[gtrdave]

Originally Posted by iAmAPeanut

Dude, thanks to all you awesome people who know infinitely more about scales and stuff than I do! I know next to nothing about this stuff. I know the basic major scale and pentatonic....but I don't really know much about them.

So, about all these chromatic and lydian and dorian and blablabla scales...I understand what notes are in them, but how might one finger the scales on the fretboard? Like, the only scales I know, I know how to go through the notes from E string to E string in a span of 3 or 4 frets. That's all I know....I need help

Oh, and someone mentioned the fact that a good solo is one that you can whistle back, not necessarily an impressive one. I'm thinking "God of Wonders" by City on a Hill.

All of the information about scales is available on the internet for free. Google is your friend. Just search "guitar scales" and you'll find something like this:
GUITAR SCALES
From there you type in the pattern (start with 1 or 2) and then the key (pick one) and then the scale type and *poof*, there's the fingering pattern and the notes of the scale. It's up to you to practice them slowly, becoming familiar with the pattern of the scale and the sound of the scale.
Repeat that practice over and over and over, using a metronome to play the scale in-time and in order to synchronize your right and left hands, until you can play it comfortably without messing up at all.
Then pick another scale and repeat the process, etc...and to not overwhelm yourself, start with the popular scales: Major (also known as Ionian), minor (also known as aeolian), mixolydian, pentatonic major, pentatonic minor and pentatonic blues, harmonic minor and maybe the diminished and/or half diminished scales.

Oh, and I just noticed that the page also offers 4 note per string and 3 note per string scales...scales in a more horizontal pattern sequence. These are GREAT for practicing alternate picking and for not getting yourself stuck in the 4 fret scale box that so many players find themselves trapped in.

And, imho, a good solo is one that fits the context of the song that the solo is contained in. It could be fast, slow, simple or complex. To me, there are no rules to soloing other than 'make it fit the song'.

[iAmAPeanut]

Originally Posted by gtrdave

All of the information about scales is available on the internet for free. Google is your friend. Just search "guitar scales" and you'll find something like this:
GUITAR SCALES
From there you type in the pattern (start with 1 or 2) and then the key (pick one) and then the scale type and *poof*, there's the fingering pattern and the notes of the scale. It's up to you to practice them slowly, becoming familiar with the pattern of the scale and the sound of the scale.
Repeat that practice over and over and over, using a metronome to play the scale in-time and in order to synchronize your right and left hands, until you can play it comfortably without messing up at all.
Then pick another scale and repeat the process, etc...and to not overwhelm yourself, start with the popular scales: Major (also known as Ionian), minor (also known as aeolian), mixolydian, pentatonic major, pentatonic minor and pentatonic blues, harmonic minor and maybe the diminished and/or half diminished scales.

Oh, and I just noticed that the page also offers 4 note per string and 3 note per string scales...scales in a more horizontal pattern sequence. These are GREAT for practicing alternate picking and for not getting yourself stuck in the 4 fret scale box that so many players find themselves trapped in.

And, imho, a good solo is one that fits the context of the song that the solo is contained in. It could be fast, slow, simple or complex. To me, there are no rules to soloing other than 'make it fit the song'.

Thanks a lot. I have Googled stuff like this before, but I tend to get a little impatient. I'm going to check out this website though, thanks

[gtrdave]

Originally Posted by iAmAPeanut

Thanks a lot. I have Googled stuff like this before, but I tend to get a little impatient. I'm going to check out this website though, thanks

You have to know that there are no short cuts to learning.
Yes, the access and the information has improved much over the years, but the learning process still requires time and effort and study and repetition and sacrificing of other things in life in order to learn what it is that you wish to learn.

[cfkreuzer]

Assuming you understand scales and how they fit to certain keys/chords, the best solos tend to be similar to a story. It starts off with an intro which leads to a rise in action and then a climax, followed by a fall in action. If you relate the amount of action to the intensity and pitches of the notes you are playing, it makes a big difference. To sum it up, pretty much don't rely on crazy riffs and/or technique, but try to tell a story or make a statement with it. Sorry if that didn't help. I'm not the best teacher