Originally Posted by: CSchlegelWhat style or genre of music do you mean by roots music? Blues, country, early rock?
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.
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!
Yes, by roots music I mean the blues, country, bluegrass--the older and initiating forms of pop music that became later built upon to become today's varying forms of sophisticated stuff--kinda like what the Brits did with music Americans looked down on. It is elemental and I'm good with playing it acoustic and have no intention of getting any electric guitars and going through all the learning stuff that is in the way today like amp modelling and interface differences in computer software and even the annoying array of button and dial combos on a Fender Mustang I V2 which I just sold along with my strat. I have Taylor 210 CE and Behringer acoutic amp that I learned how to use within minutes of reading the manual and it has effects. I blundered and bought the Zoom A3 accoustic guitar modeler and though i could get some nice sounds out of it, it was way way too hard to learn to tweak. So I sent it back and am keeping it just to music without any other learning curves getting in the way.
I am not up on the scales you mentioned but that is easy to loo up and practice. And I sampled the first link on improvisation and it seems more like where I can go with some practice and concentration. Most of the other stuff Ive done in order has been so elementary it's annoying. I don't need the musician to keep reminding me where on the fret to put my finger for instance. Or what that red head beat that strum pattern to death. But I've been though that. What you suggest below I will get right on. Thanks for the lead on where to go. I can play a lot of songs and figure them out with ease but there are holes in my understanding as to how to think. I can't go into a music store and just play some little thing that's gonna wow anyone, I have to sit down and play a song I learned. But I have never created a piece of music of my own or learned anything about the blues but how to play the rhythm and some basic turn arounds. I hope this will open my mind to what I've been lacking. Thanks again.
