Quote:
Originally Posted by Dewy
Ok, I've always had a lot of trouble improvising solos in a major key, not exactly sure why, and therein may lie a clue or answer... but thats not the point of this post.
I would like to pick the collective mind of this forum and look at "Major Improv" in the new found light of the chord tone approach, and find myself falling flat. Admittedly I have not yet purchased the Plane Talk Dvd yet, but have and excellent opportunity to apply the concept.
Our band has taken to learn a few new (to us) songs, and a song very much like "Never Been to Spain" came up. To call it learned my first task was to work out the chord changes, and we've all run through it. Next time up I'll want a basic Idea of how I am going to approach any guitar solos, and as we are a 3 piece (bass, drum, guitar) I am always working to fill the holes in the solo.
With this song, I need to keep dynamic up in a rolling tune based around the Amaj, Emaj, Amaj, Emaj, Bmaj, Amaj, Emaj, background.
I've tried "Chirping" the chords high on the neck and playing licks out of the chord shape... nothing I'd like to call finished... and no real noteworthy solo in the song to borrow ideas from.
I'll see what I can do about giving some samples as we're doing it live Friday and Saturday night... and we try to record for review. I might can edit just the solo portion and host it here... or elsewhere... and post "improved" versions as it comes along.
Any Ideas? |
Hi Dewy--
Ya know, this is something that's been a topic for discussion more than once on this website (many other guitar one, too I'm sure). I think the simplest way to look at it is from chord tones. The components of the chord. Every chord has it's 1, 3 and 5 at their basics. And so you can take the chord tone approach (PT is really great at showing this).
Like Kirk says, 'think melody'. And it really depends on the particular chord structure. I think if you get
PT you'll see what I mean.
The most easy answer is to play a melody from the notes within the E major scale. One way to look at this puzzle is that if there are Amaj, Bmaj and Emaj chords involved, those would be a part of the key of E major. (E=I, A=IV and E=V).
So what sounds good really depends on what the melody is doing and how the chords are presented. The long answer to the chord tone usage is that when you know the chords in the 'chord scale' of the key, (E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C, D#m7b5), each one of those chord formations represent the tool box from which to choose tones to play within the major scale presentation!
I don't want to get confusing with this, but since you've played for over 10 years I figured you might appreciate some of it.
Steve