Originally Posted by: sacamano
I guess, to be more clear, my issue comes when I want to go from, say, pattern 1 to pattern 2, and up, or then back down. I think Chris' initial links kind of address that.

This skill is built primarily from 2 components.

1. You have to stone cold know the boxes.
2. You have to have something to do with them once you get there.

All of this has to be second nature. You can't be trying to get from one box to another & have to take time to think, "Now how does that next pattern look?" :) This is what all that repetitious pattern practice is for: to make those boxes automatic second nature. When you are playing music, you don't have time to think about how the box looks & where the notes are. You only have time to think, "I'm going to the next box." And all that repetitious practice means that your reflexes (your brain sending the impulses to your hands) take care of the details.

So, step 1: drill the boxes. Step 2: build a repertoire of licks you can play at a moment's notice.

Anders does a great job of showing you basic licks in the style courses. Here's a couple of example licks to show you the kind of thing I mean.

Let's make a lick that combines pentatonic minor boxes 1 & 2.

Box 1 lick:

|-5------------------------------------------|
|----8-5-------------------------------------|
|---------8-7-5------------------------------|
|-----------------7--------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|


Box 2 lick:

|-------------8-10-8-------------------------|
|-------8-10----------10---------------------|
|--7-9---------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|

Drill those licks! Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Now we need an easy way to get from one to the next, so we'll add a little slide & put them together.

|-5----------------------|---------------8-10-8-----|
|----8-5-----------------|--------8-10-----------10-|
|---------8-7-5----------|-7-/-9--------------------|
|-----------------7------|--------------------------|
|------------------------|--------------------------|
|------------------------|--------------------------|

Start the second lick with your middle or ring finger. Notice that you can stay in place all the way up to that first note of lick 2. Use your middle or ring finger to play that D note on the 7th fret of the G string & slide it up to the 9th fret. That leaves you in place to play the rest of lick 2.

This combines the 2 skills you need:

1. Really knowing where those box patterns are ahead of time.
2. Planning ahead with a little lick so you know what you are going to do with that boxes once you get there.

All lead soloing & even improvisation comes down to this. :) You have to know the patterns, the notes & you have to have a plan of what to do with them. Then you can put these things together in some creative way to make music.

The tutorials I linked above will help you learn & practice all these skills. Hope this helps! Ask more if necessary & have fun.