How to make a guitar solo A PaulsPurposeMusic.com work 1

Transcription

How to make a guitar solo
A PaulsPurposeMusic.com work
1
‘How to make a guitar solo’
is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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Table of contents
I. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 4
II. Ear training ........................................................................................................ 9
III. Technique ...................................................................................................... 24
IV. A new bunch of licks.................................................................................... 28
V. Playing something new and fresh every time ............................................. 39
VI. Great notes and phrases for certain chords .............................................. 62
VII. A final word ................................................................................................. 71
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HOW TO MAKE A GUITAR SOLO
I. Introduction
Why this book
This short book is meant as a guide in expanding your horizons in playing
rock guitar, particularly lead playing. In my opinion, there is far too little
attention given to making guitarists better musicians, and far too much
attention on being able to play 64th notes with all fourteen fingers at 10,000
beats per minute.
Too much of the same thing
There are thousands of these books and videos to choose from, many
admittedly of great help in developing the means by which someone is able
to execute a certain guitar phrase or melody. However, little has been said
about the more important aspect of music: creativity. I don’t think it’s a
matter of a lack of creative potential among musicians, but rather it often
takes a backseat to the technical aspects of guitar playing. A guitar player
figures, “As long as I learn to pick and tap in that manner, I’ll be good to
go. I’ll know just what to do, somehow.” But this ‘somehow’ is never really
explored. And hence, we have the pervasive lamentation among players of
how they couldn’t come up with anything more to play, or perhaps worse,
they’re stuck playing the same thing over and over again, not realizing that
there is a world beyond it. Now it’s perfectly fine if someone wants to play
only one thing. But oftentimes, this isn’t the case. Players need variety and
novelty every now and then, in the same way that even the most
enthusiastic eater of hash browns would not want to be stuck eating solely
hash browns for the rest of their lives (if they live long enough).
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INTRODUCTION
Fed up with the usual
To me, nothing was more frustrating than having all the means necessary
or possible for musical expression, and unable to come up with anything.
How many times have you not bothered picking up the guitar on your own
free time, not because you don’t enjoy playing, but you just don’t have anything
to play. In the same way that many friendships die off when the mutual
interests are gone and there is nothing left to talk about, a once enthusiastic
player may lose the drive simply because he could not conceive what else
there is to do with the instrument.
Admittedly, most players, even the professionals, have their own ruts.
Sometimes, they snap out of it; other times, it means closing the guitar case
for good. Don’t let this even be an option for you. Not only can you be the
musician that you’ve always dreamed about becoming, but there will always
be a better musician for you to become. This is not about merely playing
the instrument per se, although your skills in that department will definitely
improve, but about having a more musical nature, and letting out your
musical self.
Because most books delve in technical aspects, a book like this stands out
all the more, to give value to musicians, beginners and long-time axemen
alike.
A better machine?
It is my view that technique, as helpful and necessary as it may be,
ultimately makes you a better machine, not a better musician. I’ve known
cases where someone can do sweep arpeggios like crazy, but when asked to
play a melody over a simple chord progression, they are completely clueless
and do not know where to start.
Sure, with technique, you can impress people, but being a musician is not
the Cirque Du Soleil. Music is an altogether different matter. Sure, you can
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show off your technique all you want, but does this convey musical feeling
and help you better hone your craft? If the creative side does not appeal to
you, better join the circus instead, or train a monkey to play the flute.
Being a musician is more than just the instrument
Again, being a musician is more than the single instrument which you may
devote your time and effort. Give a true creative musician a string and a
bucket and he can harness emotions better than a guy who does sweep
arpeggios 24/7 and buys 17 new effects a day.
Becoming a musician means being more aware of the relationships
between notes, of contemplating music in an almost universal, spiritual
manner. You won’t just be a better player, but your appreciation of music,
heck, of life, will increase.
Technique still important
And all this Zen-sounding stuff goes hand in hand with the technical
aspect of guitar. I devote less time with regards to technique, figuring that
you have had access to such resources and are reading this precisely
because you want to go beyond this. Still, I hope my experience and
method serve you well.
An endless well
Also in this book, I give tips on where to derive ideas, how to sound
‘original’ and how to never run out of shapes, patterns and phrases to play.
Cliché as it may sound, the learning process as presented in this book
recognizes that music is an endless discovery. It is my wish, and I do hope
to hear from you if I have succeeded, to impart to you all I can, to increase
your musicality.
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INTRODUCTION
I also present some of my repertoire of licks, which I hope will refresh
your style as well as give you additional ideas of what to play. You might
notice certain similarities between the examples I give, that give you a clue
as to my own unique style. Don’t be deceived, however. My playing style is
constantly evolving, and I am not concerned whether it is evolving for the
better or for the worse; I just want to continue doing something different,
so that my playing in this month will not resemble what I do in the next
month. I think this is a healthy approach to inculcate.
Hopefully, by the time you finish this book, you will have realized how the
possibilities of playing the guitar are really quite infinite, and no one ever
stops growing in knowledge and understanding. No matter the veteran,
there is always an opportunity to learn new tricks and modify one’s craft.
In this regard, I am mainly talking about the mental aspect of playing, as
opposed to learning to play with your toes or whatnot.
Take the word ENDLESS. People often use the word, but merely mean
‘many.’ When I talk about ENDLESS ideas generated by your mind, I’d
like you to realize I mean exactly that. With the mental tools I provide in
this book, you could not possibly run out of ideas ever again.
A note on examples used in the book
I choose to use tablature for depicting the various fretboard work to be
done. Not only is it easier to follow for even those never formally
instructed in musical notation, but it more accurately depicts the specific
patterns and shapes I give.
For purposes of simplification and consistency, C Major is the default
‘tonic’ key used for examples. But one should definitely branch out from
this and familiarize oneself with playing around all twelve keys.
If you have been playing for a while now, you probably know that the
process of learning guitar in its various aspects takes time. Sometimes, a
player is able to improve much faster than others, but learning is never an
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instantaneous process, regardless of what some advertisers claim.
Fortunately, however, for those who may take a longer time to get certain
things right, the journey is most of the fun.
Now let’s get started!
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EAR TRAINING
II. Ear training
Before all else
Before we start playing great improvisational guitar, we have to work on
one faculty that is essential. The single most important thing to improve in
learning any musical instrument is definitely listening ability. If one learns
how to listen, they can hear the notes they want to play almost
instantaneously just as they execute them, so that the execution is never too
distant from the conception.
Some people may seem to have more of a knack for it, but everyone can
learn it. It is a matter of opening one’s natural faculties. Most people are
never really trained in this regard, in the same way that most people with
the senses of smell and taste never become chefs. Actually, you could say
this about any human endeavor. Sure there are plenty of geniuses who are
considered to have superhuman abilities in a certain field, but all they really
do is realize their potential in the specific activity.
Two birds
A large part of this book must be devoted to something apart from playing
guitar. In the process, you will be hitting two birds with one stone. Not
only will your guitar playing improve, but in the process, your ability to
understand and appreciate melodies will increase. All of this then makes for
a more holistic method of musical training.
There are different aspects of listening, some easier to develop than others.
Other aspects are very general in nature and require no real training. For
example, most people are able to tell differences in the tone of an
instrument, such as between a clean and distorted tone, or if a singer is out
of tune, even if they are unable to tell you the specific notes or what exactly
is wrong with the singing. What the following drills do to your listening
ability will help you play instantly any melody you can think of. In doing so,
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you will need a greater focus as to the more specific elements involved
such as the exact pitch of the notes, after which you can reach a certain
level of proficiency.
Nothing is truly ‘inborn’
As I said, everyone has the ability to develop their listening skills and
thereby attain ‘perfect pitch,’ which to many is an unknowable dream. In
fact, those who supposedly have the ‘inborn’ talent of perfect pitch are
never actually born with it. ‘Inborn’ simply means that more subconscious
training has taken place by which the person can better discern notes
compared to others. Such an ability nonetheless develops during one’s
living years.
No one knows exactly how the mind works. Much that goes on in the
brain’s development is still a mystery, but the ‘gifted’ are those who by
circumstance developed their talents in the process of their maturity. This
doesn’t create some chasm between the ‘gifted’ and normal. It should
simply indicate that training is a mere catching up, and not some
impassable threshold.
It should also be clarified that it is not the ear but the mind that is being
developed in ‘ear training.’ Even deaf people can hear melodies in their
head, especially those who had been able to hear previously. Beethoven is
the most famous example.
Various intervals
Before being able to determine absolute notes (e.g. C, G, Ab, etc.), one
must study the various intervals and how they differ from one another (e.g.
minor third, fifth, Major seventh).
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EAR TRAINING
The Major scale
In order to make sense of whether notes are ‘Major’ or ‘minor,’ you will
have to be acquainted with the Major scale.
Figure II.1.
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B----------------------------------------------------------10--12--13--B
G--------------------------------------------9--10--12-----------------G
D------------------------------9--10--12-------------------------------D
A----------------8--10--12---------------------------------------------A
E--8--10--12-----------------------------------------------------------E
C D E F G A
B C D E F G A B C
Intervals for the C Major scale are: from C to D, a whole step (two frets);
from D to E, a whole step; from E to F, a half step (one fret); from F to G,
a whole step; from G to A, a whole step; from A to B, a whole step; and
from B to C, a half step.
These intervals are the same regardless of the key signature, with the only
difference being the notes themselves. For example, the G Major scale
looks like this:
Figure II.2.
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B--------------------------------------------------------------17--19--20--B
G----------------------------------------------16--17--19-----------------G
D-------------------------------16--17--19--------------------------------D
A-----------------15--17--19----------------------------------------------A
E--15--17--19-------------------------------------------------------------E
G A B C D E F# G A B C D E F# G
Notice the same pattern as the C Major scale, of whole step, whole step,
half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, and half step. The sharp (#)
sign in F indicates that the note is played a half step higher, as opposed to a
flat (b), which would indicate that the note is to be played a half step lower.
When referring to the notes, C is the root note; D a Major second; E a
Major third; F a fourth; G a fifth; A a Major sixth; and B a Major seventh.
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The higher C note is also the root note, but is referred to as being an
octave (eight notes) higher.
When referring to notes outside the Major scale, C#/Db is a minor
second; D#/Eb a minor third; F#/Gb a flat fifth; G#/Ab an augmented
fifth or a minor sixth; and A#/Bb a minor seventh. Notice how the fourth
and fifth notes are not referred to as ‘Major’ or ‘minor.’
Chords and keys
So far, we have looked at relationships of notes within the C Major scale,
wherein a C Major chord is considered. However, when a different chord is
used, say, G Major, G is referred to as the root note; A a Major second; B a
Major third; C a fourth; D a fifth; E a Major sixth; and F a minor seventh.
How confusing, you must be thinking. How, then, are we to differentiate
between note relationships within a certain chord, from when we are
referring to note relationships within the key signature, that is, the note that
all others are centered in or are in reference to? There is a different
nomenclature for when we refer to the latter.
The central, key note is referred to as the tonic; its second the supertonic;
its third the mediant; its fourth the subdominant; its fifth the dominant; its
sixth the submediant; and its seventh the subtonic. Throughout the book,
we will be assuming as a general rule that all the figures are in the key of C
Major, so that C is the tonic; D the supertonic; E the median; F the
subdominant; G the dominant; A the submediant; and B the subtonic.
A more nuanced skill
There are different levels of proficiency in distinguishing between notes.
For a novice or non-musician, it is possible to distinguish the interval of a
Major second from that of an octave note when these are heard, because of
the wide difference between the notes. When we consider smaller intervals
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EAR TRAINING
such as the difference between the fourth and the fifth, it usually takes
training to name them properly, even though one is very well capable of
determining if a ‘mistake’ or a dissonant note is being played.
A whole new perspective
The development of one’s listening skills so as to distinguish different note
intervals requires a kind of shift in one’s state of mind so as to be
constantly alert of the differences in tones that one hears in everyday life.
This changed attitude often happens involuntarily, wherein one can hear
old songs in a totally different light, or be able to somehow ‘see through’
them. After all, once your listening skills sharpen, you will be able to
instantly know how to play a song that you had just heard on the radio. It
really isn’t that hard, once you develop the skill.
This isn’t as freaky as it sounds. My point is that once you get started on
this program, you’ll not be able to shut it out even in your ‘non-practice’
time. It’s going to be a way of life, not necessarily to the point of
distracting you. Without trying to sound like a nutcase who believes in the
twilight zone, you are about to add a new dimension to your awareness of
things, particularly your hearing. Your training is going to happen even
when you take the train, or watch television or while conversing with
others. It’s just going to be a new presence in your life.
Whenever I watch sitcoms or am doing something rather passive, my mind
tends to wander. Oftentimes, I can associate a certain episode or day with
the fretboard shapes that were in my head during the time. Sometimes, I
even write down my ideas as they come, just as a memento. It’s not
something that I sought out, or even thought of doing; it just came about
in my daily life. Not only do I visualize the fretboard patterns, but I know
exactly how they would sound when I play them. This active-while-passive
activity shows how continuous the process of training is, wherein you are
learning things without even trying.
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Associate shapes with intervals
While undergoing ear training, at least in the initial stages, you will be
associating certain intervals with their shape in an instrument, whether a
guitar or saxophone, etc.; the specific instrument does not really matter.
For example, for the guitar, you may think of a minor third in this way:
Figure II.3.
E--------------E
B--------------B
G--------5----G
D----7--------D
A--------------A
E--------------E
A C
or,
Figure II.3.b.
E---------------E
B---------------B
G--------------G
D----7--10---D
A--------------A
E--------------E
A C
By giving shape or form to something so ‘intangible’ as musical notes, you
are aided in the listening process, until you no longer need to constantly
conjure up the respective shapes.
It doesn’t really matter what shape you use. Just make it a point to associate
it constantly, consistently, with the particular interval.
Associate songs with intervals
One thing that helped me tremendously was to associate parts of certain
songs, with a certain interval. By doing this, when you do hear a minor
third somewhere at random or something, you know immediately what it is
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EAR TRAINING
and what shape it takes, in that you connect it to a song that you are
familiar with.
By now, you are probably getting an idea as to how learning occurs, not
just in developing your ear but in all education. The process of memorizing
and habituating involves applying the familiar to the unfamiliar so that
eventually, the unfamiliar becomes familiar. This is the means by which you
are to ‘grasp’ the particular qualities of the notes.
How do you find songs that match certain intervals? I suggest you go with
the songs that you like and are more familiar with. Check out tablature or
notation on the internet, or song books, and look for certain parts where a
particular interval is used. You will find, say, a minor third, in certain parts
of the songs. Preferably, choose the main melody of the song as your
reference, to aid in recall.
Over time, your association with the particular interval develops. You can
learn different intervals at the same time, and refer to as many songs as you
can manage. Even two or three songs per interval will be sufficient.
The interval may also not be in relation to the song’s tonic. It may be that,
for the minor third, you choose the interval between the mediant and the
dominant, or the subtonic and the supertonic note played above it. You
can also either choose an ascending pattern from lower to higher pitch, or
a descending pattern from higher to lower pitch. It does not matter much,
as long as you are able to isolate the two notes in your mind for your
studies.
While practicing
When you go about your regular practice, whether playing songs or doing
exercises, try to be more aware of the intervals and the unique note
relations involved. After trying out the above listening exercises, constantly
test yourself as to the sound of a note before you play it. Don’t just guess it
like you were playing in a casino, or rather, make an intelligent guess. Soon
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enough, you’ll be able to tell apart a minor third from a Major second, or a
minor sixth from a Major sixth.
A difference in difficulty
From my experience, it was rather easy to get the smaller intervals down
pat, but when it came to distinguishing fourths and fifths, I’d sometimes
get confused. Thanks to my constant training, I now find it amazing that I
had such difficulty before.
Stay focused
Normally, players, even without trying, will develop some aptitude for
naming notes and their intervals, but many do not sustain such training and
thus never truly develop the ability to play what they hear in their heads.
Instead, they would require plenty of trial and error to get the sounds
they’re looking for. You can’t do ‘trial and error’ when on stage! So keep
trying to refine your listening skills.
Range of intervals to work on
How far apart should the intervals that you are studying be? Initially, you
can focus on minor seconds (a single half step) up to an octave (12 half
steps). Once you master these, the study of ninths and elevenths comes
much easier, where you simply raise or lower one note an octave closer to
the other note, where the interval shrinks to within a single octave.
Do it yourself!
But the biggest piece of the puzzle, the most helpful factor in my
experience is learning songs by ear, and not to rely solely on other people’s
transcriptions. Not only does your concept of the fretboard expand, as you
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EAR TRAINING
contemplate all sorts of possible ways to play different series of notes, but
you are forced to determine the relations of notes to each other, in order to
transcribe and play them properly.
Work with what you love
In this regard, you can focus on the songs you enjoy the most. At first, you
may try learning just the chords underneath a melody. Later on, you can try
learning the vocal melody, or even the solo. Even simple songs will do for
our purposes of improving listening ability. You don’t need to go for those
shredfests that would require you to slow down the guitar solos to quarter
speed just to be able to distinguish the individual notes, although the
farther you progress, you may just be up to the challenge.
Focus on the process, not the result
Do not worry too much about making transcribing mistakes or of writing
down ‘the wrong way’ of playing a song. Confidence in transcribing
develops over time; what you should be focused on is the effort in listening
to the varying notes and their intervals. Later on, you may verify your
transcriptions with those done by a professional, but be warned: I’ve seen a
lot of ‘professional’ tabs full of errors or impractical fingering patterns. But
again, it is the effort of discerning intervals that is key here, and not the end
product.
Through constant practice, accurate transcribing ability should improve as
well. When you look back to those days when you relied on chord charts
from song books, you will find it hard to believe at how much progress you
have attained.
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Five-note blues
Blues playing is a good way to develop finger-ear coordination. The
melodies are quite predictable, and the most basic scale, the minor
pentatonic scale, uses five notes only. In the A minor (C Major) pentatonic
scale, these notes are: the root (A), minor third (C), fourth (D), fifth (E)
and minor seventh (G).
Figure II.4.
E----------------------------------------5--8---E
B--------------------------------5--8-----------B
G-------------------------5--7-----------------G
D-----------------5--7-------------------------D
A---------5--7---------------------------------A
E--5--8----------------------------------------E
A C D E G A C D E G A C
The limited number of notes makes the task of distinguishing between
them significantly easier. Note however that many blues players do not
stick to the pentatonic scale, but also use flat fifths and Major sixths, so
you may not always hear pentatonic playing even in blues records.
What you can do is try singing along with the pentatonic scale. Just go up
and down a bit while singing in harmony or an octave lower. Initially, do
not even bend the strings, which would mean sometimes transitioning
from, say, the minor seventh, to the Major seventh, up to the higher octave
root note. Stick to the five notes first.
Absolute pitch
Most people are unable to tell, upon hearing just a single note, what the
note is, when it is not played in relation to another known note. Those who
are able to do so have ‘perfect’ pitch as opposed to just ‘relative’ pitch, the
latter being the ability of those who are adept at determining note intervals
but not single notes heard on their own.
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EAR TRAINING
Advantages of absolute pitch
Perhaps in most cases, relative pitch is sufficient for guitarists, since often
enough, they know what to do once they are given a certain key. But there
are other instances where one has to know a certain note without reference
to other notes. One may also need to determine whether a guitar is tuned
in the standard manner or by a step or several steps down, in the absence
of a tuner. Sometimes, one will have to get the key of a certain tune, even
without being to see his fellow bandmates or being told beforehand what
the key is.
You don’t need to find yourself stuck in some ‘emergency’ situation before
realizing the benefits of having absolute and not merely relative pitch. For
one thing, it makes the learning of songs easier, wherein this could be done
instantly even in the absence of any instrument. Having absolute pitch
increases the ability to express yourself, in that you can better decide what
key you want to play in, and the notes involved, since you are able to hear
the corresponding melodies differently in one key compared to another.
That rare breed of musician with perfect pitch is able to see how each note
is unique from all others. Distinguishing between C and G is quite simple,
as they are quite far apart, but many stumble upon having to distinguish
between C and B, or E and Eb. This is where training for perfect pitch
comes in.
Use relative pitch to learn absolute pitch
I have to admit that I still resort to relative pitch in determining what to do
within a known song, and absolute pitch primarily for getting the key
signature upon which everything played is based on. What I’ve done is
make the most out of what relative pitch I have in order to bluff my way to
hearing as if I had absolute pitch.
Much of the development of this skill actually takes from our study in
relative pitch. The means by which we are to determine notes initially will
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be through relative pitch, as will be seen shortly. We will once again use the
familiar, to learn the unfamiliar.
Similar to our exercises awhile ago, you will be associating certain songs,
with a specific note or key. Find for yourself several songs in certain key
signatures to associate with a note. These songs can be in a Major scale or a
minor scale; in fact, I’d encourage having a couple songs that are in a Major
scale and others in a minor scale, for each note, so as to recognize the
common element regardless of the key being Major or minor. When we
hear a certain note that sounds like the key signature of a song we are
familiar with, we are thus able to determine what this note is.
‘Goldilocks’
However, some of these songs would seem to sound okay or ‘correct’ even
when played a half step lower or higher. This is where what I call the
‘Goldilocks’ technique comes in. It is so named by me because it is a means
by which we can determine whether a note is ‘just right,’ or whether it is
really the note we believe it to be.
For instance, we play a random note that is actually G#. We then consider
the notes a half step up, and a half step down. When we are just beginning
this exercise, we might mistake G# for A. So what we do to test this, is to
play, even just in our heads, the sharp of the note. What we will thus hear is
the actual note A, even though we are expecting to hear A#. We also
imagine the flat of the note, which is actually G, even though we are
expecting to hear G#.
We thus have additional points of reference to consider apart from just the
single note. Does the ‘A#’ that we are hearing sound like A#? Does the
‘G#’ that we are hearing sound like G#? One of these will have to sound
odd to us, if we have gained even a little familiarity with each note through
associating them with certain songs. It may be that what we think is ‘A#’
sounds rather flat (since it is actually A), or that ‘G#’ sounds rather flat
(since it is actually G).
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EAR TRAINING
Not limited to half steps
If this is not enough for us, we transpose the note by a Major second up or
down (A# and F#, respectively), or perhaps a Major third up or down (C
and E, respectively). If we had though that G# was A, then we would find
that the notes up or down that we expect to hear sound rather flat. We thus
conclude that it was not A we had heard after all, but G#.
As you can see, it is through applying the lessons we have learned from
relative pitch that we thus are able to train ourselves to hear the absolute
pitch of a note.
With continued use of the ‘Goldilocks’ technique, the uniqueness of each
note should emerge, so that eventually for the most part you need not rely
on the neighboring notes.
You can actually begin practicing these exercises in absolute pitch even
while still learning the relations of each note. In fact, even while learning
the difference between note intervals, you are already getting an idea as to
the particular quality of each note, which you later focus on developing
through key association and ‘Goldilocks.’
Chords
In the above exercises, you need only take account of single notes at one
time. But with chords, you have to hear several intervals within a single
strum of the guitar. Chords have three main elements: the first or root
note, the third and the fifth. In addition to this, there is the element of the
octave note, which sometimes varies and is substituted by a dominant
seventh, or a ninth.
When starting ear training, you will initially work on simple Major and
minor chords, which pertain primarily to the third of the chord. Then later
21
on, you should be able to hear whether there is a dominant seventh or a
Major seventh, a ninth or a flat ninth, etc., which pertain to the octave
element (in that other notes substitute for the actual octave note). Lastly,
there is the matter of chords with a flat fifth or an augmented fifth, a Major
sixth, etc., which pertain to the fifth of the chord.
Not too uncommon is a mixture of such elements to create strange,
hypnotic melodies. The example that first comes to my mind is the minor
Major seventh, as heard in Pink Floyd’s ‘Us and them’ from ‘Dark side of
the moon,’ as well as a host of Beatles songs.
The more understanding you have of intervals, the better you will be at
naming chords. It also helps to be exposed to various genres where all sorts
of unorthodox chords and scales are used. There is no need to ‘memorize’
all these scales as much as there is a need to study what makes a scale
sound unique. What notes stick out and jolt you out of the ordinary? There
may be a Major seventh going hand in hand with a flat ninth, for instance,
the thought of which is already bizarre to me, but is not uncommon when
guitarists resort to purely whole-tone scales, that is, scales that do not have
half step intervals.
Enjoy the plunge
It is constant immersion that is integral to ear training. As long as you stay
excited about what you are discovering, and do not try too hard to venture
into music that you couldn’t really appreciate anyway, the process will
never get dull.
Eventually, as your listening ability improves, you can dare to tackle
unfamiliar territory. If you’ve been brought up on classic rock, you might
try jazz for a change. You may not necessarily fall in love with it, but the
experience itself ought to give you new ideas on how you can approach
your playing, e.g. awareness of voicings, that is, the order in which the
chord elements are arranged; or playing minor arpeggios in a way that
would imply a Major seventh, among other things.
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EAR TRAINING
It stays with you
My experience in ear training has been to live, eat and dream notes. It need
not matter whether I’m actually holding an axe or am just thinking of the
notes while going about my daily life. When this happens to you, welcome
it. As far as I know, it doesn’t cause much inconvenience and this
‘involuntary training’ often happens just in the back of your mind. It might
almost seem like a curse, but it actually opens you up to seeing the world in
a different, perhaps more musical way. I also suspect that if done longterm, this will serve to keep one’s mind sharp.
Learning new licks
While going about all this ear/mind development, you can go about
expanding your repertoire, or what you would typically call ‘licks.’ The
reason I don’t consider myself as ever playing licks is because there’s a
certain spontaneity to what I’m doing that goes beyond the limited shapes
that a ‘lick’ provides. When approaching these phrases, I must emphasize
that I would not want you to feel tied down by the particular transcriptions
I have put down. It may be that you have a technique that differs from
mine and that would call for slight variations. For instance, I tend to
hammer on and pull off a lot, with a lot of economy picking (minimizing
the number of downstrokes and upstrokes, particularly when moving from
string to string). Other players may choose to pick every single note, and
with alternate picking (downstroke and upstroke perpetually, regardless of
the figure to be played). It’s all good. Over time, you’ll find the style that
best suits your manner of expression.
23
III. Technique
A saturated market
This book is intentionally not too big with regards to the technique aspect.
You already have a hundred books in the market that provide great advice
in this department. Besides, I am not the poster boy for perfect technique.
I am not the fastest; I am not the cleanest; I don’t know anything about
gear or cooking up the best tone in the universe. But I’d like to think that I
am offering something unique from all the other books around, in
imparting my knowledge of the creative aspect of improvising rock guitar.
Still, you’ll need some technical practice, and I will be outlining what to me
is the best manner of developing the techniques you’ll need for the music
you love.
A general regimen
First things first. Before anything else, get a guitar. Next, get a metronome.
The metronome is the best gauge of your technical progress. There are
apps for that now, so you really have no excuse.
Before going about any practice regimen, I suppose that you have learned
how to hold a pick, and can press your left hand fingers on the fretboard in
a way that allows the notes to ring out.
Picking
Picking like crazy is an issue of stamina alone. Within weeks, you ought to
be able to pick sixteenth notes at 160 beats per minute (You would of
course be using the metronome). The real challenge is to coordinate your
picking hand with your fretting hand. And this is where the real
significance of speed picking comes into play.
24
TECHNIQUE
There are various shapes to use in practicing your picking. Some use a
chromatic shape like this:
Figure III.1.
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------5--6--7--8---E
B--------------------------------------------------------------5--6--7--8------------------B
G-----------------------------------------------5--6--7--8--------------------------------G
D---------------------------------5--6--7--8----------------------------------------------D
A-----------------5--6--7--8--------------------------------------------------------------A
E--5--6---7--8----------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Others would play through Major or minor scales, or other modes. The
important thing is to start at a comfortable pace on the metronome, after
which you can increase the beats per minute upon mastering a certain
tempo.
Legato
I developed my legato playing, that is, a flowing style attained by prominent
hammer-ons and pull-offs, in a rather unorthodox way. Back then, I was
unable to play a single thing on lead guitar. Metronomes didn’t exist to me.
But it occurred to me that if I would do hammer-ons repetitively and to the
point of exhaustion, I would eventually increase my speed. And so I would
do this certain pattern:
Figure III.2.
E--5--6--8--5--6--8--5--6--8--5--6--8--E
B--------------------------------------------B
G-------------------------------------------G
D-------------------------------------------D
A-------------------------------------------A
E-------------------------------------------E
25
as well as this:
Figure III.3.
E--12--11--10-----------------12-11--10-----------------E
B------------------12--11--10---------------12--11--10--B
G------------------------------------------------------------G
D------------------------------------------------------------D
A------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------E
for hours at a time, until, after a summer had passed, my legato was fairly
good for someone who couldn’t play anything on lead guitar.
A more preferable way
If I could do things all over again, I’d have a more structured manner by
which to improve. For one thing, I’d use a metronome. And I’d move
around actual scales instead and not just single figures.
Playing at reduced speed
For challenging passages in a certain song, I find it helps tremendously,
more than anything, to slow down the track, and play along at the speed
that I am comfortable. It is rather easy to find software for this. I
personally use VLC Media Player, which is readily downloadable for free.
Near the right-down corner of the player, you will see an option to slow
down or speed up a track. Another advantage of this function is I get to
learn songs easier. I play a track at half-speed or slower when I am trying to
learn a blurry passage note for note.
When it comes to playing a tough passage, it is usually sufficient for me to
slow the track down to about 80%-85% at first, and work my way back to
100%. For some things that I initially find impossible to play at speed, I
discover to my joy that within five minutes of playing at reduced speed, I
26
TECHNIQUE
manage to get it right and with a decent level of cleanliness when I bring
back the play speed to 100%.
No perfect regimen
There is no perfect regimen for players to use in their quest for sufficient
or great technique. Everyone approaches their instrument differently, and
with just a very basic set of guidelines, you can learn what techniques best
suit your desired playing style, and the exercises needed to get to your goal.
Needless to say, there are some techniques that go beyond those covered
so far. To name a few, there is the matter of using a whammy bar with skill,
or the matter of keyboard-like playing of the guitar with what is typically
the picking hand. I personally have had little use of such techniques, but
these may be up your alley. Again, it’s all good!
27
IV. A new bunch of licks1
And after that quick overview of developing one’s technique, we now take
a look at some unique guitar shapes that ought to stimulate your well of
ideas. I do not bother to indicate hammer-ons and pull-offs, although I
would tend to do these a lot. Some may prefer picking every single thing,
and that works quite well too.
Figure IV.1.
E-------12---------------------10---------8--------------5/7----------------10/12----------------------15/17----------------------------E
B--10-------10------------8--------8\6-----6--------3--------5--------8------------10------------13-----------15-----------17--20^^~-B
G-----------------12\10------------------------7\5---------------7/9---------------------12/14----------------------17/19-------------G
D------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
I like this particular phrase in the way that it alternates between intervals of
Major seconds, and fifths. To be sure, I didn’t come up with the idea of
sliding down by seconds while a fifth higher on the high E string, but I
don’t know anyone else who does it on three strings in this manner.
You need not be limited to just the three highest strings. A similar phrase
can be done on the third, fourth and fifth strings.
Figure IV.1.b.
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B-------20--------------------18-----------17-----------------15------------13-------------------12-------10---------------12-------------B
G--17------17-----------16------16\14------14--------12-------12\10-------10----------9------9\7------7---------9------9--12^^~G
D----------------19\17----------------------------15\14-----------------------------12\10---------------------9/10---------------------D
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
1
Legend for tablature is as follows:
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
^ - bend one half step
^^ - bend one whole step
v - release bend by one half step
vv - release bend by one whole step
~ - vibrato
28
A NEW BUNCH OF LICKS
Here’s one I like doing, which sounds weird but actually only uses
pentatonic notes. Again, it’s the varying intervals that make for the
weirdness.
Figure IV.2.
E----------------------------------------------------8--10------------------------------------------E
B---------------------------------------10-----10----------8-----8---------------------------------B
G---------------------------7-------7------7------------------9-----9-----9-----------------------G
D--------------10-----10-----10---------------------------------------7-----7-------7------------D
A--7-------7-------7--------------------------------------------------------------10-----10-------A
E------10--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8~--E
This one uses only the first two fingers, but manages to traverse a lot of the
fretboard thanks to some skillful sliding.
Figure IV.3.
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------13--12-----------------------------------------------------E
B-------------------------------------------------------------12--10/12---------13\12-----12-------------------------------------B
G---------------------------------10----10--9------9/10--------------------------------10-----10\9------------------------------G
D----------------------9--7/9--------9---------10-----------------------------------------------------10\9------------------------D
A---------7-----7/8--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7---------------------A
E--7--8-----8------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8--7--8~---------E
Some notes are deliberately skipped here so as to maximize the ‘seesaw’
between the index and the pinky, and the index and the ring finger. The
effect is almost like that achieved when doing two-hand tapping. I start it
off with a D note, to indicate how this is best done on top of transitional
chords, or those moments in a song where the underlying chord would not
do for a resolution of the melody.
Figure IV.4.
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13--17--13------------------B
G---------------------------------------------------------------------------12--16-12-16-12-16-12---12--16------------16--12----------G
D---------------------10--14-10-14-10-14-10-------------10--14/15-----------------------------15---------------------------15--12~-D
A------------10--14------------------------------14--10--14----------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E--10--13---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
29
Another cool shape with some notes skipped (A and D) that makes for
wicked Major seventh sounds:
Figure IV.5.
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------8--12--8-------------------------E
B--12--8---------------8--12--8------------------------------8--12-------------12--8------8/12~--B
G----------10--9--10-------------10--9--------------9--10-----------------------------10------------G
D------------------------------------------10--9--10----------------------------------------------------D
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Sometimes, you might want to branch out of a regular scale and go with
whole tones completely. When done fleetingly and with taste, it adds to the
richness of your playing. Here is the best single box shape for whole tones
that I’ve come up with. Note that I start with G#, but it’s still meant to be
in the key of C Major.
Figure IV.6.
E----------------------------------------------4--6--8--6--4---------------------------------------------E
B---------------------------------------5--7-------------------7--5---------------------------------------B
G-------------------------------5--7----------------------------------7--5-------------------------------G
D--------------------4--6--8--------------------------------------------------8--6--4-------------------D
A-------------5--7-----------------------------------------------------------------------7--5-------------A
E--4--6--8--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8--6--4--E
You can move the shape to start with C (eighth fret),
Figure IV.6.b.
E-----------------------------------------------------8--10--12--10--8---------------------------------------------------E
B---------------------------------------------9--11-----------------------11--9-------------------------------------------B
G------------------------------------9--11---------------------------------------11--9------------------------------------G
D-----------------------8--10--12-------------------------------------------------------12--10--8-----------------------D
A----------------9--11--------------------------------------------------------------------------------11--9---------------A
E--8--10--12-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12--10--8--E
or E (twelfth fret):
Figure IV.6.c.
E------------------------------------------------------------12--14--16--14--12-----------------------------------------------------------E
B---------------------------------------------------13--15-------------------------15--13--------------------------------------------------B
G-----------------------------------------13--15--------------------------------------------15--13----------------------------------------G
D---------------------------12--14--16---------------------------------------------------------------16--14--12-------------------------D
A-----------------13--15---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15--13----------------A
E--12--14--16----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16--14--12--E
30
Being all whole tones, it won’t make much of a difference what position
you’re in. You can play the exact same shape anywhere else on the
fretboard, although you may want to stick to the ‘even’ notes C, D, E, F#,
G# and A# (as opposed to the ‘odd’ notes C#, D#, F, G, A and B). It
really depends on your purpose.
I consider this blues-based shape as ‘snotty,’ what with the prominent use
of the flat fifth.
Figure IV.7.
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B--10------------------------------8-----------------------------7-------------------------8-------------------------------B
G------8--7----------------7--8------8--7---------------7--8-----8--7-----------7--8------8--7----------------7--8---G
D-------------10--7--10--------------------10--7--10-------------------10--7---------------------10--7--10----------D
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Many people use this next shape when playing the Major or minor scale,
but this is a fun and uncommon way to go about it, with a lot of string
skipping. It should be done fast, and I think this is a particular instance
where one ought to do the notes legato. At one part, you play the same
note (G) consecutively, in the second and third strings. When done right, it
adds a nice, eclectic touch.
Figure IV.8.
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8-10-12-10-8--------------E
B---------------------------------------------------------------------------------8-10-12-10-8------------------------------------------------B
G----------------------------------------------9-10-12-10-9-----------------------------------12-10-9-10-12----------------12-10-9~--G
D------------9-10-12-10-9----------------------------------12-10-9-10-12-----------------------------------------------------------------D
A-----------------------------12-10-8-10-12--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E--8-10-12-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
31
Here’s my favorite blues shape, to use for quick runs like this:
Figure IV.9.
E------------------------------------------------------------------5-8-9-8-5--------------------------E
B-----------------------------------------------------------5-7-8------------8-7-5---7-5------------B
G---------------------------------------------5-6-5--5-6--------------------------6------6-5--5~--G
D--------------------------------5-7-5--5-7-------7------------------------------------------7------D
A------3-4-3---3-4-3--3-4/7-------7---------------------------------------------------------------A
E--3-5-------5--------5-------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
For the high C#, I usually just slide from C and back down right away with
my pinky finger, instead of playing C with my ring finger and C# with my
pinky.
I also like playing around in the second and third strings as well, doing stuff
like this:
Figure IV.9.b.
E--------------------------------------------------------------E
B--8-5--7-5-------5-7-5--8-5-------7-5--8-5--7-5--------B
G------6----6-5-6-------6-----6-5-6----6-----6----6-5~--G
D--------------------------------------------------------------D
A--------------------------------------------------------------A
E--------------------------------------------------------------E
32
String skipping
String skipping is something that has always interested me. To me, it makes
a melody sound more dynamic and unpredictable. There are several reason
for this. One is that string skipping expands one’s note range within a
particular box. Two, a string-skipping melody doesn’t just follow a familiar
linear run. Instead, it leaps to another end of the scale and creates intervals
that one wouldn’t have otherwise considered. In addition to these, string
skipping makes possible the playing of intervals that would have otherwise
been awkward to play. In particular, the interval of a fourth as seen in the
first and second strings of this arpeggio:
Figure IV.10.
E-------5--8--5----E
B-----5----------5--B
G--5----------------G
D--------------------D
A--------------------A
E--------------------E
In such an arpeggio shape, the B and E strings tend to ring prolongedly,
thus reducing the cleanliness of the passage. String skipping solves this
dilemma:
Figure IV.10.b.
E---------5--8--5-----E
B-----------------------B
G--5--9-----------9--G
D----------------------D
A----------------------A
E----------------------E
33
Before being able to improvise while skipping strings, you will have to have
sufficient knowledge of the fretboard so that you could tell at an instant
what the ‘proper’ notes to use in both strings are, whether you begin from
the higher string or the lower string. For example, if the notes you are
using on the first string are the following:
Figure IV.10.c.
E--8--10--12--E
B----------------B
G---------------G
D---------------D
A---------------A
E---------------E
that is, the C, D, and E, you should know what the C Major scale notes on
the third string are within the box:
Figure IV.10.d.
E-----------------E
B-----------------B
G--9--10--12--G
D----------------D
A----------------A
E----------------E
that is, E, F and G. Sure, you can ‘count backwards’ and, from the 8th fret
of the high E string, determine that the notes on the second string are:
Figure IV.10.e.
E----------------E
B--8--10--12--B
G----------------G
D----------------D
A----------------A
E----------------E
G, A and B, and thereby determine that the notes on the third string are E,
F and G, but this may be time consuming. This can be likened to
multiplying either single digits, or double digits, or triple digits for that
matter. With multiple digits, you have to consider, say, the hundreds, and
then the tens, and then the ones. Multiplying single digits, meanwhile, is a
one-step process. The memorization of the shapes on the fretboard is like
multiplying single digits, as opposed to the ‘multiple-digit’ task of having to
34
consider even the strings that are skipped (in the above examples, the
second string).
The following is a manner of string skipping that I love to use:
Figure IV.11.
E---------------15-17-19\17-15-13-------------------------12-13-15\13-12-10-----------------------8-10-12\10-8-7---------------E
B------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G--16-17-19--------------------------17-16-14\12-14-16-------------------------14-12-10\9-10-12-------------------10-9-7\5~-G
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
I don’t usually go down (or up) in such a straightforward manner. You can
likewise play around within each shape, before sliding down (or up).
Figure IV.11.b.
E--8--10--12--8-------------------8--10--8----8--10--12--10--8---8--10--12/13--12--10--12--10---E
B----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G------------------12-10-9-10-12----------12---------------------12---------------------------------------G
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
E-------------------------10--12--10--------12----------------------E
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------B
G-12/14\12--10--12--------------12-10----10.--12--10\9~--G
D----------------------------------------------------------------------D
A----------------------------------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------------------------E
35
The principle of string skipping is also key to another way of freshening up
your repertoire.
Usually, a lead guitar piece has a single melody working around a single
octave at a time. For example:
Figure IV.12.
E-----------------------------------------------------15~-----------------E
B-------13--15--15^^~-------------15^^vv--13----------12--12~--B
G--12---------------------------------------------------------------------G
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------E
That is a perfectly fine means of going about things. But you may also
consider the option of playing multiple melodies in different octaves,
alternately, within a short period of time. To illustrate:
Figure IV.12.b.
E-------------------------------------------------------------------15~-----------------------------E
B-------13--15--15^^~-------------------------/15^^vv--13-----------------------12--12~--B
G--12------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------G
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A-------------------------------7-^v----------------------------------------14-12--10-------------A
E---------------------------------------10--7--8-----------------------------------------------------E
Here’s another example, this time a faster lick:
Figure IV.12.c.
E--------------------------------------------------------------10-13-12-10-12-10-----------10-12-13-10-12-10--------------------E
B-----------------------------------------------10-12-13-12-----------------------13-12-13--------------------------------------------B
G-10-12-10-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------G
D-------------14-12-14-12-10---10-12-14------------------------------------------------------------------------12/14\12-10~--D
A---------------------------------12-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
36
Harmonies
I also use harmonies at times, which help emphasize scalar relations and
use notes that go great together. A typical harmony would be in thirds,
wherein the note F, for instance,
Figure IV.13.
E------E
B--6--B
G-----G
D-----D
A------A
E------E
corresponds with D:
Figure IV.13.b.
E------E
B------B
G--7--G
D-----D
A------A
E------E
We can see this principle in action in this example, where the notes can be
plucked or picked:
Figure IV.14.
E----------------------------------------------------------E
B--6/8--6--5----5--6--8--10--13----12-----8--8~---B
G--7/9--7--5----5--7--9--10--14----12-----9--9~--G
D----------------------------------------------------------D
A----------------------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------------E
But you can also do harmonies in thirds with the third being ‘inverted’ to a
lower note instead of a higher one.
37
Figure IV.14.b.
E--10/12--10--8----8--10-12-13--17----15----12-12~--E
B---6/8-----6---5----5---6--8--10--13----12-----8--8~---B
G----------------------------------------------------------------G
D----------------------------------------------------------------D
A----------------------------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------------------E
You can also do the above by skipping the second string, like this:
Figure IV.14.c.
E--10/12--10--8----8--10-12-13--17----15----12-12~--E
B-----------------------------------------------------------------B
G--10/12--10--9----9--10-12-14--17----16----12-12~--G
D----------------------------------------------------------------D
A----------------------------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------------------E
I personally pluck the notes with my thumb and middle finger when
skipping strings in this manner, but you can also try picking while muting
the B string with the free fingers.
Novelty
These are just a few examples that should help you understand what I
mean about approaching the instrument in a novel manner. Speaking of
novelty, I could not guarantee you that the ideas above are my invention.
I’m fairly sure someone, somewhere, did or is doing something similar. But
as far as I know, most of these ideas are not that common.
In the next chapter, I provide plenty of tips with regards to states of mind
that would provide you with limitless ideas for improvisational rock guitar.
38
PLAYING SOMETHING NEW AND FRESH EVERY TIME
V. Playing something new and fresh every time
The big problem
“I’ve run out of licks!” is a common lament of guitar players who are stuck
in a rut. This may be something you say to yourself from time to time. I
suspect that a lot of the blame should go to the wrong manner in which the
solution is sought. It is believed that in order to get out of ruts, you simply
have to learn more licks, and when the rut comes back again, you learn
another batch of licks, and so on. Now I’m not going to oppose the
concept of getting ideas from others or from learning new shapes and
patterns and whatnot; after all, I devoted the last chapter precisely to such
things. But I would add that more importantly, you have to find a way to
be inspired at will, even without referring back to other guitar players. You
have to find a way to ‘just do it,’ without being too particular as to what it
is you’re doing.
Simpler is sometimes better
There’s a kind of paradox in all of this. In many of the methods I will be
enumerating, I emphasize focusing on very finite elements, and using them
with abandon. It is through such limitations that you are able to break out
of your status quo guitar style, and transcend the limits of your
(un)creativity.
It’s not a big deal
I also advise you: Don’t be perfect. Don’t be perfectionistic or overly
analytical about things. It’s just a melody you’re carrying around, not a
nuclear bomb. Whatever ideas you have at hand are already more than
enough for you to make some brilliant solos, if only you stop hesitating for
fear of either playing the same old junk or of playing nothing of
consequence.
39
Embrace the phrase. Have several motifs or themes in mind to
repeat.
Coming up with something on the spot does not mean not being prepared
at all. After all, all your practice beforehand is precisely to be able to be
‘spontaneous’ in executing your solos. Most soloists are content with
knowing the scales on which they are to play over, after which they go up
and down, pretty much at random. Sometimes, the result is quite pleasant.
Other times, it’s merely pedantic.
My advice would be for you to always have a specific motif or theme to
play within the solo, on which you can make variations as well as branch
out from. You need not think long and hard to come up with the motif.
Here is one off the top of my head:
Figure V.1.
E--------------------------E
B--------------------------B
G-------------------------G
D-------------------9^---D
A--8----10-8--7---------A
E--------------------------E
The advantage of having one or two motifs to repeat within the solo is you
have a kind of ‘home base’ to turn to regardless of what else you’re doing
throughout.
Here is an example of the motif above, as applied in a solo I am making up
just now:
Figure V.1.b.
Am
Dm
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7--9--10--G
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------9^~------------------D
A--7~-----/12----10--8\7~------/12----10--8---10--8----10-8\7-------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
40
And I need not stick to exactly those notes either. Continuing the solo, I
also do the same motif, in this way:
Figure V.1.c.
G
E------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------------------13^^----------------12-13-15--B
G--12~----12--14-12\10---------------12-14--------------G
D-----------------------------------------------------------------D
A-----------------------------------------------------------------A
E-----------------------------------------------------------------E
It’s recognizable and consistent to the earlier phrase, and it doesn’t come
across as though I had run out of ideas and am merely repeating myself out
of a lack of options.
It is also good to recognize the times that you repeat your ideas. Determine
whether or not this is done intentionally, or because you can’t think up
anything else. And when you are more aware of what exactly it is you are
playing, you are also better able to decide if you want to do something else,
or continue using the same idea, but with conviction.
You may even find it easier to just repeat yourself, and that is fine. The
point is that you make such ‘repetitive’ phrasing sound fresh and exciting,
and not like you’re stuck in a rut.
Your ‘rutty’ phrase can be boneheadedly simple, like this:
Figure V.2.
E---------------------E
B---------------------B
G--------------------G
D--7---5---7---5---D
A---------------------A
E---------------------E
and you can still sound like a genius (or at least, a person who is quite
smart), if you ‘embrace the phrase.’
41
Here it is in the context of an actual solo.
Figure V.2.b.
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G--9--10--12--12^^~------12--10--9--10--9/7-------------------------------------------------------------------------------G
D--------------------------------------------------------10--9--7/5--7---5---7---5~-----/9--10--12/14\12--10--9--10--D
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B--------------12--12^v--10-------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G--------------------------------9~-----9------9--10--12--12^^vv--/14--14^^vv--12~----G
D--/14~-----------------------------------12-------------------------------------------------------D
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Note that the ending phrase is derived from the same bonehead motif.
Once again, don’t think it over too much. Think of the very first thing that
pops in your mind, no matter how seemingly stupid it is, and play around
with it. Make the listener know that you mean to play those notes, and
would not play any other notes but these. I personally wouldn’t play
blatantly dissonant notes over and over, but if you think you can carry it
out, go ahead and do so! There are no rules as to what you do on the
fretboard.
Make a mistake, do it twice.
I once heard the wonderful tongue-in-cheek quote, “Once is an error; twice
is jazz.” It has a wisdom in it that I carry with me all the time.
Every guitar player makes a mistake, now and then. It may be so little as
sliding too far down or too far up the neck. It may be playing a C minor
scale over an A minor chord. It may be a failure to let a note ring, resulting
in a pathetic squeak of what should have been a powerful vibrato.
I have to confess that I mess up despite all the training that I have
subjected myself. Okay, I commit a lot of errors. But do I cower by a
42
corner in shame for my errors? Not at all! Above, I coined the phrase,
“Embrace the phrase,” and now I coin another: “Embrace your errors!”
Do you happen to play a wrong note? Do it again! Make it sound like the
‘wrong’ note is actually a part of your sonic landscape. With not much
practice, you can make your mistakes sound like the opportunities they are.
With them, you are able to enter unexplored territory, unexplored precisely
because most people do not even think of using such notes.
Sometimes, the note that you play by mistake, goes by so quick that it is
barely even an issue. Take this for example:
Figure V.3.
E---------------------------------------------------------E
B--13-----10--12--13--15-13-12--------------13~--B
G--------------------------------------14-11-14--------G
D--------------------------------------------------------D
A--------------------------------------------------------A
E--------------------------------------------------------E
F# is a Major sixth in the A minor scale, and is usually done in a blues
context. Replacing the minor sixth with a Major sixth in this regard turns
the scale into a Dorian scale, or mode. This Dorian mode would be the
scale you come up with if you play in the C Major scale, starting with the
note D. The note in question is the subtonic, B:
Figure V.4.
E-------------------------------------------E
B-------------------------------------------B
G------------------------------------------G
D--------------------------------10--12--D
A-----------------10--12--14-------------A
E--10--12--13----------------------------E
43
It may not do for the specific song you’re playing, but it comes in a
transitional moment of the song or measure. Still, how are you to make it
seem that the note actually fits in, when it doesn’t? You can play the same
F# note, an octave higher, also in a fleeting manner:
Figure V.5.
E----------12-14-12----12-17---------E
B--13-15-------------15--------15^^--B
G-----------------------------------------G
D-----------------------------------------D
A-----------------------------------------A
E-----------------------------------------E
Two wrongs indeed do not make a right, but in this case, you are making it
as though your earlier ‘wrong’ was not a wrong at all.
And you don’t have to stick to repeating F# so as to ‘redeem’ the earlier
F#. You can go chromatic:
Figure V.6.
E------------------13-15-16-17/19-17-15-----17-16-15~--E
B--13-14-15-16------------------------------17----------------B
G------------------------------------------------------------------G
D------------------------------------------------------------------D
A------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------E
And you need not do this immediately after hitting the ‘wrong’ note. You
can continue forth as though nothing had happened, and then just sprinkle
another ‘wrong’ note later on, even more resoundingly.
Figure V.7.
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B--13-----10--12--13--15-13--12-------------13~------------12--13--15--13--12-------------------12--13--15---17-^^vv~--B
G---------------------------------------14-11-14---------12--14--------------------------14~---12--14--------------------------------G
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
44
Rushed and stalled notes
Another common mistake is to play a certain phrase faster or slower than
the beat calls for. Sometimes it’s nerves or excitement. At other times, it’s
due to not having warmed up properly, or not being up to executing what
it is that is in your mind.
When I accidentally play ahead or behind the beat, I exaggerate. If I am
playing something too fast, I try to play even faster, or as fast as I can,
supposedly to create additional musical tension and drama, after which I
get to play in the beat again. Or, I could go the other way, and slow things
down, balancing out my earlier speed with later slowness. This is often
done by the likes of Brian May of Queen, and it’s a great expressive,
‘human’ technique called rubato (robbed time). In your case, you will be
doing it as a remedy, but you can also integrate more rubato in your playing
so as to blend in any errors you make in a more seamless manner.
And if you play a passage slower than you think it should have been, do
vice versa. You can play the succeeding notes even slower, and let each
note ring with feeling. Or, you can play the following notes faster, to
balance out the earlier slowness.
And then there’s the matter of messing up what should be a sustained note.
Usually, a player just repeats the note, but not in rhythm to the beat. What
I prefer to do is, after hitting the dud of a note, I pick the same note really
fast, but pianissimo (very soft), and then subsequently making it louder
while still picking fast. It adds to the drama, and makes the earlier dud
seem more intentional.
Be creative. Be proud of your mistakes, rather than cry over them. A lot of
it may be about bluffing your way out, but you can actually do so in a
manner by which your musical palette is enriched. This doesn’t mean of
course that you should not maintain or further refine your technique. But
once a mistake is done, it is up to you to make it a positive.
45
Implying the chords
One of the initially challenging things a guitarist will have to learn is to
constantly imply the underlying chords in a solo, regardless of what
direction is taken or how seemingly random the choice of notes are.
A sure way to constantly play notes corresponding to the underlying
chords, is to basically play the chords themselves, albeit in a higher octave
where the lead is usually played. In a progression of C-Am-Dm-G, for
example, the lead player can do:
Figure V.8.
C
Am
Dm
G
E--8~-------8--------5~-------5---------10~-------10----------3~-------3------E
B--8~---------8------5~---------5-------10~----------10-------3~---------3----B
G--9~-----------9---5-------------5------10~------------10----4~-----------4---G
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
or something as utterly boring. Doing this restricts you to a pattern that so
obviously resembles the chords that you’re pretty much not playing lead
guitar at all.
But you will notice above how with each chord, the root, the third and the
fifth notes are played. This is practically half a scale already, so it shouldn’t
be too hard to find these notes anywhere on the fretboard.
By now, I hope you have developed your listening abilities, as well as your
knowledge of the fretboard, sufficiently so as to determine what notes you
are playing as you play them. You don’t even need to be able to name the
notes as you play, but you should at least have ‘markers’ in your head, such
as that G could be played on the low E string’s 15th fret, the A string’s 10th
fret, the D string’s 5th fret, and the open G string; or that the low C can be
played both on the low E string’s 8th fret as well as the A string’s 3rd fret.
These are just examples; you will have your own individual ‘markers’ as you
go about familiarizing yourself with the fretboard. Each ‘marker’ will help
orient you in all possible positions, so that eventually, other neighboring
46
notes themselves will be ‘markers’ as well. For example, after becoming
really familiar with where G is located, you will also be able to tell where
F# is located: the low E string’s 14th fret, the A string’s 9th fret and the D
string’s 4th fret.
So when playing around in the C Major scale, and you are playing the
above chord progression of C-Am-Dm-G, try a freestyle approach, while
nonetheless playing each chord’s corresponding root note.
Figure V.9.
C
Am
Dm
G
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B---------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G---------------------------------------------------------------------------G
D---------------------\7~-------------------------------------------------D
A--15~--------------------------------------5~-----------------/10~---A
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Simple, right? Just get the hang of it, and keep trying to play the root notes
of each chord. Don’t be stuck in just one position. Move your left hand all
around the fretboard, while nonetheless hitting the right note each time. It
might help initially to do this along with a slow beat so as to give you more
time to think and plan.
Once you are comfortable doing this, try injecting thirds and fifths of the
chords as well, as arpeggios. Although you may try to name each third and
fifth as you play it, this isn’t something necessary, since you already have
the root notes as reference. Just be mindful of whether you should be
playing a minor or a Major chord:
Figure V.10.
C
Am
Dm
G
E-------------------12-15-12---------------------------8-----------------------5/10-13-10-------------------------------------------------E
B----------------13-----------13------------10----10----10------------------6---------------------------------------------------------------B
G---9---9/12-------------------12\9~-------9-------------9\5-----------7----------------14--10-----/16-19-16------16-19-16-----G
D-----10-------------------------------------------------------------7~-----7-------------------------12---------------17~----------17~-D
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------5-8-------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
47
Despite all the arpeggiating, you may even find such an exercise easier than
playing a random non-arpeggio melody while always implying the
underlying chords.
The fact is, you don’t even need to always be playing the root, third and
fifth, but hit them only during the ‘landing’ notes where some resolution
within the chord progression takes place. Such ‘landing’ notes are indicated
in bold:
Figure V.11.
C
Am
Dm
G
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12^-v12--10--12~---------------------B
G--9~---------------7--9--10--9~--------------------5--7--9--9^~--------------------------------------------------------G
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Notice how I don’t even bother playing the root note when playing any of
the chords. In fact, I only play thirds of each chord.
The good news is that, if you’re playing something off the top of your head
after having developed perfect pitch, your mind automatically veers
towards those harmonious notes so that even without trying to imply a
chord, you do so.
How about when you play a fast run? Let’s say in the D chord, you want to
play a long D note, after doing a downward scalar run in triplets. But when
you start the run, it’s not like you had calculated the exact number of notes
so as to hit the D note at the right beat. How do you manage?
48
Let’s say you started with a high A note, and went down the C Major scale.
After playing four sets of three notes, you want to hit the D note. But this
is what happens:
Figure V.12.
Dm
E--/17--15--13--------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------17--15--13------------------------------------------------------------------B
G-------------------------------16--14--12----------------------------------------------------G
D--------------------------------------------15--14--12---------------------------------------D
A----------------------------------------------------------15~---------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
where you hit the C note instead! It might be a more fitting note to play, but
it’s not what you had in mind. How could you hit a D note instead, in this
case, the 12th fret of the D string?
The good thing is that you don’t have to make such a neat pattern-like run.
You can rearrange the notes a bit just before that last note in the measure:
Figure V.12.b.
Dm
E--/17--15--13------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------17--15--13----------------------------------------------------------------B
G-------------------------------16--14--12--------------------------------------------------G
D--------------------------------------------14-15-14-12~----------------------------------D
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
where you do away completely with that C note. You manage to play the
run you wanted, with just the minor variation towards the end to hit that
essential note.
49
And you don’t have to play 12 notes in the run either before the last note.
You can fit in several more:
Figure V.12.c.
Dm
E--/17--15--13---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------17--15--13-------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G-------------------------------16--14--12-----------------------------------------------------------G
D---------------------------------------------14--15--14--12-14-12\10/12~----------------------D
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
In the above examples, the D note is played right at the third quarter of the
measure. But you can also delay it a bit, but in a way that emphasizes the
last note:
Figure V.12.d.
Dm
E--/17--15--13--------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------17--15--13------------------------------------------------------------------B
G-------------------------------16--14--12----------------------------------------------------G
D--------------------------------------------15--14--12--14---15-14-12~-------------------D
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
You can also play the third (or the fifth) instead:
Figure V.12.e.
Dm
E--/17--15--13-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------17--15--13------------------------------------------17^~--------------------B
G-------------------------------16--14--12------------------------14----------------------------G
D--------------------------------------------15--14--12--/14-15-------------------------------D
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Being able to imply chords is a powerful tool to make use of the song’s
elements so as to increase their cohesiveness. The end result should be a
manifestation of your increased musical awareness. Implying chords also
makes your solos stand out compared to those who just take a box pattern
without really considering what they are doing within it.
In addition to developing this ability to imply chords, it might also be an
additional aid to you if on occasion, instead of blazing away, you play root
50
notes of each chord with sustain. Not only should this be much easier, but
this also gives you time to refresh your creative juices. You can also vary
this by playing either the root note, or the thirds and fifths, with sustain.
Sometimes, the best thing to play is the simplest thing.
Placing an old idea in a different context
You don’t even have to reach deep within your soul to come out with
ultra-awesome ideas for phrases. I don’t see any moral (or legal) dilemma in
taking elements from songs and expressing yourself through them. It’s all a
matter of taste. Obviously, if you repeat an entire song, you’re doing a
cover version, but that’s not what we have in mind. All you have to do is
take the phrasing of one song and apply it in a whole new manner, to be
used with a whole different set of chords, and not even in the same part of
the song or measure.
Let’s take a traditional song such as ‘Mary had a little lamb,’ and transcribe
the first part to guitar:
Figure V.13.
C
G
C
E------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G--9------------------9--9--9~------------------------9--12--12~--G
D------12--10--12---------------12--12--12~-----------------------D
A------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Now, we’ll use the song’s melody for a totally different chord progression:
Figure V.13.b.
Dm
Bdim
Em
E------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G--9------------------9--9--9~------------------------9--12--12~--G
D------12--10--12---------------12--12--12~-----------------------D
A------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------E
51
It will probably be obvious to everyone who’s had a childhood that you
had taken the melody from the Nursery tune, but by applying it in what
some would consider a ‘sad’ progression and changing its context, the same
melody sounds quite refreshing.
Of course, it may tend to diminish the impact of your guitar playing to
keep taking from nursery songs, after which your set becomes a kind of
‘Name that tune.’ And besides, I wasn’t thinking of copying the exact
melodies, only some aspects of the phrasing.
Here’s what I would have done under the ‘sad’ progression:
Figure V.13.c.
Dm
Bdim
Em
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------B
G--9---10--9---------------------------------------------------------------------------------9/12~-----------G
D---------------12--10--9--10--12-------/14~----12--10-----/12~------9--10---12---------------------D
A---------------------------------------10----------------------8------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
There is only a hint of my original source of inspiration, but the ‘landing
notes’ (in bold) are the same. I thus use the old, in a new fashion.
It may not have been obvious to you at this point, but this is where the
importance of ear training, as we had done earlier, really comes to play.
Without pondering so closely as to what the notes used in the source
material are, you are ‘instinctively’ able to apply specific elements of it to
your work, and play it exactly as you hear it in your head.
Using other songs as inspiration
Now let’s see how I would actually do this. I will choose three fairly
popular songs at random: Belinda Carlisle’s ‘Heaven is a place on Earth,’
Stevie Wonder’s ‘I just called to say I love you,’ and Bon Jovi’s ‘You give
love a bad name.’ [Note: No, grasshoppa, this book was not written in the
1980s; It is October 2010 as I type this down. It’s just that when it comes
52
to choosing songs at random, I am rather oriented towards the 1980s. It’s a
flaw of mine, I know.]
Our chord progression will be as follows: Am--Dm--G--C-E. We’re not
going to be quoting Belinda Carlisle off the bat. Let’s do some noodling
first:
Figure V.14.
Am
Dm
E------------------------------------------------------5-------------------------------------E
B----------------- ----------------------------------------8--7--6--5-----------------------B
G----------------------5--7--7^^vv--5--7--7^^ -------------------8--7--5--7-5-7~--G
D--7~------5--7--7-----------------------------------------------------------------------D
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
And then we’re going to do the vocal line that goes “Ooh, Baby, Do you
know what that’s worth?” with a little stylistic variation:
Figure V.14.
G
E----------------------------------------------------E
B----------------------------------------------------B
G--12~---12~----/14-----14^^vv^^~--------G
D--------9--------9------12-----------------12----D
A----------------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------E
And then we apply some of the verse of ‘I just called to say I love you,’ the
lyrics that go “No New Year’s Day” (along with some of the song’s
memorable bass line!). Notice how in the song, the melody takes place
from the previous measure, to the first measure of the verse. In this case, I
use it towards the end of the chord progression.
Figure V.14.c.
C
E
E----------------------------------------------------------E
B--12---13--13~----------------------------------------B
G-------------------------/13-----/13----12-----------G
D--------------------10----------------------------------D
A-------------------------------11-----------------------A
E---------------------------------------------------------E
53
Also note how I had begun to play the continuation of the verse (“…to
celebrate”), in anticipation of the next measure, wherein I also play a
melody similar to “Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame” from ‘You
give love a bad name’:
Figure V.14.d.
Am
Dm
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B--12-^-12^~-------------12---13---15---15^^vv/17^~-----12--15--12--15^^vv^^~--B
G-----------------/12--14-------------------------------------------------------------------------G
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
In the following section, I play the line that goes “You give love a bad
name.”
Figure V.14.e.
G
C
E
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B---15^^vv--13--15-^^vv^^vv--13\10~-----10/13-~--13--15-13-12~-------B
G------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------G
D------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Normally I wouldn’t integrate so much at so short a time, but the above is
merely for the sake of illustration.
There are so many songs to choose from, and unless you can play all the
songs you have ever known throughout your life, in a span of several
minutes, that is, the time you’re given to do your leads, you will never run
out of new things to play.
Just like with the above use of repetitive motifs, you don’t have to think
too hard as to what you use in your solos. It need not be a favorite song of
yours, and it may even be something you detest. When you turn it into a
guitar melody, you could very well strip off the elements of the song you
don’t like, and leave behind something that aids you as a musician.
54
Classical melodies
You need not be a fan of classical music, or even like it at all, to be able to
pick up plenty of ideas from it. From Mozart alone, the possibilities are
endless. You can use one of his most popular melodies, such as the
opening line of ‘Eine kleine nachtmusik’:
Figure V.15.
E-------------------------------------12--15~--------13~-------13~-------13--------------------------E
B--13~------13~-----13------13---------------------------15----------15------15--12--15-----------B
G--------12--------12-----12--------------------------------------------------------------------12~----G
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
But doing so will make it seem kind of like a parody, spoof, or at best, a
cover version. What you can do is change it somewhat, like this perhaps:
Figure V.15.b.
E-------------------------------------------12--13/15~----E
B--15^^vv--15--17^v~--------13--15--------------------B
G----------------------------/12-----------------------------G
D-------------------------------------------------------------D
A-------------------------------------------------------------A
E-------------------------------------------------------------E
Instead of starting with a C, I use a mediant note, but the implied chord
underneath is still C Major, and I land on a dominant just like at the same
point in ‘Eine kleine.’
As an aside, you really don’t have to stay faithful at all to a song or a piece,
when you go ahead and integrate it to your playing. It no longer matters
whether it sounds similar to this or that. The main reason why you are
taking elements from these pieces is the inspiration, and not the actual
notes per se for the sake of copying.
55
Another example from Mozart is from the second movement of his 39th
symphony. Here it is:
Figure V.16.
E---------------------------------------------------E
B---------------------------------------------------B
G--------------------------------------------7~---G
D--7-------7/10~---7-9-7-6----9----6---------D
A-------7------------------------------------------A
E---------------------------------------------------E
If you play that in a gig somewhere, I doubt anyone will notice that you got
it from Mozart. But you may still want to vary it a bit:
Figure V.16.b.
E--------------5--8--7--8-7-5-/12~---------------------------------10------------------------------------------E
B-------------5--------------------------------10-12-10-9---12---9------/17-18-15-18----18----18----------B
G-----------5---------------------------------------------------------------------------------17----16----\13~--G
D---7-----7----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A--------7-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Actually, that’s a pretty drastic variation, almost not resembling our source
of inspiration at all, but that makes it all the better to my mind.
Is this ‘cheating’?
I guess you can frame this as ‘getting away with’ other people’s ideas, but I
don’t think so. Everyone derives inspiration from somewhere. And the saying
“There is nothing new under the sun” is quite apt here. No matter how
original we may pride ourselves to be, there is always something in our
creations that can be linked to the past in some way.
What you are doing with the method I have given you, is giving new life to
these ideas, and not hiding the fact. Other songs, other melodies can be
used to jumpstart your creativity, and it’s still your creativity.
As I said earlier, whatever your starting point is, is not that important.
Whatever song or motif you choose to take from, doesn’t weigh much on
56
the final musical product. It’s like with ear training, wherein we associate
certain songs with certain keys, and by giving shape and form to sound,
learn to listen better. In taking inspiration from elsewhere, we take a
definite musical shape or form, and this gives us the confidence to break
out of our creative ruts. In fact, if we look at what we have produced and
where it was supposedly derived, we won’t see much of a resemblance.
This, to me, indicates the uniqueness of each musician, in spite of no one
being entirely original.
Sing your solo
Plenty of bad phrasing is derived from not realizing that even guitar solos,
notwithstanding all the virtuosity and lighting fast runs, should have an
organic quality to them. The best way to integrate this is to mold your
playing to a very accessible human instrument: your voice.
When practicing, instead of playing a solo on the guitar, try just singing the
solo spontaneously. You may even be surprised at the melodies you are
unleashing, to the point of being moved to tears! One is naturally better
able to emote with the voice than with a foreign instrument, even a guitar.
But you can take advantage of this in your guitar playing, by playing only
something that you can sing. What’s the best way of ensuring this? By
singing while playing your solo on the guitar!
A good ear is good to have
Here, again, is where you need the advantage of a good ear, developed in
the earlier chapter. You don’t have to sing in pitch with the guitar, since it
can go up or down beyond the abilities of a normal person who sings. You
can choose to sing an octave lower (or higher), or even sing in harmony if
you can manage that. Whatever you do, let your voice lead you. In fact, you
will find it difficult even if you tried letting your guitar lead your voice,
especially if you go off on a tangent and just blaze away to impossible-tosing speeds. So focus primarily on singing, and let your guitar follow.
57
The first thing you may notice is how you need to inhale and exhale
regularly. From this, you ought to realize that even your guitar playing
needs a breathing, ‘human’ quality to it.
Letting go is tough
If you really let go of your notions as to what your singing and guitar
playing should sound like, you’re going to come up with some melodic
ideas that would have never occurred to you to use on a guitar. It’s a
thrilling experience to have such fresh source material for the taking.
If you have relative or absolute pitch, you may find the activity of singing
while playing the guitar to be easy, but may still feel stuck as to how to
really stop yourself from doing your usual, traditional licks and phrasing.
I know that it could be difficult to let a new voice guide you. But just stick
with it. It ought to be a pleasant effort for you, and the result is rewarding,
let me tell you.
Uneven patterns
Among the exercises given to an aspiring lead guitarist is one in this vein:
Figure V.17.
E---------------------------------------------------------E
B--12--10--8--10--8-----8-----------------------------B
G-----------------------11----11--9--11--9--7--9~---G
D---------------------------------------------------------D
A---------------------------------------------------------A
E---------------------------------------------------------E
wherein the player moves down (or up) three notes, and back one. Notice
how this pattern does not change, and, applying it to a song, makes it
sound like you’re rehearsing.
58
This is something you can do to spice things up. Instead of going three
notes down and then one back, try going down four notes and two back,
and then three notes and one back, and then four notes and two back
again, and then three notes and one back again. Here’s how it looks:
Figure V.18.
E--------------------------------------------------------------E
B--12--10--8------10--8-------8----------------------------B
G---------------11----------11-----11--9--7--11--9--7~--G
D--------------------------------------------------------------D
A--------------------------------------------------------------A
E--------------------------------------------------------------E
The uneven phrasing makes for a jolt on the ears, where the listener does
not know quite what to expect. Of course, if you keep doing this same
‘non-pattern’ pattern, they’ll eventually catch on. You can continue varying
things though, like this:
Figure V.19.
E--12--10--8--------------------------10--8-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B----------------12-----------------------------12--10---------------13--12--10--------------------------12--10-------------------------B
G--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12------------------------------12--10---------------G
D--------------------10--12--10--9---------------------12--10--9----------------------10--12--10--9---------------------12--10--9--D
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Note how the melody in the first three strings is a typical exercise of four
down, two back. In between that, on the fourth string, we alternate
between C-D-C-B and D-C-B. It sounds quite insane but could fit in nicely
for the climax of some power ballad or something. Another note: Initially,
we play the note C on the high E string, but have to go to the 13th fret of
the B string in the second half for convenience’s sake.
59
Note avoidance
Another way to breathe life to your playing is to intentionally avoid a
certain note or notes. Let’s say you want to not play the tonic and mediant
at all, even as you go up and down the fretboard:
Figure V.20.
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------10--13/15~---E
B------------------------------------------------------------------------12-------------------B
G----------------------------------------------------------14---10-14----------------------G
D------------------9~----12---9---12-9---------------------------------------------------D
A----------8--10---------------------------12/14--10~-----------------------------------A
E--7/10-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
It would probably not occur to you to make such weird shapes as seen
above, but you are ‘forced’ to do this due to the limited notes you can play.
You thus skip hitting C and E several times in this short passage. Note:
Sliding over the note such as in the first two notes doesn’t count as hitting
C in this case.
By confinement, you are set free
Limiting one’s options may actually serve as creative stimulus. We saw how
repeating a certain motif actually enables one to release all sorts of brilliant
variations. Similarly, when we keep ourselves to a box, we have to make do
with what is there, and the end result is not boring as we may first think. If
for example, after we have mastered playing the Major and minor scales,
and the various modes, it may do us good to stick to the pentatonic scale at
times, or even the pentatonic scale minus the minor third.
Figure V.21.
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B--------------8-8~-------------8-8~-------------------------------8/10~--B
G------9--7---------------9--7---------9\7--7^^vv^^vv^^vv-------------G
D--7-------------------7--------------------------------------------------------D
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
60
We would expect the last note to be a minor third, since it seems that, after
playing several fourth and fifth notes, the hand would tend to rest on the
index, hitting a third with vibrato. What’s more, it’s as though we had set
the limit as to how far up the notes could go, with the minor sevenths
seeming to serve as resistance. But because we had decided to eschew
thirds completely, we are forced to break the resistance, and go all the way
up to the 10th fret of the B string. We could have hit the lower A instead,
but that may be anti-climactic (Of course you may prefer to do this
anyway). There’s an added passion to hitting the higher A in such a
manner. And come to think of it, a bend instead of a slide to the higher A
seems to be a good idea as well.
61
VI. Great notes and phrases for certain chords
There is no absolute rule book to music. And by providing the following
suggested notes and phrases, we hope not to limit your imagination as to
what may be done in these particular situations. The following are thus the
ideas that have enriched my musical playing; they may differ for you.
Large Roman numerals signify Major chords, while small Roman numerals
signify minor chords. It may be that the Major or minor thirds are merely
implied but not actually present, such as with a diminished chord. Chords
without any indicated Roman numeral refer to the tonic. Sharps indicate
that the chord played is in the given position, plus a half step (e.g. VI#7 in
the C Major scale is A# Major with a minor seventh)
I also refrain for the most part from suggesting to play the actual chords,
whether played together or as arpeggios, taking it to be rather quite
obvious. The exception is for when there are some really cool shapes to do.
iv/aug5/IIIaug5/V#aug5/VI#7/iidim
Using the augmented dominant in a Major scale setting is one of the
hallmarks of melodious playing in pop music. It is one of the best and most
dramatic transition chords before a resolving root note chord.
Aside from playing the augmented dominant itself, I suggest playing a
supertonic note in a sustained manner. It’s hard to describe exactly why, so
I’ll just say that it serves to add sweet tension, since the supertonic is right
above the resolving tonic.
62
GREAT NOTES AND PHRASES FOR CERTAIN CHORDS
Another favorite of mine is to whip out the whole-tone scale for ever so
short a measure. Whole tones are generally good for transitional or broken
chords. Here is the figure I presented in the earlier section:
Figure VI.1.
E----------------------------------------------4--6--8--6--4---------------------------------------------E
B---------------------------------------5--7-------------------7--5---------------------------------------B
G-------------------------------5--7----------------------------------7--5-------------------------------G
D--------------------4--6--8--------------------------------------------------8--6--4-------------------D
A-------------5--7-----------------------------------------------------------------------7--5-------------A
E--4--6--8--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8--6--4--E
Again, the reason I like this particular shape is it’s so maneuverable and fun
to go around. String skipping, which may add a nice touch of weirdness, is
also quite easy this way.
IV and the mediant
Using a mediant when playing a fourth chord softens up the chord’s
‘subdominant’ nature, hence the use of a IV Major 7 chord (which contains
the mediant) in many soft, jazzy tunes. In this regard, a nice arpeggio to use
underneath a IV chord is a vi arpeggio, which in a C Major scale consists of
A, C and E. Both A and C are the third and fifth, respectively, of the IV
chord, but it is the E note that provides added dimension to it.
Here’s a pattern we can use:
Figure VI.2.
E--12--8------8---------------------------------E
B----------10-----10----10---------------------B
G----------------------9------9\5--9--5\2~--G
D-------------------------------------------------D
A-------------------------------------------------A
E-------------------------------------------------E
63
This, on the other hand is a IV Major 7 arpeggio (which includes two E
notes) that is convenient in shape:
Figure VI.3.
E------------------------8--12--8------------------E
B-------------------10--------------10-------------B
G---------------9-----------------------9----------G
D----------10-----------------------------10------D
A--8--12--------------------------------------12--A
E---------------------------------------------------E
The Major 7 chord
Any Major 7 chords can use the above shape. For C Major 7, we do this:
Figure VI.4.
E-----------------3--7--3-------------E
B--------------5-----------5----------B
G-----------4----------------4-------G
D---------5--------------------5-----D
A--3--7--------------------------7--A
E------------------------------------E
Within this shape is actually the root note (in this case, the tonic C), and an
E minor arpeggio (E, G and B). Major 7 chords can be implied by using a
minor arpeggio a Major third above the given tonic. For C Major 7, it’s E
minor; for G Major 7, it’s B minor; for D Major 7, it’s F# minor; you get
the idea.
IV and the subtonic
The subtonic is between two notes of the IV chord. In a C Major scale, the
two notes of the IV chord are A (the third) and C (the fifth). By putting in
a subtonic, there is a kind of ambivalence as to whether it supplants the
chord’s third or its fifth. Some songs use the subtonic as a means of
‘stretching’ a IV chord, where both third and fifth are raised a whole step.
The result is a V chord whose bass is the subdominant. I’m sure there is
some formal name for the chord, like a minor third inversion 9 b5, but the
principle in itself is fairly easy to grasp. And it’s easier to say VbassIV.
64
In the guitar, there are three chords, E, A and D, that are fairly easy to
‘stretch’ out in this manner.
E becomes:
A becomes:
And D becomes:
Figure VI.5.
E--0----------------------------------0----------------------------------------4--E
B--0----------------------------------4----------------------------------------5--B
G--3---------------------------------4----------------------------------------4---G
D--4---------------------------------4----------------------------------------0---D
A--4---------------------------------0---------------------------------------------A
E--0-------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
As you can see, the chord shapes are simply raised by two frets to achieve
the effect. Another thing you can do is use a bar on the second, third and
fourth strings, and placing your middle finger on the sixth string one fret
above the bar. You can slightly mute the fifth string, which would
otherwise ring out, with your other fingers.
For example,
G becomes:
A# becomes:
And C becomes:
Figure VI.6.
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
B--2------------------------------------------------5--------------------------------------7--B
G--2-----------------------------------------------5--------------------------------------7--G
D--2-----------------------------------------------5--------------------------------------7--D
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E--3------------------------------------------------6--------------------------------------8--E
When doing leads, an easy shape to make use of the subtonic for a IV
chord, as well as the mediant (in this case, the note E) is this:
Figure VI.7.
E------------10--12--10-------E
B-------12-----------------12--B
G--10---------------------------G
D--------------------------------D
A--------------------------------A
E--------------------------------E
65
You can extend it to include two notes on the D string:
Figure VI.7.b.
E------------------10--12--10----------------E
B--------------12-----------------12----------B
G----------10------------------------10------G
D--9--12--------------------------------12--D
A----------------------------------------------A
E----------------------------------------------E
Let’s take it all the way, to include four additional notes, on the fifth and
sixth strings:
Figure VI.7.c.
E-------------------------------10--12--10-------------------------------E
B----------------------------12-----------------12------------------------B
G------------------------10------------------------10--------------------G
D-----------------9--12--------------------------------12--9------------D
A---------8--12-----------------------------------------------12--8-----A
E--8--12-------------------------------------------------------------12--E
Regardless of how far you extend a shape, you have to be aware of the
notes you are including. In the above shape, we are using elements of a vi
arpeggio (A, C and E) and a iii arpeggio (E, G and B), as well as the
supertonic (D) and subdominant (F). That covers the C Major scale! But
you arrange the notes in a way so as to emphasize two notes: the mediant
(E), and the subtonic (B).
66
III (or V in a minor key)
Using a III chord instead of a iii chord is usually done right before playing
a resolving or ‘landed’ vi chord. The significant note in a III chord is its
Major third, which is outside of the Major scale. In the following shapes,
we make the III chord’s Major third really stand out.
Figure VI.8.
E------------------------------------------------E
B--------------------9--12--9------------------B
G-----------9--10-------------10--9----------G
D------10-----------------------------10------D
A--11-------------------------------------11--A
E-----------------------------------------------E
The lower notes are based on whole-tone arpeggios a Major third apart
from each other. The notes on the second and third strings, on the other
hand, are of the harmonic minor scale, which is a minor scale with a Major
seventh instead of a minor seventh.
Minor third arpeggios
We can also use a little of minor third arpeggios, which are notes all of
which are a minor third apart. A common shape used is the following:
Figure VI.9.
E--7-4------4-/10-7---------7-/13-10----------10-/16-13-----------E
B-------6--6-----------9----9--------------12---12--------------15------B
G--------7---------------10------------------13--------------------16~--G
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A---------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------E
67
For our purposes, however, we’d like to add some resemblance to the III
chord, while still using those minor-third intervals that make diminished
chords so striking. So instead of playing a subdominant (in a C Major key,
the note F), I play a half step lower, the mediant, which directly
corresponds to our III chord. This is the shape I use:
Figure VI.10.
E-----------------------4--7--4-------------------E
B--------------------5------------5----------------B
G------------4--7-------------------7--4---------G
D---------6--------------------------------6------D
A--5--7--------------------------------------7~--A
E---------------------------------------------------E
Another cool shape is this:
Figure VI.11.
E--------------------------------12--16--12----------------------------E
B----------------------12--15-----------------15--12------------------B
G------------13--14-------------------------------------14--13--------G
D--12--14--------------------------------------------------------14~--D
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Integrating jazz into your playing
First off, I’m no expert in jazz. Heck, what I may be teaching you here may
have nothing to do with jazz whatsoever! But when I do use the term ‘jazz,’
I am referring to the use of notes that don’t quite fit into the Major or
minor scale, but can enhance your guitar playing.
This book is meant as a guide for improvising for rock guitar. But this does
not mean we could not borrow elements from other genres, in this case,
jazz. In particular, we will be looking at the way jazz musicians shift the
tonic constantly. I guess some things I have gone over so far could be
considered ‘jazzy,’ such as the use of Major 7 chords, not to mention
turning your errors into ‘jazz.’ Okay, without further ado, let’s explore the
things we can do.
68
Shift the tonic with every chord
‘Normally,’ chords are supposed to conform to a single key signature,
wherein the nature of the chord and the scales or modes implied in them
depend on their relation to the central or tonic note. However, suppose we
switch the tonic each time we shift chords, wherein an A minor (or Aeolian
mode) in a C Major scale becomes the tonic A Major?
Let’s go back to our typical chord progression of C-Am-Dm-G, and see an
example of this.
Figure VI.12.
C
Am
Dm
G
E--13--12-------------------------------------9-10-10-9\5----------------9--10--12/15~-----------------------------10--12--14--15--E
B-----------13---------------------------8-10-----------------7/9\7-5~------------------------12-10------------10-12-------------------B
G--------------12\10--12\9~--7-9---------------------------------------------------------------------12-11-12--------------------------G
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
I indicate the ‘wrong’ notes in bold.
Even though I use the odd notes C# and F#, I do them so fleetingly or as
a transition to a note within the C Major scale so that these ‘wrong’ notes
do nothing more than tease the ear. This need not mean that you shouldn’t
emphasize ‘wrong’ notes, but if you do so, you have to be aware that you’re
doing so.
Figure VI.13.
C
Am
Dm
G
E--15~------------------------------------------------12-16~----14--10----------------------------14-15-14---------------------------E
B----------------------13--15-------------------12-14---------------------------------------13^~--------------15-----------------------B
G------------------12------------11~--11--13----------------------------14--12--11--12--------------------------14\12--14\11~---G
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D
A---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E
Okay, the above may sound rather too weird, but it’s only for the sake of
illustration. You may even like my improvisation, ‘wrong’ notes and all.
69
Be experimental. Do the pentatonic scale a flat fifth above each chord. Play
a half step lower than the given key. Play a minor for every Major chord,
and vice versa.
My personal taste would have me shifting the tonic, in the way I sprinkle
salt on my steak, that is, in small doses. Use a passage full of ‘wrong’ notes
long enough to jolt a listener but fleeting enough not to be repulsive. The
less inhibited you are by the rules of keys and chords, the more creative
you can be.
70
A FINAL WORD
VII. A final word
If you got this far, I thank you. As I end this book, I can only reiterate what
I said from the beginning, that I do hope this book will prove helpful to
your growth as a musician, possibly in ways that I myself did not imagine.
Perhaps you find these ideas so repulsive that you resolve to do the
complete opposite of what I am imparting. I really could not predict.
In any case, I’d like to hear from you. Send me a note and let me know
what you think about this book, and what you think are the ways it can be
improved, expanded.
You may have noticed that I emphasize how becoming a better guitar
player has to do with becoming a better musician as a whole, and how
becoming a better, more holistic musician requires a change in one’s state
of mind. If there are any things here that you feel are not for you for any
reason at all, then do something else. You don’t have to care about ‘holism’
or ‘mental processes’ and the other things I discuss here. There is no
philosophy you have to live by or uphold; just do what makes you better.
I toast to your success as a guitar player.
71

How to make a guitar solo A PaulsPurposeMusic.com work 1

Transcription

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