Great solos

Ok, I see these guys who haven't been playing long they pick up the guitar and play a pretty awesome "solo". They say "Oh that? Thats just a few scales back to back". I ask them the scales and they are way to impatient to show me. So, what should I look at improve my scales for soloing? I know a few basic ones, but not quit sure how the "scales" work down the neck of the guitar. Any help? Thanks!

Gotta hate when people are like that. It just means they are feeling a little weak on their knowledge and don't want to be exposed. It's like the old joke 'How many guitar players does it take to screw in a light bulb?' answer "10. 1 to screw it in and 9 to say they could do it better and faster'. Guitarists are a prideful bunch that seem to hate not looking like and expert. They're just worried that they will look like fools/ Suck up the pride. I've played for a few decades but never much bothered with theory. I asked in a thread here and Chris was kind enough to give me a nice pathway. Asking never hurts and those that don't answer probably just don't know.

Anyway, here's a few nuggets Chris gave me that might help:

Chord and Scale Relationships
http://guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=426

Major Scale Patterns and Positions
http://guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=453

C Major Scale For Beginners
http://guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=473

C Major Scale Exercises For Beginners
http://guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=463

A Minor Scale for Beginners
http://guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=453

A Minor Scale Exercises For Beginners
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=466

Pentatonic Scales & Frameworks
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=296

It can be a bit of work but terribly rewarding when you 'get it'. Have fun!

Ah! Thank you so much man! Yea, i said friends, they were people who i was around not much of a friend ya know? Thanks again!

Originally Posted by: WashburndSo, what should I look at improve my scales for soloing? I know a few basic ones, but not quit sure how the "scales" work down the neck of the guitar.

Thanks to JeffS65 for posting those links. That was very helpful! :)

Knowing scales is of course very important, how to visualize and play the fretboard patterns and connecting that shape to a series of sounds in your mind. Also important in creating a good solo (or licks, melodies, etc.) is knowing what to do with those scales, how to use them.

These tutorials on basic improv and lead techniques are good for that:

Basic rock and blues licks

Blues in E - Rhythm & Lead
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=170

Adding Major Notes to Pentatonic Minor
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=217
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=232
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=244

Introduction to Improvisation (Major and Minor Scale)
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=483
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=491

Hope this helps, let us know how it goes!

So, learn and get familiar with the scales, study the neck. Which i really need to get more serious about. (Tabs corrupted me, i can play songs, but I cant play along with people while they play which is the whole reason I really need to start from scratch again!) Also, I know having a keen ear is a great thing to have while playing along with someone - But are there exercises I can do to get familiar with the neck to be able to play along with people? I know that is probably a huge question and something that takes years to be able to do. But its worth a shot! Thanks again for all the help! By the way, i love the Stratocaster!!

Yes, ditch the tabs, and you'll be free.

Practice jamming in your own room by starting with knowing the scales pretty well. then choose a song which you already know the key.

Then as the song/solo is being played, you'll begin to realise as you play along with the scale, they are all notes within the scale. so it's just a combination of where he played it, how he played it. Just spend time having fun first....

Then when you get to real live jamming - find the key, then play what you tried in your own practice sessions...
:D

Ok. So I've studied the scale, scale(s) I've found that my head hurts, and there is WAY more to guitar than I ever imagined. Stupid tabs! Grr! So let me ask this. This is just an example, and I've been looking up stuff, and can't really find anything "specific". Lets say that the song is Am Em and G in standard tuning. And we need a solo, how would I look at the guitar from the cords made and see what would be fit for that and not sharp or flat? Hehe, If that made any sense whatsoever. Sorry for all the questions, im just trying to pack my brain full!

Now that you are learning scales properly you should also make sure you train your ear too. When you are practicing a certain set of scales you should be able to imagine a good solo in your head (without holding your guitar). Then, sit down and work it out one bar at a time - this is different from jamming as you will be working out something in a very structured way. It's a great way to improve very quickly as you will learn the fretboard by ear along with the scale shapes and you will come up with much more original solos by not simply sticking basic scale runs together. When you start creating your own lead its great to mix up jamming and structured solos. Hope that helps as an add-on to the above.

I appreciate all the help I can get! On GT is there an overview of how chords and scales are broken down? To get the diatonic an platonic scale? Is that the "fundementals? If so, boy, I really do need to start all the way over. All last night I was reading scales and practicing scales but wasn't quit sure how that scale derived. Any tutorials about that? Sorry for the "durrr" questions,im just trying to understand the guitar and not just play tabs. :confused:

Originally Posted by: WashburndLets say that the song is Am Em and G in standard tuning.

Did you look at the tutorials on basics of improv?

In those you will get the basic idea of how to approach it. Write down all the notes in all the chords you are using. List them in alphabetic order. Do they form a scale? Use that scale and target chord tones as they occur in the chord progression.

All that is explicitly dealt with in detail in those tutorials.

Originally Posted by: WashburndOn GT is there an overview of how chords and scales are broken down? To get the diatonic an platonic scale? Is that the "fundementals?

YES! Absolutely! :)

Start here:
http://www.guitartricks.com/course.php?input=1
http://www.guitartricks.com/course.php?input=2

Happy learning and playing. If you have more in depth questions please ask in this forum:
http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=36

All righty! Thanks again for all the help!