gah

well well well...

gone for a few weeks and it seems we have a few new members.
again.

this has really been bothering me lately, i see my instructor tear it up (he's 29-im 14) and it almost makes me kind of sad because when i attempt it...i get nothing of the sort. I can play chords better than anybody my age in my area (not meaning braggin, but seriously) but as far as lead, i SUCK!

What can I do to fix this? should i just be repetitive about it and eventually i'll get it, like what happened with chords for me?

What I did is play lead to midi files. Any kind of style.

Just go on the internet and make a search on midi files.

Then I tries to play in the right key. I just hit a few notes here and there. Then I went a little further. I took some licks I learn and tried to place them in the song.

What this do is help your timing and basic aptitude to know the key of a song.

Then I just joined a few licks together. Trying to fit 2-3 licks you know well into a lot of different songs.

I'm not the best soloist but I can fit a couple of licks into a song.

Try it and see if it will help you.

.. lots of famous solos of every style are based on a blues scale (including metal).

A standard blues scale looks something like this.


E 3--6
B 3--6
G 3-5
D 3-5
A 3_5
E 3--6

This is in G but you can put the scale anywhere using the note on the 6th string for the key- ie, you play it at the fifth fret and it's in the key of A.

It's a bugger to learn but, practice it up and down (low to high) mess about with it and you see the solo of Stairway becomes much less dificult (so does most classic rock and or roll).

just remember 3 fret spacing for strings 1 and 2 and all the others 2 frets except 6 which is 3 again. This made sense when i started it. :)

be patient dude...

James8831: That is the minor pentatonic scale you posted there ( in your example, the notes in order, G Bb / C D / F G / Bb C / D F / G Bb = Gminor pentatonic). The blues scale adds the flatted 5th - Db - (a.k.a the "blue" note).
e--3--6
b--2-3--6
g--3-5-6
d--3-5
a--3-4-5
e--3--6

Now you know that the Gminor pentatonic scale is 5 notes (G-Bb-C-D-F), and the G blues scale is 6 notes (G-Bb-C-Db-D-F). You can play those 5 or 6 notes ANYWHERE on the fretboard, in ANY combination, ( "musicality" will set limits ). Use your imagination/creativity. It's OK to learn the rudiments of scales in "the box" - but don't let it limit you. Look at the notes in the G blues scale from frets 1 thru 12 - lots of possibilities there ! Also, notice where the "box" locations are, anchored on the 3rd fret.

e-1---3-----6---8-9-10-------
b-1-2-3-----6---8-------11---
g0--2-3---5-6-7-----10-----12
d0----3---5------8---10-11-12
a-1---3-4-5------8---10-------
e-1---3------6---8-9-10-------

Originally posted by John O'Carroll

e-1---3-----6---8-9-10-------
b-1-2-3-----6---8-------11---
g0--2-3---5-6-7-----10-----12
d0----3---5------8---10-11-12
a-1---3-4-5------8---10-------
e-1---3------6---8-9-10-------

Wow, that's totally clear!!

The only scale i know is:
0 1 3
0 2 3
0 2 3
0 2
0 1 3
0 1 3 5
What is that one called? lol
*shrug*

Friskylydian with a raised forth.

i fixed the problem. now im doin it alright.

and i know all those scales you said except the friskylidian lol

Just practice 15 more years Dude, seriously, don't be so hard on yourself, at one time all those chords were impossible to play weren't they, but you caught on and you learned them, when I was 14, I couldn't even spell cord, I mean cored, or chorde, well you know what I mean, you already have a foundation to build on, just keep building on it, it all comes one day at a time, and probaly by the time your at the ripe old age of 15 or 16 you'll be smokin' that neck like a cheap cigar, keep at it........

good advice pstring. but the reason im hard on myself is because i know my ability can take me farther than i am at right now...I have all the chord theory i need ( to play folk songs and every grateful dead/phish song, although there are tons of blues chords i havent dived into yet), and i noticed after i bought my cassette tape player ( a few days ago) and started recording, i push myself to go even better, and i really love it.

i sound alright, i think soon i'll be getting alot better...