Solo'ing in Key

When soloing on (for example) The major pentatonic scale...

does it mean that you can use ONLY notes which are ON this scale?

if so...isn't that very limiting?

let's say your solo is a path... You can walk nicely in the footsteps the leader has left on the ground, but you may also take another path, if you finally come back in the leaders footsteps... By doing so, you create tension and release, which is all music is about

lal is right... if you're soloing over a progression and stick to whatever scale (say a major pentatonic scale), then technically each note is going to "fit" correctly (that is of course if you know your scales and are in the right key). However, an important aspect of music is creation tension, and then releasing that tension (or maybe not). You know? Music would be boring if everything "fit" fine. Tension can be a good thing... this becomes ever more clear to me as I begin to learn about jazz... a jazz player probably would not play a simple g major scale over a g chord, but would spice things up a bit.

And how is this tension made?

by putting in some variations...using minor and major for example?

what is considered tense in our ears may be heard as beautiful is other peoples ears or cultures, just make up your path, and share it with others.

Try using chromatics above and below the scale notes, especially the chord tones. Also try connecting notes within the scale chromatically. You will find any note will work as long as you resolve it properely. Check out Jimmy Brunos website for ex.'s of this (look under tips)
http://www.jimmybruno.com.....also check out any charlie parker refernce material (omni book), he is one of the pioneers of using all 12 tones to improvise

Combining the major and minor pentatonic together is also a cool techniue...this is something BB King does all the time.

How to find the key when usingp owerchords?

And i don't know what chromatics are...

power chords are the root and the fifth of a "normal chord" so your key will be the root of the chord which seems to be the base of your riff.
For exemple in metallica's enter sandman, the key is E, since this tone attracts the riff to come back to it...
Chromatics are notes that are between actual scales notes (to play a chromatic scale, you just have to play every note on every fret on your neck)
when used tastefully, chromatics add nice "colors" to your solos (chroma= color in greek)

So...

Example...

you take the powerchord on which a riff is based:

0
0
0
2
2
0

This is an E-powerchord...

BECAUSE the root of this chord is E

so...viewing the upper (=root on the E-string) powerchords the key is always the note on the e-string. Then find the powerchord on which the riff is based...padaboom THE KEY!!!

correct?

in your exemple, you include the minor third, which makes your chord a triad and not a power chord!!!

An E Power chord would be
x
x
x
x
2
0

or
x
x
x
9
7
x

a triad..that's new for me...

i thought that any chord should have 3 or more notes to be a chord...

i don't know what triads are...

Okay...example...

i'm writing something...

2 parts...

1st: Written in the A major pentatonic scale (mostly)

2nd part: i'd like to work with the same scale, but only moved up 1 fret. that would mean it's in another scale.

I'd like to use these 2 parts direcly after each other...

am i violating any laws of music by doing this???

well a chord has at least 3 notes, but a power chord has two, the root, and the fifth. When it has 3 notes, a chord is called a triad.

If you use a scale one fret higher, what you get is another scale (but not another type of scale)... For example, an A minor pentatonic played one fret higher is an A# minor pentatonic
You can play the two scales in a row if the tune you are playing tells you to do so... In a blues progression, playing the two scales in a row might sound like you're adding tension, but it will rapidly sound like you're playing your licks one fret too high...
Some Jazz cats use the one fret lower approach to sound "out", they first play a lick one fret too low, then play the lick in the right key... Sounds hip!!!

there are formulas to these scales .. ex. major scale consists of: whole, whole, half, a whole to divide another set of whole, whole, half, in the key of C you would have: C D E F G A B C, from C to D is a whole step (or two frets not counting the one u r on)from D to E is another whole step, however from E to F is only a half step (or one fret), from F to G is a whole step (the whole step to divide the second set of w,w,h) from G to A is a whole step, from A to B is a whole set and from B to C is a half. So your major formula in any key is ex.in C:
C D E F G A B C
W,W,H,W,W,W,H .. Never change the formula!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8(or better known as ocatave)

now prove it by picking up your guitar and trying it out and always listen closely to the sounds you hear for future reference .. (Start on the 3rd fret 5th string and go all the way up the neck to play the C scale (using formula) on one string.)

A power chord is a man made word consisting of a root and fifth. the triad chord consists of 3 notes: 1(root or key) 3rd (color) and 5th. without the third there is no minor or major. The 3rd is what determines whether it is minor or major. ex. C E G = C major, C Eb G = C minor.

by using the number system if u take 1 3 5 in any key u have your chord ex. 1 3 5 = C E G, if u use 1 4 5 you have your chord progression ex. 1 4 5 = C F G these are called your primary chords ...

a chromatic scale consists of 13 notes from the root to the ocatave ex. C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C you always end with what u start with.

have i confused you enuff?? *laffs*

Yes you have