Need advice for non-group playing

Need advice for non-group playing

I am trying to improve my playing by using a lesson package I purchased
online. The next section is on pentatonic scales - the foundation of
soloing. It looks very challenging to learn and memorize all the
pentatonic forms up and down the fretboard. My question is this. I
mainly accompany vocals and play chord melodies. I never have occasion
to play with other musicians mostly because of my work schedule and
secluded location. I am thinking that I should skip the pentatonic
scales for now and concentrate on the chord, comping, fingerpicking, and
strumming sections. Do you agree? Thanks for any advice. Mike

Re: Need advice for non-group playing

Well, I for one don't agree. Part of music is developing the ear, and
understanding how all this stuff fits together.

Pentatonics are used because they are pretty easy to learn, and fit in
just about any musical situation.

Plus you can get the blues going pretty quickly, which is a gateway to
improvisational playing.

Learning the lessons of right/left hand coordination, phrase
development, note choice/improvisation, etc, that single line playing
gives you is pretty valuable imo.

However, not learning the above won't make you a bad player, just less
versatile.

I say this from experience, as an intermediate jazz student, I wanted
to get my chord melody chops up asap so I could start gigging solo
guitar.

I am decent at it, and have been gigging weekly for about 8 months
now. However, I did this at the determent of my single line playing.

Now I am out of balance as far as jazz goes. Single note stuff is
fine for pop/rock/country, but woefully behind in jazz.

It IS your call though, either way, good luck. :-)

Re: Need advice for non-group playing

Derek wrote:

> Pentatonics are used because they
> are pretty easy to learn, and fit in
> just about any musical situation.
>
> Plus you can get the blues going pretty quickly...

I say if a student can't get a reasonable
pentatonic solo at the end of one lesson,
the teacher (or the student) are reaching
too far ahead.

I start beginner improvisors with ONE note.
I play 12 or 16 bar blues, they play that
ONE note for a minute or so. Then add one
MORE note. Repeat till you have all five.

Stop there if you want. You can play blues
the rest of your life with that. If you want
to expand, learn a second position tomorrow.
In a week, you'll have all 20 or so notes.

If you can memorize how to play a chord,
you can memorize how to play pents.


Lumpy

In Your Ears for 40 Years
www .LumpyMusic,com

Re: Need advice for non-group playing


"tenplay" <tenplay@mail,com > wrote in message
news:sRmSj.8774$sd4.4613@fe109.usenetserver,com ...
>I am trying to improve my playing by using a lesson package I purchased
>online. The next section is on pentatonic scales - the foundation of
>soloing. It looks very challenging to learn and memorize all the
>pentatonic forms up and down the fretboard. My question is this. I mainly
>accompany vocals and play chord melodies. I never have occasion to play
>with other musicians mostly because of my work schedule and secluded
>location. I am thinking that I should skip the pentatonic scales for now
>and concentrate on the chord, comping, fingerpicking, and strumming
>sections. Do you agree? Thanks for any advice. Mike

I can't answer your question, but I can offer my experience. Most of my life
I've been a back porch fingerstyle/slide blues noodler or accompanist in a
duo, and it is only since playing in a band the past few years that I've
learned pentatonic scales. I'm still a lousy scale-based lead player, but I
get a lot of satisfaction out of being able to play these scales as short
fills or the basis for standard-tuning slide. Also, I would say that
learning pentatonics is more useful if you want to play something like blues
or blues-rock rather than folk or country.

Tony D

Re: Need advice for non-group playing


"tenplay" <tenplay@mail,com > wrote in message
news:sRmSj.8774$sd4.4613@fe109.usenetserver,com ...
>I am trying to improve my playing by using a lesson package I purchased
>online. The next section is on pentatonic scales - the foundation of
>soloing. It looks very challenging to learn and memorize all the
>pentatonic forms up and down the fretboard. My question is this. I mainly
>accompany vocals and play chord melodies. I never have occasion to play
>with other musicians mostly because of my work schedule and secluded
>location. I am thinking that I should skip the pentatonic scales for now
>and concentrate on the chord, comping, fingerpicking, and strumming
>sections. Do you agree? Thanks for any advice. Mike

I agree!

--

gcisko@hotmail,com

The Pentatonic Scale Explained
http :// bluechainlightning,net

Re: Need advice for non-group playing

Greg Cisko wrote:
> "tenplay" <tenplay@mail,com > wrote in message
> news:sRmSj.8774$sd4.4613@fe109.usenetserver,com ...
>> I am trying to improve my playing by using a lesson package I purchased
>> online. The next section is on pentatonic scales - the foundation of
>> soloing. It looks very challenging to learn and memorize all the
>> pentatonic forms up and down the fretboard. My question is this. I mainly
>> accompany vocals and play chord melodies. I never have occasion to play
>> with other musicians mostly because of my work schedule and secluded
>> location. I am thinking that I should skip the pentatonic scales for now
>> and concentrate on the chord, comping, fingerpicking, and strumming
>> sections. Do you agree? Thanks for any advice. Mike
>
> I agree!
>
Absolutely.

--
Stephen
Ballina, Australia

Re: Need advice for non-group playing

http :// www .encoremc,com /community/lessons/68-guitar-soloing-using-caged.php

learning that might be beneficial to you