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New to blues soloing
Peter O'Halloran
(95)
Instructional Forum
4/25/2007 4:24:33 PM · 75 Views
[Respond to this Message]
Hi,
Although not a beginner at the guitar, I am to a great degree a beginner to soloing. I am trying to get to grips with blues and downloaded great material from this site by various members.
I am currently learning my minor pentatonic scales in various places around the neck and although I can see a pattern evolving, the logic of soloing isn't hitting home. If I am listening to a 12 bar blues progression in say A , then thinking of the chord progression of A7,D7 and E7 (which is what I am led to believe are the best sounding chords for blues other than 9ths) I will start soloing (ad libbing) at the 5th fret using the relevant scale. Ok no problen with the first 4 bars in A7. Now, when the chord progression changes from A7 to D7 do I still solo in the scale of Am or have I to learn the nearest Dm scale to the 5th fret and move into that scale and back again when the progression changes back. Or should I move the same scale pattern up to the 10th fret
and also to the 12th fret for the Em scale. At the moment I feel more comfortable playing around the 5th fret. Please help, any suggestions here will help me a lot and apologies if none of this makes sense,
Peter
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Re: New to blues soloing
4/25/2007 4:56:13 PM
Alan Roberts
(10000) wrote:
You can just stay in A minor pentatonic over all three chords.
Peace,
Alan |
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Re: New to blues soloing
4/25/2007 7:28:53 PM
Chris Russell
(3046) wrote:
hey Peter
I'm kinda in the same spot. workin hard at the mechanics of music. familiarization, understanding... etc.
but I'm also working on one other aspect..
ya gotta let go, man.
just let a backing track roll, and don't have any expectations. as many or as few notes as you decide on the moment. |
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Re: New to blues soloing
4/26/2007 7:26:59 AM
Robert Chiefari
(5087) wrote:
Peter,
As Alan said - you can simply stay with the 5 Amin pent notes throughout the changes (since the key/root is A). You can also jump "scales" with the chord changes A - D - E min pents (SRV style). I wouldn't stick with the straight 5 notes in the min pent scale however, lot of other notes in between will fit rather well at various places. Playing the same 5 notes over and over will sound rather mechanical, and more "rock" lead vice "blues". I just play around with different licks (patterns if you will), if it sounds good - I stick with it and put it in my "small" repetoire. I find alot of blues leads I hear are just "copys" of licks from other famous (or not so famous) guitarists....nice to come up with something "original" once in awhile...but not easy. I just copy what Bob Kent plays...
-Bob |
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Re: New to blues soloing
4/26/2007 2:57:25 PM
Peter O'Halloran
(95) wrote:
Thanks Alan, Chris and Robert,
Nice hearing from you. I understand the mechanical feeling about using the same scale pattern and doing this will undoubtably become very boring, which is definately what I don't want to happen. Letting go.... I wish I could but letting go and concentrating at the same time, that's something else, but again practice makes perfect and I've got to disipline myself more in that area. As for keeping in Am throughout the progression, is it " allowed" to move then from one Am scale to another on the fretboard, in order to play a different pattern, it will still be the same key, but different pitch............I think.
Can anybody recommend a lesson on this site. Thanks again,
Peter |
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Re: New to blues soloing
4/26/2007 3:35:45 PM
Edd Robins
(5755) wrote:
Hey Peter,
Personally, I have no qualms about copying another players licks, especially using tab. It shows me another way to do a little run that I might not have thought of, and sooner or later I can turn it in to something that's more me. The chances of you and me sounding just like Clapton or one of the King's....it ain't gonna happen. I just don't see the harm in pickin' up on a great gittar players licks, especially when your aim is just to train yer fingers to do something different. Sooner or later you're gonna sound like you no matter who you are emulating, in my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll bet a lot of well known axslingers copied someone else while they were developing their own sound.
Learn a few turnarounds. You can do a whole 12 bar solo using nothing but turnarounds and it'll sound decent.
The time factor seems to affect me when I'm jammin' with friends. The first little while, I can't seem to come up with anything new, but after a while it seems like new stuff just kinda comes along. Maybe not every time, but often enough to notice. I'm not the only one who has noticed this, either, so I'm thinkin' there's something to it.
Don't be afraid to leave some holes in the solo. You can sustain for a bar or two, and if done at the right time will sound as good or better than a plethora of 32nd notes.
Make some mistakes, copy other gittarist's licks, play with friends when ya can, keep using the backing tracks. It'll fit together one of these days. Not tomorrow, though, lol. But then, you didn't get where you are now overnight, didja?
Later, Edd |
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Re: New to blues soloing
4/26/2007 11:04:18 PM
Craig Lindsey
(5430) wrote:
Yeah, all you guys are right, I think. No matter how many licks I've stolen over the years, I still sound like me, unfortunately, hehe. But it does lend personality to the music. I think we all learn to play, especially initially, by trying to reproduce the sounds that we like.
I'll never get charged with Musical Grand Theft, though....I mess too many licks up, or change them at the last second. The more one plays, the more freedom you can express with your fingers. And even that goes back and forth.
As an example, I tend to get rustier in the winter months, when I actually have more time to play, but less inclination. When spring arrives, I find myself playing OPL's (other peoples licks) until I find my own voice again. Sometimes only for a day, a session, etc. But I have to play the rust off before the fingers go where my head tells them to. It's like learning again, but at an accelerated pace.
Just my one cent...hang in there.
Craig |
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Re: New to blues soloing
4/26/2007 4:59:58 PM
Robert Chiefari
(5087) wrote:
Peter,
Check out my tabbed lessons at http://guitar-wav.com
Then I have about 6 more pages of licks/riffs...may give you some ideas (pretty basic pent runs)
The first page shows different pent patterns (the different forms of Am in the examples actually).
I also have blues backing tracks on there you can practice with - on that note I have about 100 backing tracks posted here at wholenote in various posts - just search on "AAT" (Add-A-Track) Many other backing tracks have been posted by others as well.
-Bob] |
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