Scott58 ... here's about as big a tip as you'll ever get: always refer the riff you're playing to the chord that underlies it; if it straddles more than one chord, then refer it to them all, one at a time. I call it the 'chord of the moment'. Chords are
not little clusters of notes in one part of the fretboard, they're
one long pattern of notes that stretch the length of the fretboard, so look for the appropriate position that undlerlies the riff. By doing that, you'll be able to understand the riff in its context and once you know what notes you're using (in terms of numbers, ie 1 or flat 3 or 5 or flat 7) you'll be able to invent them willy-nilly ... just so long as you know the chord.
Much easier and effective than looking for a scale.
PS: check out the lesson called
The Anatomy of a C Chord here. When you come to grips with the concept and want to know the best way to see the fretboard as one big 'super-chord', buy my book/DVD
PlaneTalk.
