soloing

I don't get this: suppose I have a DGA progression and I want to make a solo over it, do I have to use always a scale with the root D or I only have to use the D scale when Im playing a d chord and then the A scale when Im playing the A chord and the G scale over a G chord?

Well, you could do either. Generally, in a I-IV-V progression such as DGA, you can construct a solo in a D scale (minor or major pentatonic, major scale, blues scale among others). Depending on your fretboard proficiency, you could also change scales along with the chord changes. Give both a try, but I would recommend staying in the same key to start with and build up to changing scales.

that's right! You can also color your minor pentatonic solo with the chords' tones...

"You can also color your minor pentatonic solo with the chords' tones" what does that mean?

Ok...
----------5-4-----------
----------5--5-----------
----------5---4---------
-------5-7-----6----------
----5-7----------7--------
-5-8------------------------
pentatonic this time, it's the E arpeggio (not a part of the minor pentatonic)
You can try to find all the notes of the chords passing by, and try to play the notes that are in them...

hm...what i am searching for in soloing is what Jerry Garcia was doing. ok ok so i love his style, but i think his style is widely unexplored and there is enough room in there for me to try to pick up on some of that stuff.

In jerry's solo's, they went with the rhythm and the pitch of the melody alot, but i have a hard time achieving this on 3 note per string scales. its utterly impossible because the octaves are lower/higher than jerry played them. Im thinking about finding the notes on the octave jerry played them on, and playing the scale around an octave, instead of a few.

Construct solos that follow the melody line. It can be as simple as restating the melody or as complex as you'd like to make it - however, does it "fit" in the song ? The solo is part of the overall song - the song isn't created to showcase the solo ( exceptions noted ) so the solo should fit into the mood / message of the song. In the Dead's case, as a jam band, expanded solos would usually take the music beyond the melody line, but the melody line in most cases was used to tie the entire jam together.

Why limit yourself to 3 note per string scales ? Creatively combine the various scale positions on the fretboard to open up greater possibilities. Learn to incorporate double stops ( 2 notes played together ), bends, slides and other techniques to enhance your solos. I understand the concern for limiting horizontal hand movement, but if you want to wank away on 3 notes per string scales at 200bpm, be my guest. Not very musical (to me, other may disagree).

I´m trying to use all those things you said but I'm having problem with doble stops and bends, when I play two notes together they usually don't sound good even though they are in the scale, so is there any rule for playing doble stops or you have to listen which sounds good? and what note should I bend? the root note?

Originally posted by John O'Carroll
Construct solos that follow the melody line. It can be as simple as restating the melody or as complex as you'd like to make it - however, does it "fit" in the song ? The solo is part of the overall song - the song isn't created to showcase the solo ( exceptions noted ) so the solo should fit into the mood / message of the song. In the Dead's case, as a jam band, expanded solos would usually take the music beyond the melody line, but the melody line in most cases was used to tie the entire jam together.

Why limit yourself to 3 note per string scales ? Creatively combine the various scale positions on the fretboard to open up greater possibilities. Learn to incorporate double stops ( 2 notes played together ), bends, slides and other techniques to enhance your solos. I understand the concern for limiting horizontal hand movement, but if you want to wank away on 3 notes per string scales at 200bpm, be my guest. Not very musical (to me, other may disagree).

personally, i couldnt agree more. my instructor told me that i should focus on one section though, then if i master that one section, the scale can be moved anywhere on the fretboard and its easier. but then again, i didnt memorize all the notes of the fretboard for nothing, did I? I'm going to take your advise. As long as im learning, and getting better at solo-ing, its good.

A note on your first question that kind of goes along with lalimacefolle's post, a surefire trick for what scale to use is to write the notes of all the chords in your progression, and knock out the duplicates, for D-G-A, you have d-f#-a, G, g-b-d, A, a-c#-e, put the notes in order, and it looks amazingly like a D Maj scale, now add in any other notes you might want to play, like the f natural from the D blues scale, as far as double stops and 2 note bends go, a general principle is that your are using part of the chord you are playing over, or maybe adding some color to it by adding in a 7th or whatever sounds good to you, with the 2note bends, you are alot of times bending into the chord, ie... fretting the e and bending the b to c# for the A chord, or bend the b&g to c#&a, everything depends on what you want to hear, let your ears tell your fingers what to play, not the other way around....

Some "double stops" you can try:

Key of "A"
e--5---7---9 Notice the notes from the A major scale in the double stops. This same basic
b------------ pattern can be used all over the fretboard. Hybrid picking or fingerpicking will
g--6---7---9 achieve the desired effect. And you can reverse the direction also.

e--5---7---8---9 This adds some "color" notes into the basic pattern.
b----------------
g--6---7---8---9

e---5---7---9 Slide up to the notes on the G string from the last one, then hit the e string notes
b------------ This can be picked normally, or hybrid or finger picked.
g-5/6-/-7-/-9 (though not exactly a double stop, this trick uses the same double stop notes).

e--5--8--10--12 This is simply the the two high notes from a typical E shaped barre chord.
b--5--8--10--12 (5-7-7-6-5-5) or A; (8-10-10-9-8-8) or C etc.

When bending (be it single or double notes), bear in mind the "target" you want to bend to - let your ears be your guide. And lastly (for this post) here's an easy bend / double stop trick that should be a part of every guitarists repertoire. Check out Terry Couch's tricks (I'm a big fan) for further double stop tricks.

e--------12------12-------12------
b-12b14-12b14-12b14-12-10