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I love the blues scale as much as the next guy. I first learned to solo creatively and effectively using the blues scale. It's the same path many guitarists take. But now the blues scale has become such comfortable and familiar territory, I find myself always playing it. As a result all my playing sounds the same. What can I do to break out of my blues scale blues? |
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One fun thing I like to do is add some odd notes in between the normal blues scale note patterns. You will hear a chromatic or jazz type of feel added in when you do this. The trick to this is starting out on the right note and ending on the right note, because the notes in between can be a little strange if they are brief. Another thing to do (I do it) is play three notes of a blues scale per string instead of two, your options will expand. This will require you to do some stretching and use the pinky, but will take you out of that box shape a little bit, and just maybe you will invent a new lick from it that you can use in place of that ol blues lick. Last but most is go to jguitar.com and use the scale calculator to see the myriad of scale choices at your disposal. Just select some scales and print them out and practice them over your favorite jam track.
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Try arpeggios from a diminished chord in your blues key. These will introduce "blue notes" that make your scales exotic sounding. Try a E, G, Bb, or C# dominant diminished scale. Expanding on the idea of symmetry, we can move anything using these notes up or down in minor thirds. Licks, arpeggios, chords, all can be moved in minor thirds as long as they started with the correct notes in the first place. This scale commonly fits a V chord that is about to resolve to I (G is the "V" chord in the key of C. The "I" chord in C is C). If a G chord appears as part of a progression in the key of C, the G dominant diminished scale might be played over it. In a jazz environment, extensions of G7 can be present, but must be drawn from the scale: G7, G7b9, G7#9, G7b5, G13. In a rock setting the chord is likely to be G7, a G major triad, a G5 power chord, or just a G bass note only. If notes that clash with the dominant diminished scale are present, then another scale choice is called for. For instance, we should not use this scale over Gadd9, Gsus4, G9, G11, or G7b13. Copied from: http://www.guitar9.com/columnist331.html |
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You need discipline and a good scolding.. One reason we get into a rut is because we only listen to one type of music. The other reason is that we like playing but we are too lazy to put out the effort it takes to learn something new. It will not come to you in a dream. Record executives will not happen by and offer you a contract either. Get real, get busy. Learn to play that thing or find another avenue of escape. If you think you are tired of hearing yourself, what do your friends think? Maybe you have to get high to sound good? There are 9-year-olds that learn twice what you already know in six months! Can you honestly say that you are a guitar player? Learn some Chicken Pickin ala Brent Mason and play like Malmsteen and Warren Haynes and John Coltrane. Buy some DVD's, listen and learn. Learn something new every day. Practice one hour every day. Learn the rest of all of those songs you only know a part of you..you..you..wanna be! I am switching to decaf! |
