When a big concert arrives and you forget to write a solo it's not too late if you know how to improvise an equally good one. It's actually quite simple if you know music theory, if you know for example what a major / minor / blues scale is made of, or how certain notes should be applied to the root of a chord or even if you just know which notes are generated by the chords.
This lesson will introduce you to scales and how to convey them towards improvising guitar solos.
Steps
Step 1. If you know what a chord is and what note it generates, you already have a head start
A chord is usually major or minor, such as:
Step 2. A major, which contains the notes Mi, A, Mi, A, C sharp, Mi
-
- Mi | -0
- Yes | -2
- Sol | -2
- Re | -2
- The | -0
- E | -0 Or D minor, which contains the notes A, Re, La, Re, Fa.
- Mi | -1
- Yes | -3
- Sol | -2
- Re | -0
- The | -0
-
I | -
Step 3. Look at the musical scale and find the notes on the open strings
This example shows the notes of the C major scale (without sharps or flats).
Step 4. This might sound scary already, but wait, there's so much more to it
.. The musical alphabet comes from:
- A, A # (Sib), Si, Do, Do # (Reb), D, D # (Eb), Mi, Fa, F # (Gb), G, G # (Lab), La …
Step 5. The “#” and the “b” indicate # = sharp, b = flat
On a piano, the white keys proceed like this starting from A: A, Si, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, G, A. The black keys are the sharps and flats. The black key to the right of the A is A #; the one to its left is Lab.
Step 6. What is a ladder?
In Western or European music, a scale is made up of eight notes. There are 12 possible degrees covering each note from the end of one octave to the other. Since you only need 8 notes for the scale, there is a chart showing which to play and which to skip.
Step 7. The C major scale is the easiest scale to learn because there are no sharps and flats
To play a major scale, start with any note, then move two keys (an entire range), 2 more keys, then 1 key (half interval), 2 keys, 2 keys, 2 keys, then finally 1 key. Near the nut, the fingering for a C major scale (starts with C; third fret, of the A string) would look like this …
Step 8. You can use the same pattern (2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1) further up on the neck, for example with this D major scale:
-
Mi | ------------- 7-9-10-
- Yes | ------ 7-8-10 --------
- Sol | -7-9 ----------------
- King | --------------------
- The | --------------------
-
Mi | --------------------
Improvise a Solo on Guitar Step 9 Step 9. To improvise with a solo, play the notes in the chord scale
Play any note on the scale, in any "musically pleasing" order. Try going up and down the ladder, then try playing every third note. Take a few leaps up the scale, pluck the same note two or three times in a row, then go up a bit and go down a bit … this is improvising.
Improvise a Solo on Guitar Step 10 Step 10. When your partner plays a D chord in the first three frets, he plays the lead notes in the D scale, but higher on the neck as shown above
This will make it more interesting, because you will be playing the same notes as the chord your partner will be strumming, but one octave higher. Experiment.
Improvise a Solo on Guitar Step 11 Step 11. When you play a chord other than a basic one, such as fourth or fifth chords (the fourth or fifth note of the scale) you play another performance in the scale of that chord
For example, if your partner is playing an A chord, slide your fingers over the second fret of the G string and play different notes in the same type of major scale.
Improvise a Solo on Guitar Step 12 Step 12. Now that you've seen that improvising means playing a series of notes from a particular pattern, you may be wondering if there are other patterns that might be useful
Of course! The scale pattern of the major scale that you have already learned is 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1. The pattern of the minor scale is 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2. The pattern of the notes you play, or the keys you skip, is changed slightly.
Improvise a Solo on Guitar Step 13 Step 13. The blues scale is a simple but rich group of chord progressions based almost entirely on triad theory
This scale, or scheme, works well with the blues and is called the "pentatonic scale". The pattern is 2, 2, 3, 2, 3.
Improvise a Solo on Guitar Step 14 Step 14. Here is also a second pattern that works well with the blues
Improvise a Solo on Guitar Step 15 Step 15. Reflect on these grade charts, and practice fingering patterns to help you play them
.. with time, you will realize that you are on the road to improvisation.
Advice
- Chords are based on scales, or scales are based on chords. Practice with scales and you will better understand how and why chords are formed that way.
- Learn the pattern of the major scale first, then move on to the minor scales and others.
- If it has good musicality, that's fine. Be guided by your hearing.
- It can be tricky for a beginner, and I don't think I've explained it perfectly, but practice what I've said and you'll become a better guitarist.
- While it may not seem obvious, one way to learn the solo part or melody of a song is to learn how to play another instrument. The way you play the guitar will benefit greatly if you learn to play the Tin Whistle.
