Lead Guitar Instruction
Hey all,
I've been playin rythm for about a year and want to start working on leads. Problem is I learned my basic guitar chords from a chart and have learned everything else by ear. All the lead stuff seems to be really thoery heavy and i am theory stupid (I couldn't even tell you what key I'm playing in...lol). Anybody got anysuggestions for a good instructional course for basic theory that won't bore me to death??? :?
I've been playin rythm for about a year and want to start working on leads. Problem is I learned my basic guitar chords from a chart and have learned everything else by ear. All the lead stuff seems to be really thoery heavy and i am theory stupid (I couldn't even tell you what key I'm playing in...lol). Anybody got anysuggestions for a good instructional course for basic theory that won't bore me to death??? :?
Comments
Frank Gambale, Modes No More Mystery - this is good once you can play some scales.
There are more, I just can't think of them off top of my head.
Its alot simplier than its made out to be in most books, forums etc. (Grimoire is a great reference, but i wouldnt recommend it to someone just getting their feet wet, the 3 note per string patterns seems to take away something from the tonal color that the traditional box patterns exhibit).
Heres a crash course with a very spartan view of scales and modes.
First thing you need to learn is your pentatonics, this is the most used scale in modern music. People that call it cliche' are using cliche' phrasing. Pentatonic consists of 5 box patterns. Learning the order in which they follow each other is very important because this gives you the ability to go up and down the neck, stay in key with your leads, (and surf for those sweet spots. The key to mastering them is learning that the patterns always follow each other in the same order. If you start playing in box 4, and want to move up the neck a little, the next pattern will always be 5, regardless of key etc. Likewise if you were playing out of the 3rd box pattern as you moved up the neck box #4 will always follow. Look at the 5 boxes as one big pattern with the boxes being smaller parts.
Then the dreaded modes of the major scale, you will hear more hot air about this than you can believe. Its really pretty simple.
There are 7 modes of the major scale, like wise there are 7 traditional box patterns. These patterns also always follow each other in the same order. So all you have to learn is 7 boxes and the order that they follow each other on the neck and you can play in any key, any mode. Really 7 patterns is all you have to learn.
For example-
Imagine your playing in the second mode of the major scale and you want to go up the neck, and cover all the patterns in one octave so you play patterns 2, then 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1.
Now you decide you want to try a different flavor/ different mode. (in this case a different minor color) so you start in the same place and cover the same in area in one octave. So now you play boxes 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hope that helps some, it took me a long time to figure that out on my own, I have the concept tabbed out on Word.doc. as a lesson I made for for a friend, if you have word (otherwise the tabs get all screwed up) and want to post your email i will send it to you.
(It applies this to pentatonics, blues, modes, harmonic and melodic minor scales in 3 pages, which is more than i learned from some pretty massive books, It also has side notes of what i thought were the important basics for lead guitar theory, b's #'s characteristics of each mode etc. I had 2 semesters of theory at Union so im not talking completely out of my *** )
Oi, just noticed, a fellow Caintukian, greetings from London
http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/
Let's use an example. Take C as your tonal center, and look up the overtone series for it (all over the internet). You'll notice that as soon as a tone occurs, it will repeat each time you cross the octave. Then you follow the divine proportion and cut down the frequency in a non-well-tempered fashion: first octave is 1/2, so 2/3 is the next one which is G. 3/4 yields another C (the repeat overtone); 4/5 is an E above it; so it continues.
Unique overtones of C, in order of appearance: C, G, E, Bb, D, F#, A
Unique overtones of G, in order of appearance: G, D, B, F, A, C#, E
Unique overtones of F, in order of appearance: F, C, A, Eb, G, B, D
Superimpose the three series, and you'll notice that the second octave and each thereafter outlines the C major scale.
Now, for tertial harmony (which is what most people are used to hearing - constructed in thirds) you build chords using the overtone relationships. More familiar, classical or rock type stuff, will usually be the closest overtones; jazzy type things will find more of the distant ones. Harmonic motion is achieved by linking the overtone series of each chordal structure in a given progression. Now you know why I-IV-V is such a common progression!
This all probably seems ridiculously useless to learn; but once seen in application, this concept becomes second nature and frees you up of any dependency you may have on detailed theoretical knowledge - or lack thereof.
But, for kicks and giggles, let's take it one step further. In the above example, the I degree (C) is the tonal center, around which tonality revolves. It can be considered the majority political party in a government. The IV and V are equally strong, politically, but in most instances the harmony tends to resolve to the majority of C. Modulation is possible - a shift in power, resulting in the tonal center shifting; bringing previously strong parties either to power or to the side bench, and putting some of the less popular ones on the map.
Modulation is achieved using the concept of \"secondary dominants\". You take any two chords that have the same scalar relationship as the subdominant and the dominant (IV and V), and substitute the appropriate chords for it to cause their equivalent of I to be perceived as tonic - there you have modulated.
Example: we are in the key of C. Normally, a IV-V-I will bring us back home; commonly, the ii is used as an alternative to the IV. Therefore, going IV-V-I will give us a section of a tune; so will ii-V-I. To make it more interesting, we can insert other chords - it helps to keep them a fourth apart. An example is iii-vi-ii-V-I: notice that the iii, vi, as well as the ii, are all minor - to conform with the scalar structure of the key of C. However, make these two iii-vi7-II - and you're now in D major. Make the iii diminished, and you've got D minor. It's all relative. As you apply the overtone series overlay approach from earlier, you'll derive the various \"modes\" that are such a big mystery everywhere (that Gambale video is good, seriously).
What does any of this have anything to do with scales? Just remember, scales are an instance of harmony, in a slightly different shape and form than chords, but otherwise very similar if not identical. Don't attempt to learn one at a time - learn both.
The Grimoire book is a decent reference for scale. I was more recommending the video that comes with it - once you get over the goofy wardrobe, it's informative and breaks down the information very well. Just pick one up at a book store and read the first 10-15 pages - most of your questions about scales will probably be answered right there and then.
Where to start... I've only been playing for about 3 years and what has really helped me is this...
Pentatonic Scales - Learn all 5 (this was already Stated).
Learn how Scales are constructed Major and Minor - and how Major, Minor and Diminished chords are produced if not already learned.
Jam. Jam over anything. Even if lead guitar is in the song, either try and copy it or just play your own thing over the song.
Sing leads then try and duplicate on the guitar.
And the one thing that has really helped me is to find a good teacher. Which I was lucky in finding one.
I've been learning guitar for just under a year now and I've recently come to understand a little bit more about the pentatonic patterns and am happy using them to run up and down the fretboard with my hamfisted attempts at lead. However, I got the stuff Sixstringz mentioned in his post and now the modes don't seem half a mystery as they had previously. Okay I may not have a good understanding of them by any measure but since Sixstringz explained that I can use the patterns in the same way as I was using the pentatonic patterns it's made things a heck of a lot easier. I've just been messing around in the Phrygian mode in \"A\" and had so much fun making up a riff, bassline and a wee melody over the top of it all. I might even post it after I've added some of my drumming to it. As for running for the hills at the posts on this thread, no way jose!!! I'll be running to pick up my guitar :!:
Many thanks to Sixstringz
TY
shando
http://www.berkleeshares.com/
I've been working thru SE Got alot to go but this realy is a very insightfull light bulb go on type of theory broke down as for the guitar. (guitar focused) Anyhow its been a help for me. Check it out I think you will like it!!!!!
And there are many guitar solo websites where you can get some chops
In all things have fun and follow your heart
I won't bore you with loads of theory, it's got nothing to do with music anyway. Music is the transference of sound from one's imagination to the real world, at least for me.
I learned the Major scale, doh-ray-meh-soh, etc. I learned it all over the fretboard in every position but damn there's that word again POSITION. I don't want to play in positions ARGH! So next I began inventing ways of moving fluidly from one position to the next, up or down.
I discovered, and later had it reinforced by Holdsworth, that it is easier to shift positions if you don't think about 3 notes per string. I began to see that by simply adding a note to a 3 note fragment (on the same string) I would be magically transformed into the next position. Depending on where I added the note (top or bottom) it would move me to a position higher or a position lower.
So basically I can play a major scale in lots of different positions. Sure I have learned lots of other scales since then but the most important thing, for me, was to learn how to play ANY major scale ANYWHERE on the neck.
Once you have that down you are basically playing all of the modes, major, minor, phrygian, mixolydian, etc, etc.
Two more points if I may, I could waffle all day.
Firstly you said in your original post that you use your ears to learn things. For me this is the most important tool one has. Too many people ignore ear training when learning the guitar, they all want to play Steve Vai's latest lick or whatever, they don't realise that before Mr Vai got his first gig he started out transcribing Frank Zappa. Give me a student with a good ear over someone technically gifted every time.
Secondly find a good teacher. If you read this stuff in books it is difficult. A book can only describe something once, hard luck if you didn't understand. A good teacher can explain the same thing in lots of different ways and give musical examples.
Hope this helps and good luck in your playing and learning, it's a long, long journey :¬)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=K_q w03-3gFg