Originally Posted by: TerranautI want to learn how to do some flourishes and embellishements and get the basics down of roots music.
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What style or genre of music do you mean by roots music? Blues, country, early rock?Originally Posted by: TerranautShould I be thinking whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half (intervals in major scale for instance)? Done that. It stinks and doesn't really add up to anything.
OK, I get what you are saying here. If you don't know what to do with a scale it is frustrating. But, this sounds like you know & can play major diatonic scales & that's good! I'm going to assume you also already know minor diatonic and pentatonic major & minor. But you don't know what to do with them or why.
[QUOTE=Terranaut]
Ok, so What does one "think" and "why"? Perhaps my etude idea might help show that.
One thinks in terms of scale degrees that match chord tones.
These tutorials cover the basics of improvisation using that fundamental concept. But be warned, they assume you already know a lot of the info I mentioned that is covered in the GF2 course.
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=876
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=483
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=491
Or if you are interested in a blues style of improvisation, then these tutorials cover how to play over a I-IV-V basic 12 bar blues progression using pentatonic scales as a visual reference, but adding diatonic notes when targeting chord tones.
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=217
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=232
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=826
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=244
If you want to go a little further, these tutorials cover how to use scales to play jazz.
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1757
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1205
Now, those are all things to do with scales. So, you can apply the knowledge! But, it might be helpful to have a look at these tutorials that teach the basics of music theory. It sounds like someone told you to play scales without even telling you why scales are so valuable. These tutorials explain why!
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=495
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=835
Hope this helps! Ask more if necessary & have fun!
