I would look for some scale exersises in Aeolian. That helps me. I study different scale diagrams for whatever key im playing it in.

Here are some tunes for examples "still got the blues" Garry Moore. Europa by Santana. Autumn Leaves. It is a great scale to fool with cause it has that saddness to it.---Steve

I have a couple of those, and I'll look for the Gary Moore track.

I'm hoping that someone can point me to a couple of fretboard maps or lessons on it. I'm starting to dig through the lessons on here.

For fret board map on Am scale, remeber it is the relative minor of the C major which means no sharps or flats. So map out where all the wholenotes( Natural) are-- good to know anyway. but Once you got those mapped out there is your scale.Try it youll like it---Steve.

There will soon be some posts along the lines of what scales you should use. In depth I'm sure. Just one problem, most of it will just be bullshit. (no offense to anyoe)

The best tecnical answer would be to discuss tetra chords, primarily the ones that share lower sections. This way by just adjusting the upper, you can create different tonalities, especially over a static minor chord(s)

The best tecnique from a players standpoint?

Just listen closely to your song over and over. Try singing and humming a solo until you are satisfied it is as close as you can get to what you are hearing in your head.

Record it.

Learn it on your guitar.

The world just doesn't need another natural minor solo.

A guitar is a vessel. Can your car drive to the store without you? Does it know which way to Grandma's house? Hell no. It is wood and metal and glue and paint. It knows n0o more about music than your toaster. It is nothing without you, again just a vessel to channel your ideas.

Maps, scales etc. aren't really going to help you.

I have yet to see a person learn the Aeolean scale and say "OMG, the musical universe has just opened to me!"

I have nothing against scales, They just have to be put into place and persepctive.

You have asked the worng question.

Scale aproach to solong is but one concept. As guitar players, somewhere along the way, the mindset trenched in and took over everything else.

Mke that solo up in your head first dude, forget aboput scales. I garauntee it will much more interesting.

Bravo. BRA. VO. Can I get this man a standing ovation please?

Indeed you can!

Bill~~~

Hi Chris, I have been thinking about what you said and have tried what you suggested about humming the solo then finding it.But I still end up in what ever key my progrssion is in thus in whatever that scale is for that key.( probably due to the limitations of what I know.) Another thing I have tried thanks to your suggestion is to play looking for certain notes without thinking in terms of scales.In this second caes I found myself looking for the patterns my notes were making.This has been helpful. And lastly I had to look up the word tetrachord.Arent they just shortened versions of the common scales we use now?We went over this in a class I just finished at school but I did not get it then either.--- Steve

Tetrachords on thier own really aren't that useful to us other than scale comparison.

But here is how to use them as a improvisational tool

First, remember not all scales can contain tetrachords. This is because the scale must be able to be divided evenly, or no further than a perfect 4th in the first, or lower section.

If you examine

A Aeloean A B C D E F G A

A Dorian A B C D E F# G A

A Harmonic Minor A B C D E E# G# A

A Melodic Minor A B C D E F# G# A

So, looking at all of these scales, notice anything in common?

They all have the same first 4 notes!

And all will ride quite smoothly over an a minor chord.

So, knowing the differences in the second, or "upper tetrachord" of these scales, you can easily shift in and out of 4 different scales quite easily whenever you get the itch.

Want to take a different direction?

Compare A Aeolean 9A B C D E F G A ) and
A Phrygian (A Bb C D E F G A)

Notice here, the lower tetrachord contains the tonal difference while the upper is the same.

Hope this helps- Chris

Wow, talk about well said! Thank you. You're right, I don't want to do what everyone else does, but I also believe in a certain amount of "you gotta know the rules before you can break 'em."

Agreed. And I am in no way saying don't learn scales.

They are very mportant.

When soloing or composing melodies, scales can be powerful allies when creating a certain sound that you want. Kind of like inserting a stock cog into a whole. It allows you to create an exact texture.

When they become powerful enemies is when we start to believe that these "textures" are all that exists. This is when you get caged in and your creativity gets siffled.