Rock soloing, progression & theory.

Hello Everyone,

My name is curtis, ive been a viewer of the forums for some time now. I used to play about 2 years ago but I never got any farther than just looking up tabs and trying to learn them. I want to learn how to make my own riffs and solos but I have no clue where to start. I would also like to know how scales work and how they work in correlation with chords. If anyone could point me in the right direction it would be appreciated! ThX

Well, learning tabs isn't a bad way to start. That's basically how I learned guitar, not really the best as far as theory and such goes, but it's a great way to get ideas and build your knowledge. As a few famous musicians have noted (such as Victor Wooten (AKA greatest bassist ever (along with Jaco and a few others))...I digress... "Music is like a langauge, so the more you learn and the more you play, the more fluently you can speak your language." This applies in the way that, the more (possibly Tabs) you play, the more you are able to play in general. Sooooooo, in learning tabs, you are already learning how to play rock solos, or whatever it may be. You take ideas from other people and after awhile, they morph into a completely original idea (sometimes). As far as theory and stuff goes, you just gotta be exposed to it. Taking lessons wouldn't be a bad idea, considering theory can be quite difficult to grasp at times. One basic thing about the soloing aspect, combined with chords, is that you can always start with the notes in the chord. Those notes are the basic notes that can be used, maybe not the greatest, but it's a start. As a matter of fact, one of the best ways to solo, or a good technique, although hard, is to always try and make use of the key note in the chord. This might not work, i dunno, but say you play a C major chord. You could use a C major scale and this would work. If the next chord in the progression was a C major with a flat fifth (F#/Gb....i believe), then you might wanna try and incorporate the F#/Gb into your solo as the chords change. Just a little bit to think about. Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by: cdawsonHello Everyone,

My name is curtis, ive been a viewer of the forums for some time now. I used to play about 2 years ago but I never got any farther than just looking up tabs and trying to learn them. I want to learn how to make my own riffs and solos but I have no clue where to start. I would also like to know how scales work and how they work in correlation with chords. If anyone could point me in the right direction it would be appreciated! ThX

Hi Curtis, It's best to start at the beginning with the Motherload, That is the almighty Major scale. Chords are built from notes in the scale. Each note in music has it's own Major scale. Since there are 12 notes in music, there are 12 Major scales. Major scales derive from an interval pattern of Whole steps and half steps that follow any note you start on. A whole step = 2 frets up from the starting note, a half step = 1 fret up from the preceding note. The start note is referred to as the Root note. The intervals are as follows;
Root +W+W+h+W+W+W+h.
Say the Root note is "A" .....the A Major scale would be as follows;
A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G#-A...... The Major scale is a 7 note scale, AKA The Diatonic Scale. The notes are numbered in sequence 1-2-3-4-5-6-7---- the 8th note in the A Major scale repeats from the Root, so the 8th note is referred to as the Octive and the scale sequence repeats in the same order of notes. The # symbol following a note = Sharp. the "b" symbol = Flat (should you see Eb in a certain case, it would mean E flat)
To create an A Major chord you would use the 1st, 3rd and 5th intervals of the A Major Scale. The 1st note is A, the 3rd is C# and the 5th is E, so the notes in a A Major Chord are A-C#-E.
That should get you started.......................

A book I have been finding useful on this subject is Guitar Grimoire Progressions and Improvisations.

http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Grimoire-Progressions-Improvisation-Kadmon/dp/0825831970/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-4324444-2988840?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180643790&sr=8-2

I've owned this book for about ten years, and finally cracked it open in the last two weeks. It is a bit terse, and he will constantly refer your to material in the other Guitar Grimoire books. There is a ton of information presented, though.

I'm not sure if you have access to the lessons on GT but if you do check out Doug Fearman's section

http://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=16587

Doug had multiple tutorial where he shows you how to play rhythm and lead over different chord progressions.


You might also want to look at Christopher Schlegel tutorial on major and minor pentatonic.

http://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=155014

HPcrazy also has some great improv tutorials

http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10593
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=9845&s_id=195

Hope these helps.

Originally Posted by: dvenetianHi Curtis, It's best to start at the beginning with the Motherload, That is the almighty Major scale. Chords are built from notes in the scale. Each note in music has it's own Major scale. Since there are 12 notes in music, there are 12 Major scales. Major scales derive from an interval pattern of Whole steps and half steps that follow any note you start on. A whole step = 2 frets up from the starting note, a half step = 1 fret up from the preceding note. The start note is referred to as the Root note. The intervals are as follows;
Root +W+W+h+W+W+W+h.
Say the Root note is "A" .....the A Major scale would be as follows;
A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G#-A...... The Major scale is a 7 note scale, AKA The Diatonic Scale. The notes are numbered in sequence 1-2-3-4-5-6-7---- the 8th note in the A Major scale repeats from the Root, so the 8th note is referred to as the Octive and the scale sequence repeats in the same order of notes. The # symbol following a note = Sharp. the "b" symbol = Flat (should you see Eb in a certain case, it would mean E flat)
To create an A Major chord you would use the 1st, 3rd and 5th intervals of the A Major Scale. The 1st note is A, the 3rd is C# and the 5th is E, so the notes in a A Major Chord are A-C#-E.
That should get you started.......................

yes thank you, this is what I need to know most, is there anyway I can take this further? i know how to read tabs, I played a few years ago I just didnt keep at it that long.

Originally Posted by: cdawsonyes thank you, this is what I need to know most, is there anyway I can take this further? i know how to read tabs, I played a few years ago I just didnt keep at it that long.

Yes, you can take this a lot further. Keep in mind that tabs really won't offer you much in regard to theory. They serve their purpose to the degree of where to place your fingers and play something by sequence for those who can't read staff. This is what brings division in music. You don't have to read music to understand theory and don't need to understand theory to read tablature. In fact, some players just memorize where they need to place their fingers and never understand why.
Study the Major scale and you will see the light.

do you know any good links for the major scale?

or should i just get to know the different modes of the major scale?

Originally Posted by: cdawsondo you know any good links for the major scale?

or should i just get to know the different modes of the major scale?

The Major scale has a pattern of fixed intervals that are uniform with each note. The first note you start the pattern from names that Major scale.
Here's the pattern, I'll start on the A note, 6th string (low E), 5th fret. This will be the A Major scale.

e----|----|----|-G#--|--A-|-----|-----|
B----|----|----|------|--E-|-----|-F#- |
G----|----|----|--B---|----|-C#-|--D--|
D----|----|----|-F#--|-----|-G#-|--A--|
A----|----|----|-C#--|--D--|----|--E--|
E----|----|----|------|--A--|----|--B--|

The Major scale contains 7 notes and then resolves to the same note that it started from, one Octive higher (consider it as the 8th interval).
So, the 7 notes in the A Major scale are; A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G#. The Octive repeats the sequence of notes starting again with A. This sequence applies to any A note on the neck. Example; Starting from the open A string, the A Major scale can be produced on one single string

A---|-B-|--|-C#-|-D-|--|-E-|--|-F#-|--|-G#-|-A-|

1-----2------3-----4------5------6--------7----Octive

The numbers represent each note's relationship to the 1st note (Root note)
So, C# is the 3rd of A.... E is the 5th, etc..........
This is how chords are formulated.
an A Major chord is made using the 1st, 3rd and 5th intervals from the A Major scale. A-C#-E
an A Major7 chord would use; A-C#-E-G#

The interval pattern for the Major scale is a series of Whole step (up 2 Frets)
and half step (up 1 fret) intervals starting from the Root note.
Root+W+W+h+W+W+W+h
So, to create the G Major scale you would have;
G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G
R-w w h w w w--h

Each Major scale keys with the 7 notes related from it's make-up . From the 7 notes in each Major scale, 7 modes are created in the key and the introduction to minor scales begin.

ok I understand how your making up the major scale now but one thing im clueless on is how to come up with the right chords for the scale your playing. Is there a method to this?

Originally Posted by: cdawsonok I understand how your making up the major scale now but one thing im clueless on is how to come up with the right chords for the scale your playing. Is there a method to this?

Yes. It's called Key Signature.
If you were to play in the Key of G, for example, You would build from G Major. So, to remain in key, the 7 notes in the G Major scale need to share harmony with each other. Chords require three notes minimum to function and need to relate with each other.
The 7 notes that make up the G Major scale are;
G-A-B-C-D-E-F# . The G Major chord uses G-B-D (1st,3rd,5th)
The next note of the 7 total is A. The A Major Chord Uses A-C#-E. (1st,3rd, 5th). Something's wrong . The 3rd of A Major is C#, which is not one of the seven notes in the key. If the 3rd in A Major is flattened by 1/2 step, the C# lowers to C. Now we have A-C-E (1st,b3rd,5th) and that fits the key.
Since we needed to alter the A Major chord by flattening the 3rd, it now becomes an A minor Chord. The 3rd interval in the Major scale must remain unaltered to be Major. Flattening the 3rd by 1/2 step creates the minor, sharpening the 3rd by raising it 1/2 step cancels out because it lands on the 4th interval, creating a Suspended 4th Chord and remains in key.
Gsus4 uses G-C-D (1st,4th,5th) but with the 3rd not present, means it's not Major or minor. It's suspended.
Let's look at the 4th interval in G to make a strong determining factor with relative notes.
C is the 4th of G, let's use the interval pattern from the Major scale, apply it to C and see what type of C chord is needed to fit in the key of G.
the C Major scale; C-D-E-F-G-A-B. Well, G has a F#, but C has an F. They both share 6 of the 7 notes. Does one off note really matter? let's see.
The C Major chord uses C-E-G (1st,3rd,5th) the C Major chord fits the key. What about Csus4? C-F-G (1st,4th,5th) Doesn't fit. The 4th (F) needs to be sharpened 1/2 step to F# in order to fit in the key of G, which now becomes; C-D-E-F#-G-A-B,,, And The C Lydian Mode.