Need some help with soloing.

[tweed deluxe]

Short answers to your questions...

YES you need to memorize every note on the fretboard. There is no magic wand the greats waved, or potion they drank. All practice and commitment.

That being said there are tons of "tricks", some already being mentioned to help memorize all the notes.

Pentatonic scale is just that--5 notes only. The blues scale adds a couple of notes but that is it. When you move to different positions, or boxes, the notes don't change, however the order in which you play them does.

My trick tip of the day for memorizing all the notes on the fret board is this.

If you know sixth-string rooted bar chords--then you already know all the notes on the 6th string, AND all the notes on the first string (tuned to the same note).
If you know your 5th-string rooted bar chords then you already know all the notes on the 5th string.

That is half of all the notes.

Now what about strings 4, 3 and 2?

String 4 is the same note as the string 6, back a whole step:

--------------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------
--------------5------------
--------------------------
------3--------------------

Both of those notes are G, and you know this because you know your 6th sting barre chords--3rd fret is G.

This pattern works the same for string 3 and 5. 3rd fret 5th sting is a C--skip down a string (now you're on string 3) and go up a whole step--this also a C.

The pattern for the second string is Use string 4 as the base, skip down to string 2 and go up a 1 1/2 steps.

So basically, if you know your barre chords--you know every note already.

 

[tweed deluxe]

While your head is spinning with all the stuff above, let me ease your mind a bit with the thought that there is no rule as to what notes are "right" or "wrong". It's more a matter of do you want the notes to blend together (harmony), be slightly outside the key (disonnance), or to purposefully clash (cacophany, some punk, some outside jazz).

When the chords are circling around there are certain "landing" notes and chords like the root or fifth of the chord. So you can play just about any little riff you want as long as the notes that land on the beat hit one of those landing notes. Even a tight rope walker is "off balance" when taking each step as long as the foot steps on the rope at the right time and "in balance". It can be a little outside to create tension and drama, but go too far outside and the tightrope walker falls.

I must respectfully contend this comment. In my opinion, it is much too esoteric to suggest that every note is available at all times to play at any time, or rather that there is no wrong note. Technically this is sort of true (using passing notes), but it is unfair to the art of music to do things without knowing why.

To break the rules, you have to know the rules---and yes the rules are meant to be broken.

G# and Ab are NOT THE SAME NOTE, and G7b9 and G#dim7 are NOT THE SAME CHORD. It is important to understand this sort of stuff. And this is the sort of stuff that confuses all of us if we are hit with it before we're ready for it.

So while some teaching techniques might present themselves as short-sighted, or incomplete, or not the whole truth. They are stepping stones towards to whole truth. Bite size pieces that we can all chew on and swallow before the next bite--we don't want to choke to death by taking too big a bite.

 

[tweed deluxe]

Also, "Guitar Fretboard Workbook" will do wonders for your fretboard knowledge. This will "fire off more light bulbs" then you can dream of.

As difficult as it is, don't see scales as patterns and numbers--but notes and degrees in relation to the tonic, and current chord in the progression. This may sound hard, but if you just learn things in context of keys, then you'll get it down much faster.

Key of G or A are great keys to practice in. Once you feel that you got it understood, then transpose to other keys--everything will be the same--just in a different key.

 

[DejaVuudoo]

Thanks for all the help guys, this is a great community. Last forum I was on I only got one response and it was only a link to the A scale patterns.

 

[Peeker]

...

G# and Ab are NOT THE SAME NOTE...

as far as the guitar is concerned, sure they are.
play me an Ab that doesn't sound just like a G#

but I get whatcha mean.

 

[Mark Wein]

Thanks for all the help guys, this is a great community. Last forum I was on I only got one response and it was only a link to the A scale patterns.

No problem. I dig that I'm not the only person here who answers these questions too...I'm happy that the community likes to share

 

[Peeker]

yeah, Mark really does have a fantastic group here, sometimes I'm even part of that fantastic.
but mostly, I'm just in a fantasy

 

[Mark Wein]