Originally Posted by: light487If I only ever play basic chords.. like 1-3-5 and 1-3-5-7 chords (Minor and Major).. am I therefore limiting the amount of notes I can play with a solo?[/quote]
No. You can play whatever notes of the scale you desire for their functional value within the framework of the song or their ornamental value in which you simply like the decorative sound of THAT scale note in that place.

For that matter you can play any chromatic note you want also according to the same principle.

Originally Posted by: light487I look at the exotic scales that Steve Vai uses and then at the equally exotic chords he plays behind the solo..

First consider, to even SAY "This note or that is the sharp 11th," implies the "basic scales and chords" in the first place. You can't arrive at the concept of those "exotic" chords and scales without the prior framework of the basic ones to build upon in the first place.

Consider, "This solo uses Lydian Dominant which is a mode of melodic minor and isn't that all exotic and weird?" Again, you can't get to lydian dominant without the more basic, simple concepts of "lydian" and "dominant". You can't get to modes of "melodic minor" without the simple, basic, natural minor first, which you then alter.
[QUOTE=light487] ... and I wonder if the fact that he is playing some weird chord with all these extra notes, like a 9th, 11th or 13th note, means that he is now able to play that extra note in his scales?.. Like say he has added the 11th note of the scale to the chord.. does that mean he can now play all the 4th's and 11th's in his soloing?

It is valuable to have your chords, melodies, and solos all integrated: from the same source and all referencing one another. But you can, of course, play the 4th note of a scale over a basic major or minor chord. It can be viewed, for example, as a passing tone (moving from maj3 to 5th). Or it can viewed as a crucial melody note, or a slightly dissonant ornamental note.

But, having said all that, you can play:

1. Basic chords with basic scales.
2. Basic chords with complex scales.
3. Complex chords with basic scales.
4. Complex chords with complex scales.

You can use the letters of the English alphabet to create the word "cat" and "epistemological".

Regardless of level of simplicity or complexity, all music theory is built upon a common set of principles.