guitar soloing over chords

blastingas10 · 09-19-2011, 04:54 PM

How do i know what scales to use over a certain chord progression? For example, if the chord progression is in the key of A, would i play a scale in the key of A? Would i change scales when the progression goes to a different chord?

YorkeDaddy · 09-19-2011, 06:34 PM

You have to know your keys and scales by heart. Study your music theory and practice until knowing that the key of Bb is Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb is rudimentary.

blastingas10 · 09-19-2011, 07:05 PM

I know my keys and my notes, I know some scales as well. I guess I still dont know enough. I dont know what you mean by rudimentary.

Burning Down · 09-19-2011, 07:57 PM

Rudimentary in music terms, means the basics. As in stuff that you need to know, practice, and memorize before you can move on to more complex things.

Phantom Limb · 09-19-2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blastingas10

How do i know what scales to use over a certain chord progression? For example, if the chord progression is in the key of A, would i play a scale in the key of A? Would i change scales when the progression goes to a different chord?

You can do either. If the progression is in A, you most likely can solo in that key. You could also follow the chords and solo in each key as it changes. I would suggest trying to follow it by ear though, because that will help you most in the long run.

Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra · 09-20-2011, 02:54 PM

Do what Jimi Hendrix did, and just ****ing play your instrument until you get something you like. I mean, guitar solos are intended to be a bit of freedom, and should be improvised.

GuitarBizarre · 09-20-2011, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra

Do what Jimi Hendrix did, and just ****ing play your instrument until you get something you like. I mean, guitar solos are intended to be a bit of freedom, and should be improvised.

None of that means jack **** unless you know what you're doing. Hendrix took an awful lot of **** from other places like motown and funk. If hendrix didn't know what he was doing specifically, the players whose licks he was modifying and using certainly did.

You gotta start somewhere, and blindly enthusing about the uselessness of theory is never going to be that place.

SIRIUSB · 09-22-2011, 12:09 PM

Simply understand if a chord is major, minor, or dominant and apply whatever scales you know over that.

Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra · 09-22-2011, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

None of that means jack **** unless you know what you're doing. Hendrix took an awful lot of **** from other places like motown and funk. If hendrix didn't know what he was doing specifically, the players whose licks he was modifying and using certainly did.

He did know what he was doing, subconsciously. That's the art of the guitar solo, though. It's an accumulation of subconcious efforts. That is why you solo over the chords. If you want to follow theory 100% blatantly, don't solo at all. To do a prewritten solo destroys the spontaneous invention that makes a solo work. Hendrix, again, is a great example of this. There's a reason why his band would continue playing chords, and he'd go off into lala land playing randomly whatever worked for the time, and moment. The expression of spontaneous feeling.

~~Farfisa~~ · 09-22-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra

He did know what he was doing, subconsciously. That's the art of the guitar solo, though. It's an accumulation of subconcious efforts. That is why you solo over the chords. If you want to follow theory 100% blatantly, don't solo at all. To do a prewritten solo destroys the spontaneous invention that makes a solo work. Hendrix, again, is a great example of this. There's a reason why his band would continue playing chords, and he'd go off into lala land playing randomly whatever worked for the time, and moment. The expression of spontaneous feeling.

Nah, his band was just a drummer, bass player, and him, so more just the bassline. I know a lot of people don't like Omar, but some of his solos during the songs he just goes to whatever note at random and goes with it. That gives his solos sort of an atonal and spontaneous feel. With Hendrix type solos I think you have to be a little conscious as to where your fingers are but once you know the scales and modes it's much easier to improvise and play around.

09-19-2011, 04:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	guitar soloing over chords How do i know what scales to use over a certain chord progression? For example, if the chord progression is in the key of A, would i play a scale in the key of A? Would i change scales when the progression goes to a different chord? Last edited by blastingas10; 09-19-2011 at 05:07 PM.

09-19-2011, 06:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
YorkeDaddy silky smooth Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Pangaea Posts: 4,079	You have to know your keys and scales by heart. Study your music theory and practice until knowing that the key of Bb is Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb is rudimentary.

09-19-2011, 07:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	I know my keys and my notes, I know some scales as well. I guess I still dont know enough. I dont know what you mean by rudimentary.

09-19-2011, 07:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
Burning Down The Music Guru. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Beyond the Wall Posts: 4,858	Rudimentary in music terms, means the basics. As in stuff that you need to know, practice, and memorize before you can move on to more complex things.

09-22-2011, 12:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
SIRIUSB Luciferian Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 278	Simply understand if a chord is major, minor, or dominant and apply whatever scales you know over that.