music theory help.. a few questions... i need clarification on some new ideas

I have taught myself guitar over the past year or so...this site has helped me alot... i think i may have connected a few things and i wouldnt mind clarifying and finding out some stuff...here are a few questions and there will be more to come..thanks in advance...i have pretty much only been doing rythm and chord work so the concept of soloing and multi instrument songs are still new to me


1. if you are playing within a scale...is the general rule to keep all the chords containing notes only within that scale... (i know all rules are meant to be broken but lets get real basic)

2. if that is true...and i take a song i have made and put the notes into the (Reverse Scales), is whatever scale coming out thats what you should solo over the song with... and what if it is not the root note of the song...for instance i have a song in G but the scale it gave me was D Japanese (taishikicho)

3. i feel like any major scale...and minor pentatonic fit back to back on the guitar all along the neck...for instance... if you take the Emajor scale...the second note is F# so then you can do the F# minor pentatonic scale...then the F# minor pentatonics second note is A so you can do A major...? is that right and if not what kind of tricks are there

4. i find alot of time after i learn something i learn lots of east patterns to connect it all and math...if anyone has tips and tricks i would appreciate it...

thanks

1. Yes. That's why in a major key the chords are Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major, Minor, Diminished (if I rememebr correctly)... because the notes you would have to change change in such a way it changed the chord to a minor or whatever chord. There are more chords you can use, that's just the basics.

2. As long as you are putting in the notes in right a lot of the time it should be ok to use whatever is says. Always remember though that some songs may change keys or use notes outside a key - so find out if the songs does anything like that first.

3. No, no... I don't think you're right there. You have to use modes for that (give some guitar site a little search). But if you're in E major (the key) then you can play the C natural minor scale because it's the relative minor/one of the modes of the Emajor scale. If you want to work out others count to the 6th degree of the root.

Eg.

C D E F G A
1 2 3 4 5 6
You can play the A natural minor scale in the key of C major.

4. Well, you can learn scales by intervals or steps or just memorising lots of different patterns. For example a major scale in steps is

Root note - Whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.

I prefer the use of intervals (flat 3rd, sharp 5th) etc, but it means you have to know your major scale (which you probably do). Then you just apply everything to the major scale... for eg.

1 2 b3 (flattend 3rd) 4 #6 (sharpened 6th) 7

- This means you play the major scale but drop the 3rd by half a step and then move the 6th the other way. This was just an example and not neccaserily a commonly used scale.

In E major the relative minor is C# minor not C minor - that's in Eb major. You probs knew that anyway Doz, just a spelling error!

I know I tell a lot of people to do this, but check out my lesson on 'Modes and how to use them' in the lessons part of this site. It should clear up most of your queries you've posted above. If not, feel free to post back and we'll see what we can do.

Afro

Yes, he's right, it's supposed to be C#. I'll go back and change that.

Edit: Can only edit your last post it seems...