, a warm body don't mean I'm alive"
Switchfoot

06sc500's Website

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,865

Re: Ugh

Stephen I would suggest checking out the various modes of each scale and practice these, the melodies they impart are stored in your memory after time and practice you subconsciously find yourself useing them and they add dexterity and precision to your fretting smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • Registered: 2007-04-25
  • Posts: 551

Re: Ugh

Modes are something I haven't really looked into yet....will do, thanks Russell.

"A steering wheel don't mean you can drive, a warm body don't mean I'm alive"
Switchfoot

06sc500's Website

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Ugh

Also check out the "extended" version of your scales.
That is how I developed my particular sound.

=]
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website

  • Registered: 2007-04-25
  • Posts: 551

Re: Ugh

Detman101 wrote:

Also check out the "extended" version of your scales.
That is how I developed my particular sound.

=]
Dm

Elaborate?

"A steering wheel don't mean you can drive, a warm body don't mean I'm alive"
Switchfoot

06sc500's Website

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,865

Re: Ugh

Stephen I think he's referring to scales in two octaves or more smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • Registered: 2007-04-25
  • Posts: 551

Re: Ugh

Russell_Harding wrote:

Stephen I think he's referring to scales in two octaves or more smile

That's what I thought but I wasn't sure.

"A steering wheel don't mean you can drive, a warm body don't mean I'm alive"
Switchfoot

06sc500's Website

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Ugh

Okay....for example here is the regular Am Pentatonic on the left VS the extended Am Pentatonic on the right:

-5--8-------|-------------10-12//15--------------------------------------------
-5--8-------|----------8-10//12------------------------------------------------
-5-7--------|--------7-9-------------------------------------------------------
-5-7--------|-----5-7//9-------------------------------------------------------
-5-7--------|-----5-7----------------------------------------------------------
-5--8-------|-3--5//7---------------------------------------------------------                                                                         

Using the Extended version will give you more tonal options when you're soloing/playing lead.
From any point you can convert to another type of scale (Phrygian....blues...major) to get a different sound that matches the chords/chord sequences that are being played by the rhythm instrument.

=]
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website

  • Registered: 2007-04-25
  • Posts: 551

Re: Ugh

Detman101 wrote:

Okay....for example here is the regular Am Pentatonic on the left VS the extended Am Pentatonic on the right:

-5--8-------|-------------10-12//15--------------------------------------------
-5--8-------|----------8-10//12------------------------------------------------
-5-7--------|--------7-9-------------------------------------------------------
-5-7--------|-----5-7//9-------------------------------------------------------
-5-7--------|-----5-7----------------------------------------------------------
-5--8-------|-3--5//7---------------------------------------------------------                                                                         

Using the Extended version will give you more tonal options when you're soloing/playing lead.
From any point you can convert to another type of scale (Phrygian....blues...major) to get a different sound that matches the chords/chord sequences that are being played by the rhythm instrument.

=]
Dm

I see.  I think I will begin to look into modes as well.  Thanks for the help!

"A steering wheel don't mean you can drive, a warm body don't mean I'm alive"
Switchfoot

06sc500's Website

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Ugh

06sc500 wrote:
Detman101 wrote:

Okay....for example here is the regular Am Pentatonic on the left VS the extended Am Pentatonic on the right:

-5--8-------|-------------10-12//15--------------------------------------------
-5--8-------|----------8-10//12------------------------------------------------
-5-7--------|--------7-9-------------------------------------------------------
-5-7--------|-----5-7//9-------------------------------------------------------
-5-7--------|-----5-7----------------------------------------------------------
-5--8-------|-3--5//7---------------------------------------------------------                                                                         

Using the Extended version will give you more tonal options when you're soloing/playing lead.
From any point you can convert to another type of scale (Phrygian....blues...major) to get a different sound that matches the chords/chord sequences that are being played by the rhythm instrument.

=]
Dm

I see.  I think I will begin to look into modes as well.  Thanks for the help!

Anytime!

=]
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website

  • tandm3
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Re: Ugh

My guitar is good and I like it a lot, but I don't think it's set up properly at all.  My amp is great, but it is very limited as far as tonal possibilites.

06sc500,
Inspiration can come in a variety of packages.  Before getting a new guitar, have a shop check yours out.  Consider buying some radically different pickups maybe.  You like your amp but it is very limited in tonal possibilities?  What  kind of amp is this?  If you refuse to part with it, try some pedals to color your sound and give yourself ways to play in new directions.  I have an old Marshall Govn'r pedal that is basically a Marshall preamp with volume, gain, treble, mid and high.  It has a ton of tonal possibility.  Maybe putting something like that in front of your amp would help? 
  As far as playing and improvising goes, you just have to practice and try to practice with someone who can teach you a few things.  Good luck and keep plugging at it.

Now available in 5G !
  • From: Orpington London
  • Registered: 2006-10-22
  • Posts: 390

Re: Ugh

06sc500

I sympathise.

when you are learning scales and scale patterns you feel like you're making progress but then applying that is still rather tough -

i have started to  do several things which really help -

- learn the CAGED chords and the common chord progressions (I IV V). make sure that you can play those progressions in every position. it doesn't mean you have to revert to rythym guitar because those chord shapes will tell you a lot about the harmonic relationship between the different notes of the scale

- start thinking about which intervals sound good and which intervals create the distinctive sounds in the riffs/licks you like. all the intervals have different sounds.  the key intervals are 5ths and 4ths but look at the other ones (depending on your tastes)

- have a look at the riffs and progressions which define the musical style you are most interested in. learn some of the key phrases

J

johncross21's Website