Master the guitar...

[Medisterskaft]

Hello.. I have been playing guitar for almost two years now. A couple of hours every day. Im learning scales and some basic stuff... But its hard to put all these things together. Any of you guys have any tips on how to see paterns. How its all connected. I can play a lot of scales, but i dont realy understand how i can use them to play something cool. How does guitarists like Alexi Laiho (my favourite) play does lightening solos all the way up the fret. You have any good tabs that would help for this?
Thank you

Medisterskaft

 

[Needlefeast]

One bit that has helped me use the whole neck for solos is learning scales both vertically and horizontally, vertical being the box patterns that we all know and love and horizontal being just learning the scale on each string, as well as learning all the scales starting from random places on the fretboard.
sure it takes a bit, but damn, its definitely worth it, once you get it all.

Also, depending what scales (and/or modes) you know, they may all tie in together. If you know the major scale (or the Ionian scale) then you already know 6 more of its modes, and to change modes you start the scale on a varied degree. sorry that sounds confusing...
the Dorian mode of the major scale starts on the second degree of the major scale. Let's say you were in C Major, just to make the theory bit simpler, if you were to start on the first degree, C, you'd play the Ionian or major, if you were to start on the second degree, D, you'd be playing the dorian mode, 3rd degree is phrygian, 4th degree is Lydian, 5th degree (or dominant) is the Mixolydian mode, 6th degree is Aeolian mode (which is your natural mionor scale) and the 7th degree is the locrian mode.
Anyway, all that may seem like a lot, but after playing it all out on the fretboard, it gets easier the more you practice (as with all things related to music). Anyway, hope this helped some, and good luck to ya.

 

[Indiooo]

Modes are not that simple. It's not a question of where you start, but what are the intervals in relation to the tonic. Medisterskaft let me know if you're interested in this. If you want I can give you my take on this (modes are actually really easy if they are explained in a decent way).

About using the whole fretboard, try to make 3 note per string patterns starting on every note of a given scale (using all six strings). Say you're playing E natural minor. Play the 3 note pattern starting on E (open string), then F#, then G, then A, then B, then C, then D, then E again (one octave up - 12th fret). Do tis from the 6th to the 1st string and the opposite. This way you'll be covering all the notes you can play within that scale.

But playing fast just for the sake of it is bullshit. Phrasing is a lot more important.

 

[Medisterskaft]

Thanks a lot...
I allready can play all these scales vertically. But id better start learning them horizontally...
But even if i can play these scales, i cant seem to get them into use. Is there any good songs that might help putting them to use?
I have started on sweeping and appregios to. I just want to be able to play sweet licks without stopping in between to think what to play next

 

[Medisterskaft]

Yes Indiooo that would be great... I just wanna learn as much as possible.
I would be very greatfull for your help

 

[Indiooo]

Ok, here's my take on it.

People often say modes are about starting a major scale on a different note. Well, there's more to it than that, it's more about the intervals of the degrees relating to the tonic.
A major scale has the following intervals:

1- Tonic
2- Major 2nd
3- Major 3rd
4- Perfect 4th
5- Perfect 5th
6- Major 6th
7- Major 7th

Let's consider this: notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, B (notes of the C major scale).

Assuming C as the tonic, you have these intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. They are all major/perfect intervals, just like on a major scale. It is the first mode of the major scale, called Ionian (in this case, C Ionian, as C is the tonic). It is exactly the same as the major scale.

Now let's take D as the tonic. D E F G A B C The intervals change now: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7. This is the second mode of the major scale, Dorian (a minor mode, very different from Ionian). In this case D Dorian.

Now assuming E is the tonic. E F G A B C D Intervals: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.
Third mode of the major scale, Phrygian. (E Phrygian here).

The tonic is F now. F G A B C D E Intervals: 1 2 3 4# 5 6 7.
Fourth mode of the major scale, Lydian. (F Lydian here).

Assuming G as the tonic. G A B C D E F Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7.
Fifth mode of the major scale, Myxolydian. (G Myxolydian here).

A as the tonic. A B C D E F G Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.
Sixth mode of the major scale, Aeolian. (A Aeolian here). Notice how it is the same as the natural minor scale.

B as the tonic. B C D E F G A Intervals: 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7.
Seventh mode of the major scale, Locrian. (B Locrian here).

This way, you have seven different scales, one for each step in the major scale. They all share the same chords (I'm assuming you know how to extract chords from any given scale) but the relation of each degree with the tonic changes drastically. If you play every mode with an E note (for example) as a tonic, instead of playng C, D, etc, you will notice they sound extremely different from each other. There's three minor modes, three major modes and one diminished mode.

So modes are basically just a way of taking the intervalic structure of a major scale, and creating different ones by making each note of that structure the tonic.

I don't know if this was clear to you (probably not lol) but it's the best I can explain it.

 

[Indiooo]

Also you can take modes from any scale, using the same process.

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

Use the harmonic minor scale its awesome. And don't just shoot for Alexi's style he's not at all that great he almost always only uses one key (d minor) and playing scales fast isn't that hard when you get used to it. Try practicing scales and arpeggios in 2 and 3 octaves.

 

[Bryant]

I will sound like a broken record here, but don't allow your fretting hand to develop too much farther than your picking hand. With two years of playing under your belt, you should be able to make good "music" with your guitar. If you concentrate on scales and modes exclusively your style will sound "sterile." I did the opposite thing as a beginning guitarist. I was interested more in pinch harmonics, palm muting etc. and despised learning scale and stuff and my playing suffered because of it.
I see many guitarists that know some amazing riffs, but many are played with the same technique with the picking hand and are not expressed with the fretting hand either and it sounds very dry. I am not saying not to learn scales and modes etc. as I wish I could go back in time and force myself to be more patient with the more technically challenging fretting techniques, but (not here to brag on my skills at all please believe me) I can play extremely technically deficient pentatonic stuff and sound better than many guys who choose more interesting notes than I do because I have developed a better phrasing style and better techniques on different ways to play any given note.
You may already possess those techniques and need to progress in your scales, I don't know.... I just don't want you to become two-dimensional. BTW, please don't think I am trying to sound like some guitar guru. I am a solid player, but I am only that way becaue of my experience. I was a student of GIHK. That is the guitar institute of hard knocks. I have been playing for twenty years and learned how to play mostly from learning how not to play. : /


Bryant

 

[Medisterskaft]

Thanks a lot guys... This is great stuff. Where is the best place to learn music theory and techniques? Would you suggest taking lessons, or is it best to learn from yourself... I havent played for that long compared to you guys, but damn Alexi kicks ass... I cant understand that anybody would diagree with that...

Thanks

 

[Indiooo]

Yeah, Bryant hit an important point. Don't focus only on developing chops or you'll sound like the guys wanking in the music shop who can't write a decent solo to save their asses. Try to be expressive and dynamic with your playing. Bend the shit out of your strings, try to imitate vocal lines, i.e. make your guitar talk.

About musical education. I never had a guitar teacher, and I'm not sure I will ever. I think it's a better option to go to some sort of music institute and at the same time practice a lot at home.

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

Yeah I learned more from a music theory class than I did from my guitar teacher.

 

[Medisterskaft]

What about you guys that have played for 20 years, how did you begin, what did you learn first? What can you learn today considering you probably know everything there is to know. How do you expand...