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List of Questions
1. How do you turn scales into lead statements?2. When learning to play scales, why do we start with a note other than the note naming the scale?3. Why does the scale follow the circle of 5ths instead of following the increments of letters?
Questions and Answers
How do you turn scales into lead statements?Scales are about learning to play, leads are about turning scales into musical statements.Phrasing is about turning mechanics into art. I can tell you what I do when I struggle to turn scales into lead statements. Usually it is because I start to force to many notes into too tight a space. It almost always happens when I am double picking. The first thing I usually do is get rid of the pick and play leads plectrum style. If you can, slow down as much as possible.This means using classical right hand techniques without using a pick. I do this because it is harder to go fast and usually makes me think about each note I use. It makes me spend more time in a smaller area of the fretboard and concentrate on the sound I get by moving from note to note. Usually my solos are more tasteful and more thoughtful and I use far fewer notes.If your solos are not what you want, it may be because of your choice of songs. Mix it up beyond what you normally would. Play songs that you normally would not play. And then place some improvised lead over it. See if that opens it up a bit. Make sure you are using the right scale too. You have to recognize the correct key and have the right scale as a framework. Remember you can use the whole fretboard. For instance a C scale will be available in every area of the fretboard. Move around a little and try out different areas, the scale will have different characteristics in different areas.If you have trouble with this, bone up on your scales. Try playing a solo over a CD. A good one for me as always been "Blow By Blow" by Jeff Beck (just an example). He works in standard diatonic structures and easy keys (like C major). Plus you can play a slower solo and work on each note. You can even do it with an acoustic guitar.I don't really know how you play, so I am offering suggestions based on what has worked for me. One last thing. You can never know your scales too well. Maybe it would be best to pound them hard for awhile and keep trying solos as you go.
When learning to play scales, why do we start with a note other than the note naming the scale?Because when you improvise a lead or construct one, you need to be aware of all the notes on the guitar for the scale. Lead lines often times dip below the tonic note (or extend above it) and then come back up to it as they end. There are all sorts of ways to construct leads and you have to be aware of all the notes, not just a certain part of the scale fragment.Remember the scale extends over the entire fretboard. It goes everywhere and if you are going to use it, you need to know it everywhere you intend to use it. That is what Uncle Tim's Building Bocks is all about. Lots of people have this problem. Some people do not even know the scale extends below what the/y know. They think it just stops on tonic. This is really important when you are improvsing. So learn the entire scale being shown, not just at certain parts and then you will have complete freedom to travel everywhere and always be in the key
Why does the scale follow the circle of 5ths instead of following the increments of letters?Because it is the circle of fifths that is responsible for generating the different keys and scales. You start off on C major / a Minor. It has no sharps or flats. Then the very next scale you create is G major / e minor. It has one sharp, the F#.Notice that in the key of C major, the G note is five steps away from C. Example: C, D, E, F and then G. G is the fifth degree of C major and that is the very next scale you create. Scales are created in five degree steps. Look at D major, the very next scale after G major.G, A, B,C and the D. In the G major scale, the D note is the fifth degree and that is the next scale. And of course D major has two sharps, F# (carried over from G major) and C# (a new sharp to differentiate it from G major).So the circle of Fifths is a way to understand how the different keys / scales are generated. Instead of thinking about progressing alphabetically, think about adding sharps to change the scale. This one takes some time to understand. It is the number one question when people are starting to learn this.Work through the keys and watch how each scale is built and you will understand this.
