Rock Improv Scales

Bob Kagy · From: Lafayette, CO USA

I'm starting to "hear" some rock music in a favorable light - listening to Dire Straits CD's with Paul Franklin has opened the door to actually tuning in to some rock stations . . . and, (don't excommunicate me yet) hearing some awesome lines on rock guitar.

Some of the players have that full, round, singing tone that I'd sometimes love to find on steel; I don't know yet who I'm listening to or I'd say who they are.

But the scales they use to improvise - that's the question I want to raise.

From some quick reading, I understand that the mixolydian scale is used (major scale with a flatted 7th), the pentatonic (especially minor pentatonic) and the blues scale (one of which is just a minor pentatonic with an added #4).

From the noodling I've done with these, they seem to fit; that together with yodeling arpeggios in these scales.

Have I got it close, or is there more?

Thanks, Bob

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

There's always more, Bob, but that's the basic theory of which notes to use. The harmonic minor scale is also popular in some rock music.

But the most important thing, as in all music, is to turn those notes into real melodic lines. All of the math in the world doesn't measure up to one melodic hook, IMHO. Melodic composition is what separates the great improvisational artists from the hordes of technicians of the world.

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra 8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Dorian is pretty common in rock.

One thing I do is practice one scale all over the neck for a half hour or so with a metronome. I use one of Joe Wright's spreadsheets for a visual reference. I do my best to get the sound of the scale in my ear.
Then I loop a tune that uses that scale.

Now comes the important part: I DO NOT play my steel over the track at first. I sing a part and then I play exactly what I sang on the steel. It works for me. Helps to break the "corn pedal" habit.

Bob

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Franklin D-10

Bob Kagy · From: Lafayette, CO USA

Thanks b0b, thanks Bob.

I appreciate the pointers about melodic minor and dorian.

And amen to both the creative and disciplined approaches.

Bengt Erlandsen · From: Brekstad, NORWAY

One trick I use is to view the scale as two chords.



Example G-mixolydian = G7 + Am7


--G-A-BC-D-EF-G


F---A--C---E--- =Fmaj7


--G---B--D--F-- =G7


----A--C---E--G =Am7

First I choose a short picking pattern for some notes from the G chord
Then I apply same pattern to the F-chord
Then I apply same pattern to the Am chord
Go back to G
All while the band is playing G

Knowing which chords the scale consist of helps me to know when I play "out"

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