[The Dude]

Hey Dudes, Probably A Very Easy Thing To Do, And I Know Loads Of Guitarists Who Can Do It, But How Comes I Cant Solo!!!!!!!!!!???? My Guitaring Has Improved Alot Over The Last Year (i'm Now Onto Songs Like Parisienne Walkways, Whereas Before I Was Proud Of Wonderwall) And I'm Not Far Off I Just Cant Go The Whole Way And Do A Decent Guitar Solo. Anybody Else Suffer From This Problem??

[coldethyl]

Yeah, I would definitely have to back up the other guys who recommended PT as well.
It has been such a great help to me, I just wish I'd bought it ages ago. I would highly recommend PT to anyone who's looking to improve their playing skills etc.
My soloing has improved by leaps and bounds (hope I don't sound like I'm bragging) since aquiring PT.

The only time I do scales now is at the start of my guitar practise and I just use 'em to loosen up a bit. Apart from that, they really just bog me down too much and end up boring me.

[guttertrashsingalong]

I looked for simple solos to start with.My first was twisted sisters were not gonna take it easy easy solo then moved on to starwars and so on.I was told by my old instructor dont move on to other because i couldnt finish it.stay on the one your working on till you got it.was the best advice i ever have gotten to this day.I also like to use scales to warm up with.also a good way to start to.helps your fingers to work good in the tight locations solos end up in.like someone up there said explore the scales.good luck

[fly135]

Well then let's hear some recordings.

[jono]

I thought kirk said avoid scales

just play notes from the chords?

[WernHalen]

Jono,

Youre right, there are two trains of thought, one is centred on Scales and the other is CT's like Kirk mentions so often. Neither is right or wrong Kirks method only gets a person playing melodic much quicker than the Scales method... It also helps a person to make use of the whole fretboard in a much shorter period of time...

[jono]

how does it work though playing notes from the chords

does that mean i need to know what chord is being played at the time

and every note of every chord and every note on the fretboard?

[Jim]

Originally Posted by jono

I thought kirk said avoid scales

just play notes from the chords?

I think if you know both, use both. They are not mutually exclusive - it's all in how you use them. They are different ways to access the 12 tones that make up an octave - and your job as a soloist is to pick the best note at any point in time that will both fit with the previous and next notes in the construction of a good melodic phrase and that will also sound like a good fit to the underlying chord or harmonic progression. There is a lot of variety in what different people think constitute good melody or good fit to the prevailing harmony, and you usually won't please all the people all of the time - but hopefully you'll please most of the people most of the time (and most importantly, you will please yourself). This is an art that continues to be learned throughout life and there is always something new that can be brought into your musical "vocabulary". Some people use just their musical ear and years of playing to create really great solos.

Try them all - combine them all - use what works best for you at any point in time.

Jim

[jono]

thanks Jim.. i guess im just lost when it comes to the whole, where do i go.

Example most of the songs i play are in my local church, songs by chris tomlin, matt redman, david crowder band.

most part they are usually just your regular major or minor chords.. never really anything beyond that.. Most are in major keys

So what would you suggest i learn? Major Scales, Major Blues Scales?

and when it comes to someone saying ok... can you do a small solo bit in this part.. where would I start? how would i know what notes to hit lol.

man i feel like im peeing in the dark, hoping i hit the toilet bowl

[allthumbs]

Originally Posted by jono

how does it work though playing notes from the chords

does that mean i need to know what chord is being played at the time

and every note of every chord and every note on the fretboard?

A friend of mine recently said the same thing about playing using scales to organize your note choices. You need to know all the notes and or intervals on the fretboard as well as the chords your playing over. Luckily you don't have to learn everything at once to be able to play.
For instance your playing a tune using a major scale when you run across a minor chord that has been changed from a major chord in that key. That means your major scale needs to have a b3 in it rather than a natural 3 if you want to capture the flavour of the tune at that point.
The underlying principals of note organization are the same for chords or scales. Different sides of the same coin.

[Kirk Lorange]

Originally Posted by jono

how does it work though playing notes from the chords

does that mean i need to know what chord is being played at the time

and every note of every chord and every note on the fretboard?

Hi jono. Looks to me like you haven't yet read this post, introducing this forum.

I never had any luck trying to turn scales into music, they always just sounded like scales, but most people do rely on them to solo.

Yes, you do need to know what chord is being played at the time, whether you're playing rhythm strumming along or not. Since you do need to know, you can use that knowledge to zero in on good strong melody notes.

I have never said anything about JUST using chord tones to create melody ... I have often recommended using them as the main notes, however.

We all have different ideas of a solo/melody is or isn't ... I like strong melody, myself, and strong melody when analyzed is mostly chord tones. It's all a matter of taste, I guess, but when it all boils down, there are just 12 notes to play around with. How you organize yourself mentally is up to you. If you are having trouble turning scales into solos/melody try chords. They work very well for me, but I do think if you're just embarking on this you should learn all scales and fiddle around with them ... you'll get a sense of what it is to play single notes.

Yes, there is a very neat way to 'see' all notes of any chord on the whole fretboard ... that's what I see when I'm soloing: all chord tones for whatever chord is being played. They form the outlines of my melodic phrases. It's not for beginners, though, it's for those who have already explored melody via scales and failed to really make it work, especially over tunes that are more than one or two chord grooves, tunes that introduce 'out of key' chords. If it's just a funk groove you want to play over, use one of the pentatonics. I forget which is which it's been so long since I've thought along those lines, but there will be many here who can advise you.

[Matt_11]

liten to oldg

[Chaotic Kittie]

Originally Posted by Kirk Lorange

I have never said anything about JUST using chord tones to create melody

I think this was the way I interpreted what you said, and that was the reason for my first feeling of "yeah, right... guy thinks he knows something". I felt you were arrogant... I was very wrong though, I was the arrogant one!

Reading everything you ever said about this again... I can't really see how I could interpret it that way, I guess prejudice was involved too. Another lesson to never judge after first "glance"... Though I don't wholly did so, I did take what you said to my heart (even if the thought were mostly "mhm, sure. *Irony*") and since it was in my thoughts, I eventually began too see that, whoa, the guy's right!

So my feeling changed to "the guy KNOWS". So well... Thanks a lot Kirk!

Geez, I really tend to ramble on in my posts... sorry about that, but it just is me.

[Keidon]

Hi, I posted on this soloing thread earlier on & I guess it still goes on. Well the art of soloing will still have many and varied views. I think "KIRK's" view, having been "blown out" by his theories in plane-talk ten years ago, goes without saying. (But I will) The idea that you can solo over chord notes and analyze the chord tones as you play was a NEW idea back then, but now I understand the concept much better. I did say that was ten years ago though!

Interesting KIRK quoted "but I do think if you're just embarking on this you should learn all scales and fiddle around with them ... you'll get a sense of what it is to play single notes".

I stated back then something similar. My Friend said to me when I was Learning Scales to, "Learn all the scales you can & then FORGET that they are scales opting to look for the melodic lines within them. The scales alone will indeed sound boring in the most part.

For me learning scales did not only teach me what notes I could play, but what notes not to play. (as wrong notes) if it is not jazz that is.

Most teachers will eventually let you know that "The CHORD Rules"

The Beatles once sang a song "The Long & Winding Road" Surely they were singing about learning to solo on the Guitar!!!

Thanks KIRK for your wisdom on this, & for being able to put a very difficult subject into such understandable terms as in Plane Talk. You make it all sound achievable. You Legend.

[Justapicker]

In addition to learning all the scales and modes and how they relate to the harmony you also want to learn and practice arpeggios, extended arpeggios and interval exercises and how they all relate to the scales and harmonies.

Create really simple solos to begin with. One note per measure is more than enough to make a statement if you choose your notes wisely. Choosing notes that are within the underlying harmony always "works". Make them more complex as you get a handle on what your doing. Add other chord tones, superimpose a D arpeggio over a Gmaj chord, if your moving from a G to an Am chord toss in a G# just before the move to create a little tension.......

A little understanding of music theory will help you out a whole bunch.

[Keidon]

"Now that is just getting too complicated for the Beginners Guy". Nothing wrong in what you've said at all, but he will be several years from some of that stuff.

To "THE DUDE". Getting a good Teacher, One who suits were you are at right now, will give you the best direction and growth level as a player so that you don't get stuck - Which may be where beginners often end-up, Stuck. Sound familiar???

KB.