Lesson tip and some help for anyone

I was asked ages ago how you get that certain nice sound with the pentatonic scale. What do you mean I asked? It just sounds like each chord and the scale fit perfectly over each other.

Well no secret I said what I use to do and still do to some extent was to play 5 positions of the pentatonic scale for example A minor and record the scale and play some chords over the tape sound of the scale running in the background this way I said was the best way of both ear training and see what sounds good around the chord progression.

So I might start on C major chord and play A minor and mix it up to see what really sounds great. This I feel makes you into a much more confident player. I make sure that I play up and down with the pick, and start from the root note of the scale and end of the root note. Simply it is and easy it is even if you are starting out in guitar work no rocket science with me.

Next I read about speed a lot of you like playing fast and faster stuff. No problem at all using the pick. I tend to use a heavy pick 2mm (millimetres) and base my exercise on one string using the first, third and fourth finger and up and down strokes now do this a few times then move it down a couple of threats and repeat. Now two string let say I pick G and B strings say fingers will be used put now you will notice it a bit nasty as you are now picking inside the strings but don’t worry the more you practise the faster you become use a metronome for time. If you can pick at 220 beats then you have master fast picking most think they can play fast but still sound ****.

Did I learn all this theory I was asked in a music shop. Not really just knew a few scales and bought a scale book and chord book long before the internet and play from them. Then I sat down tape myself playing said that sound is rubbish (sh**) and why it sounded crap and how to improve myself playing. For example did I make a horrible open string noise or did I play a wrong note or did not put any technique in. If it sounds great then leaves it alone and says how I can better this can I add a few notes or take a one out. Music is all down to learning to sit down and dedicate yourself and tell yourself if it sounds good or not. This is what I did

Scale and modes and chords and this and that you should know your major and minor pentatonic scales and also blues scales the rest you can pick up later. You can make music hard or easy for me I took the easy option and learnt the modes and the theory later on. This way it makes sure that you don’t become to bog down with theory I think Dave Murray did not have any theory just a few scale behind him.

Little lesson from me hope you enjoy and get something from this topic as yet I would love to post a tab up for you all but not that good with the inter web. Lol

Take care

why would you first record scale and then play chords over it instead of recording chords and playing the scale over it? maybe you meant it the other way..

anyway nice lesson , think learning scales is quite necessary for every guitarplayer...

keep up the good work!

mightydave recording chords and playing the scale over it. That is what I meant to say thanks.