Soloing over scales

Originally Posted by: da_ardvarkMy explaination of music theory will be (as everything I try and explain
0 by way of analogy. It's important to know theory to make music in the the same way it's important to have a sound basis of mechanical engineering in order to build a bridge. In other words only be posessing a thorough understanding of the underlying theory, can you then break those rules.

Not sure this makes any sense but ot me it does :D

Yeah, I totally agree. I realize now that an understanding of the underlying theory of music does nothing but help your playing.
I just think that if I'd come at it from the way of learning theory first, I would probably have given up a long time ago because it all seemed so difficult at the time. The reason I stuck with it for 20 years was because I enjoyed playing guitar without feeling any pressure from anybody to do things "right". Later on, when I really needed theory in order to teach, I realized that all the jargon I'd thought was so difficult at first was actually just technical explanations for all the things that I already knew how to do.

To me, I feel like I bypassed a stumbling block that personally would have discouraged me from learning guitar. I hated school, never did homework and hated being told what to do. If I'd been forced to learn to read music back then and learn scales I would have hated it so much, I'd never have bothered with it.

Originally Posted by: schmange
I guess the best of both worlds is the person who can learn both ways... however I can only comment on my own personal experience and say that I'm glad I didn't learn any theory until much later. I definitely believe it gave me a deeper understanding of music because it forced me to try things that most students are discouraged from doing simply because their teachers think that it would be too confusing to them to stray from the assigned topics. I was forced into many more years of trial and error, experimentation and listening and feeling rather than reading and copying.

I agree with taking the leap into theory later is a better approach because there are so many things you need to build strength on which takes a lot of time to master them. Focusing on too much at one time can limit your ability to advance in the many levels required to even play the instrument and enjoy it. In due time theory can help by connecting what has already been learned by feel from trial and error through your approach. Let's face it, it's all based upon intervals and how they react by the sequence you put them in. They will either sound awesome, OK, weak or terrible depending on their voicing with the Tonal Center they are built from. Take bending a note or vibrato for example, no theory in the world can make that note jump to the proper interval or pitch desired. You're on your own to make it happen and most that master this effect do it by feel, including the duration and amount of times they use it with their style. Theory definately has it's advantages and I use it continiously in my style because it's right there at my fingertips, but it doesn't create feel. In my opinion, a player with feel can create a great sound regardless of their background in theory, just by knowing what intervals sound best with the progression they're playing.

Originally Posted by: schmange....To me, I feel like I bypassed a stumbling block that personally would have discouraged me from learning guitar. I hated school, never did homework and hated being told what to do. If I'd been forced to learn to read music back then and learn scales I would have hated it so much, I'd never have bothered with it.

Can I get a huge 'amen'? This is exactly the way it was for me, too. I never learned any theory until one day I stumbled across a guitar book that built the bridge between basic theory and basic guitar playing and I was hooked. Now, I still don't care for a bunch of theory but it helps learning the language so I can communicate better with other musicians, and so I can teach.

Steve

I do, actually, think theory can impart feel onto those who learn it. I've said this before, and it's been tried and tested---cadences. If you learn all about cadences you will always be known as someone who has a great 'feel' ((provided your vibrato is decent)).

Without theory you can't truly excite yourself while playing. Try, just for once, to shut off that little singing voice in your head that hums out all your melodies just before you play them. Instead, just work your way up to a spot on the guitar and start insta-riffing.

If you are constantly playing what you hear within your mind---as in, you hear the entire phrase in your mind and then play it--your playing has a high chance of growing stale. This is just because most people have similar melodic sense, even non-musicians. And the common answer to this is 'well i can just think hard of a different this...that...' Yes, you could, but then you'd be different just for the sake of being different---blaise'.

My truest belief is that to be a perfect, unique, awesome guitar player---it cannot be just about your ear. Just as your theory skills can fail you, so can your aurals. Try to just express yourself. This involves using your ears to get a general idea of the sound your are going for---no specific notes, just the mood. Then it involves using your theory to illuminate the fretboard and show you where to go, and then it is on you to go there. Your theory guarentees that no matter what you play, it will fall into that soundscape your ears have drawn. Half the time, you play melodies that resolve with beauty and the other half, they will sound 'original' and creative.

Most of the time, players that are world-class have this almost perfect ration in their playing: 50-50. Half of what they play you can predict and follow, and half of it is 'new' and exciting.

Theory can save you from your ear, just like your ear can save you from all the pedantic theory. And your fingers save you from both, when need be. Just let them fly every now and again---fall down the stairs and try to land on your feet.

It's more about approaching the guitar in different ways than it is about becoming a boring academic.

Hey guys, I am still a bit confused. So say the song is written in 'D Major'. Which Blues scale would fit in that?

Originally Posted by: SnowRoseHey guys, I am still a bit confused. So say the song is written in 'D Major'. Which Blues scale would fit in that?

It depends on precisely which chords you're using. If we're just looking at D Major as a key generally - you could use a D major blues scale (major pentatonic with the added b5), or you could use B minor blues (minor pentatonic with added b5) as it's the relative minor. You might also consider E Dorian for a bluesy feel... You could look at any mode of D Major to be fair, adding the flat fifths.

The 5 pentatonic shapes (CAGED) with the flattened fifths would give you a fair bit of scope across the neck straight away...