A Worthwhile Basic Scale Lesson
Robert, perhaps some players think this lesson to be "too much" - too much a jumble of notes w no reference...?
I have alot to say here, but I'll try to make it as brief as I can:
First, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to learn the basic pentatonic scale "box". In this lesson, except, by my count, two notes, Robert is playing every note within the basic pentatonic "box" parameters. (Robert, perhaps w every lick lesson, you might begin w the 6-string, first position pentatonic scale as a reference to everything that follows in the lick lesson...? I think this would be a huge help and reference point for alot of players.)
Once you get that "box" down, you are ready to launch into ANYTHING - any type, style or genre of lead "licks", from rock to blues, jazz to country, you name it...within the confines of four frets on any string, each string starting on the same fret. I'll try to explain in words, the pentatonic box:
First, barre any chord. Say an A major chord, as A seems to be the most popular chord for alot of players.
Now, notice that all of the barred strings are, of course, at the fifth fret. So, in the basic pentatonic box scale in A major, the first note of the scale will always be at the fifth fret on each string, and played w your first finger.
Now, w that in mind, let's start from the sixth string and work our way up the scale, string by string, note by note, to the first string:
Using your first finger, play the fifth fret on the low E string (sixth string), then place your pinky on the eighth fret of the low E string and pick that note...
next, your first finger on the fifth fret of the A string, then your ring finger (third finger) on the seventh fret of the A string.
Now do the same thing again on the D string: fifth and seventh frets. And the same thing on the G string: fifth and seventh frets.
Now, on the B string, play the fifth fret w your first finger, and then the eighth fret w your pinky, and finally the fifth fret of the high E string w your first finger and the eighth fret w your pinky. That's it!
Now that you've read that, let's simplify it. On the fretboard, the fifth fret of the low and high E strings is an A note. Now, look at the A note as fret one of the A pentatonic scale. In doing this, all that I described above can be laid out much more simply in this way:
Starting on the fifth fret of the fretboard on the low E string, that is now the FIRST fret of the A pentatonic scale, and the run goes like this:
Low E: the 1 fret, then the 4 fret
A string: the 1 fret, then the 3 fret
D string: the 1 fret, then the 3 fret
G string: the 1 fret, then the 3 fret
B string: the 1 fret, then the 4 fret
High E: the 1 fret, then the 4 fret That's it!
Now that you have that, it can be even further simplified as follows, from low E string to high E string, two notes on each string:
1 - 4 / 1 - 3 / 1 - 3 / 1 - 3 / 1 - 4 / 1 - 4
Within the confines of those four frets, you can do just abt anything, in any key: run the exact same scale pattern backwards, from the high E to Low E, play double-stops, arpeggiate triads, bends, slides...on and on...
Every note Robert played in this lick lesson was within the confines of those four frets, in the key of F7 (the 13th fret, using that as your "one" fret, to the 16th fret, as your "four" fret). Except for two notes, where he went outside the "box" by 1/2 step - once 1/2 step, or one fret down, and once 1/2 step, or one fret up.
This can go on and on, of course, "extending" the basic box higher and lower up and down the neck, but we'll stick w that BASIC BOX here. Once you have that down and can play it in your sleep, you are more than WELL ON THE WAY to understanding any variation, of any lead guitar lick, anywhere on the neck.
One caveat: please don't get stuck within that box! Eventually you will learn how to extend it, play within it and outside of it, and it will become second nature and a reference point for opening up the fretboard to endless possibilities...there is SO much more to it! But this is the basic stepping stone to all the rest! ALSO, some players disregard the use of the pinky, as it is the weakest finger, and use the ring finger instead. I STRONGLY advise you to use the pinky as described above for two reasons: simply b/c it is the weakest finger and you need to use it and get used to using it and build its strength - and in using it as descibed it frees up your ring finger to play the 3 fret within the box.
Hopefully this has been of some help to someone, probably the newer players, I would think. Now, after you kinda have this general idea of the "box" in your head, watch Robert's lick(s) again. The one above or any others, and see how they ALL relate to the "box"!
(EDIT: I know I'm sticking my neck out here. This is actually the minor pentatonic scale, which means the third is flatted. In the key of A major, the third is a C#. In Am, the third is flatted, or dropped one fret to a C note. But I'm trying to keep this as basic as possible as a simple reference point. Thanks!)
Practice, enjoy, have fun!
G
do they suck?
