Improve Your Music

I want to address in this installment the almost lost art of soloing. Why? Because it’s what I get asked about the most.I may have to spread this across a couple of installments, but let’s see how we go.

In years gone by, I was a total guitar meglomaniac and everything had to have a screaming guitar solo in it. These days, I’ve mellowed a bit and I prefer to actually let the song dictate terms. Even to the point where if the song says, “I really don’t want a solo stuck in me”, then I will listen. At the most basic level I get asked how do I know what notes to play for a solo?The word solo can be translated, at least in pop/rock music, as ad lib. Or, make it up as you go. So there you are on stage playing for a couple of thousand punters and it’s solo time. You don’t want to blow it as it’s your time to shine so it’s better to play it safe at that point than to branch out into potential disaster and embarrassment.

I personally stick with the old faithful pentatonic scale. I may be doing a guest spot with a band I’ve never played with before and I’ve never played the song before. I have the key, but the chord progression is a little iffy for me. If the song is in E, then E pentatonic it is. The scale only has 5 tones in it and not really anything in it that will clash horribly with the chords unless the changes are a bit freaky. But since you’re never likely to be asked to jam with a band doing Frank Zappa covers and the next chord could easily be in an unrelated key, you’re safe.

Now, a contentious point with the pentatonic scale. Some will tell you that technically they don’t come in major AND minor varieties. While this of itself may be true, I still in my mind break them up into major and minor. Only because of the way MY mind processes information. I have short term memory problems etc and anything I can do to give my brain a little help I will do. Damn the rules.

In my book, there is an Eminor pentatonic AND an Emajor pentatonic. I can hear the puritans wanting to bitch slap me about now. To them I say, “Chill”, this helps ME. Right or wrong isn’t the issue. I just want fingers going where the supposed to.

Now, E minor pentatonic notes are E G A B D E.(fig.1) The puritant now cries, “Dude, that’s G Pentatonic starting and finishing on the 6th step!”. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go write your own article and send it in. I’m not arguing with you. This is just to help MY brain. Now go away.

E major pentatonic notes are E F# G# B C# E(fig.2)………….SHUT UP!!!!! I can still hear you.So we have these TWO pentatonic scales to choose from. If we’re dealing with the E minor chord under our solo, guess which scale we use? Likewise for major. Now if you’re going hammer and tongs over a straight 12 bar progression, E A E B A E, or similar, I would start with the minor pentatonic.

Now I’ll add a little colourful twist to that. Throw in a flat 5 or Bflat as a passing note. It sounds real “bluesy”. Try it.The minor pentatonic is the better choice if there isn’t a strong 3rd harmony present in the chord, such as in the 12 bar progression described above. If there is a dominant 7th in the harmony, likewise stick with the minor. Why? Take a look at the notes in the minor pentatonic. See the D? It’s the dominant 7th and it will do nicely over a dominant 7th chord. Now. if the major 7th is present, we better rethink our strategy a little. Why? D# is the major 7th. If we stick with the minor pentatonic we will clash harshly between the D in that scale and the D# in the chord. Unless that kind of dissonance is really what you’re going for of course,( Dude, that’s so underground). So we better flip to the major pentatonic in that case which has the D# in it and sounds a lot sweeter.

I am totally about keeping things as simple and uncomplicated in a live setting as possible. I don’t want to be doing scale mathematics in front of an audience. I want to just howl when I’m jamming. You’ll notice a single fingering pattern in the diagrams for the pentatonic scale. Unless you’re a little more advanced and care to throw in a few alterations and some choice bends for added colour, then this single pattern will see you well on your way to solid improvisation. I was shown this at 12 years old and never looked back. It’s my safe starting point for every solo I do, IF I’m unfamiliar with the song I’m playing and don’t know what’s coming next.

So, are we getting the picture here?

Lots of words written here, but very little information to actually process, which incidentally is my point. Unless you are approaching virtuosic levels in your playing and fully grasp the use of scales and arpeggios, AND can process that info on the fly, then this simple starting point will have you soloing like a natural with few, if any bum notes thrown in. You only have 5 notes to remember and one pattern. At least to begin with.

Now go jam with your buds. They won’t know what’s come over you since last time, you guitar demon you.

I hope to soon begin some podcasts here at IYM so you can hear these in actual use.

Also, don’t be afraid to post any questions you may have about any article in IYM. That’s why it’s here. To help you become a more confident musician.

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