King Rayman
08-04-2004, 12:26 AM
Unfortunately, so many people get stuck in that for the longest times. I still catch myself sticking to the pentatonic, especially when i'm playing something unfamiliar, cuz i just feel so much safer sticking to one position. BUT, i'm more or less out of it. one thing i did to help myself was get a full map of certain scales i use. for example, i used the minor pentatonic most of the time. so i got a map that was somewhat like this http://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/lesson.php?num=27&category=Lesson
and i memorized the scale in several positions, and where they related to the one i was used to (i don't like the fact that this site uses D#). in this way, if i found myself getting stuck in the minor pentatonic i can at least switch positions. this does not, however, solve the problems of being stuck in ONE SCALE. What you can try to do for that problem is learn another scale (like the minor scale) now as you probably know, the minor scale only differs from the minor pentatonic by lacking the 2nd and the 6th. so if you find yourself in the pentatonic, every once and a while put it a 2nd or 6th of the minor scale. even if it's just a short trill on one of them. Now, let's say, take the blues scale. http://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/lesson.php?num=28&category=Lesson
it's the exact same thing as the pentatonic but it adds a not between the 3rd and 4th tones to add some chromaticism. I usually use that as an accidental, but you can still add it in (along with the 2nd and 6th of the minor scale while changing positions). Another one i like is the harmonic minor scale, which is the minor scale with a raised 7th. So you can be playing whatever, and then every once and a while put that raised 7th in. i love doing that. so now you can add in a 2nd or a 6th, a raised 7th, or that accidental in the blues scale, and change positions. if you work on these things it should help, cuz then you won't be stuck in one SCALE, you'll just be playing in one KEY, which you pretty much have to do anyway. if you learn how to incorporate tapping into your solos then you'll be pretty well off. and in my opinion it's better if you solo without tapping and then every once and a while just reach your pick hand over and tap a few then go back to playing regularly. anybody can do the tapping solo of eruption, cuz it's JUST TAPPING. if you can go from tapping to nontapping smoothly then that will be more impressive, and you will be able to create sounds that are closer to what you imagine in your mind, and that is what soloing is. putting into the guitar what you're thinking and feeling, and if you can do that effectively, then you are a great soloist. hope this helps some man. later dude.
and i memorized the scale in several positions, and where they related to the one i was used to (i don't like the fact that this site uses D#). in this way, if i found myself getting stuck in the minor pentatonic i can at least switch positions. this does not, however, solve the problems of being stuck in ONE SCALE. What you can try to do for that problem is learn another scale (like the minor scale) now as you probably know, the minor scale only differs from the minor pentatonic by lacking the 2nd and the 6th. so if you find yourself in the pentatonic, every once and a while put it a 2nd or 6th of the minor scale. even if it's just a short trill on one of them. Now, let's say, take the blues scale. http://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/lesson.php?num=28&category=Lesson
it's the exact same thing as the pentatonic but it adds a not between the 3rd and 4th tones to add some chromaticism. I usually use that as an accidental, but you can still add it in (along with the 2nd and 6th of the minor scale while changing positions). Another one i like is the harmonic minor scale, which is the minor scale with a raised 7th. So you can be playing whatever, and then every once and a while put that raised 7th in. i love doing that. so now you can add in a 2nd or a 6th, a raised 7th, or that accidental in the blues scale, and change positions. if you work on these things it should help, cuz then you won't be stuck in one SCALE, you'll just be playing in one KEY, which you pretty much have to do anyway. if you learn how to incorporate tapping into your solos then you'll be pretty well off. and in my opinion it's better if you solo without tapping and then every once and a while just reach your pick hand over and tap a few then go back to playing regularly. anybody can do the tapping solo of eruption, cuz it's JUST TAPPING. if you can go from tapping to nontapping smoothly then that will be more impressive, and you will be able to create sounds that are closer to what you imagine in your mind, and that is what soloing is. putting into the guitar what you're thinking and feeling, and if you can do that effectively, then you are a great soloist. hope this helps some man. later dude.