Play Guitar In 7 Days!

Lesson Seven: “Your Diary”

We now come to the subject of lead guitar, known in the United Kingdom as “widdly-widdly.” Though most guitar solos these days last three to seven seconds, there was a time (see the 1970s) when guitarists were allowed the freedom to explore musical vistas, improvising epic and cinemascopic performances, unhindered by constraints of time and audience attention span.

Granted, some took advantage of this freedom and bored the bejesus out of many a listener, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that improvising, on a good day, is like parasailing, or whitewater rafting, or driving a car 120 mph across the prairie (or on the Autobahn: shoutout to our German freunds) – in short, any activity in which one can lose oneself and become completely absorbed: attaining a higher level of consciousness while getting one’s rocks off at the same time. If this all sounds a little mystical, it is.

Solos are played over chord progressions; therefore, the scales follow the chords. But chords come from scales, which presents a chicken vs. the egg situation – which came first: scales or chords? No one knows, but learning scales can increase the ability to think on your feet and play the notes you want to hear.

Below are some scales you should commit to memory: minor pentatonic (everybody learns this one), major pentatonic (only half learn this one), mixolydian, dorian, and lydian (nobody learns these, except guitarists who worship Frank Zappa), and Arabic minor (optional).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R = “root,” which is the “home” note. For example, if you are in the key of A, all of the dots marked “R” should be an A note.

But here’s the freaky thing: if you move your hand somewhere else, you have a one-in-two chance of it still sounding good! Look at the minor and major pentatonic scales: it’s just the same fingerings with the root in a different place! And you thought music theory was rocket science! Pshaw!

Pro Tip: The Arabic minor scale is not so easily transmogrified and should be handled with care. We will not revisit the Arabic minor until Series Five, if this is even still a thing then.

Back to the task at hand:

The solo in “Your Diary” follows a chord progression of E-D-G-F; finding the notes in each chord and linking them to the notes of the next can be like solving a crossword puzzle, or stitching crochet, or crocheting a stitch, or shaving 30 seconds off your driving commute home – in short, anything that makes the brain tingle with satisfaction.

Note that superimposing the four scales on top of one another leaves very little white space. A more positive way of saying it would be that all 12 notes are represented. And this doesn’t even count the microtones from bending strings.

Whoa! We haven’t even talked about bending strings yet! So much to learn still!

Hope you’re still with us and your eyes haven’t glazed over and your brain turned to mush! Pat yourself on the back! Give yourself a break! You’ve come a long way, baby!

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