Are you interested in learning guitar leads?
Sure you are for most of us the reason we started to play guitar was to shred on a screaming lead. However we all want to do but the question is how to start playing these hot leads.
I am not talking about a bunch of notes you put together and play up and down the neck. I am talking about a true lead or melody if you like. This a set of notes that are measured controlled and fit into the song/chord progression you are playing in front of.
This is starting to get into deep stuff with the guitar and if you are looking into playing leads than you have already started to get a good feel for the instrument. So what I am going to say will not shock you. You need to learn scales. The most useful scale to get under belt would be the major scale. That is what everyone will tell you at least, and they are not wrong. The major scale is thee scale. But you can take a bit of a short cut if you want. You will need to get the major scale under belt and soon but if you want to just jump start your leads there is a very simple scale I would recommend.
That scale would be the rock staple the minor pentatonic scale. This is an extremely popular scale in modern music and is used over and over to create some of the greatest songs of all times. The best example of this that comes to mind right now is Hotel California by the Eagles. The use of the pentatonic scale in this song was nothing short of masterful and you would never know that this was based around a scale that only has five notes in it.
Yep that is right this incredibly versatile widely used scale only has 5 notes. I am sure that maybe part of the reason for the popularity of this scale. Not to mention its ability to sound almost anyway you need it to. This great versatile easy to use scale is an immense way to jump start you on the road to guitar idol status.
So what is the minor pentatonic scale? Well first the construction of this scale is distilled from the minor scale. We simply leave out the second and sixth degree of the minor scale.
So if we are using for example the E minor pentatonic scale the notes are as follows:
Notes: E G A B D E
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 1
So that is the basic construction of the minor pentatonic scale. Take some time to learn and use it. However do not neglect the major scale. This is a very important scale and will help you with your leads.
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Sure you are for most of us the reason we started to play guitar was to shred on a screaming lead. However we all want to do but the question is how to start playing these hot leads.
I am not talking about a bunch of notes you put together and play up and down the neck. I am talking about a true lead or melody if you like. This a set of notes that are measured controlled and fit into the song/chord progression you are playing in front of.
This is starting to get into deep stuff with the guitar and if you are looking into playing leads than you have already started to get a good feel for the instrument. So what I am going to say will not shock you. You need to learn scales. The most useful scale to get under belt would be the major scale. That is what everyone will tell you at least, and they are not wrong. The major scale is thee scale. But you can take a bit of a short cut if you want. You will need to get the major scale under belt and soon but if you want to just jump start your leads there is a very simple scale I would recommend.
That scale would be the rock staple the minor pentatonic scale. This is an extremely popular scale in modern music and is used over and over to create some of the greatest songs of all times. The best example of this that comes to mind right now is Hotel California by the Eagles. The use of the pentatonic scale in this song was nothing short of masterful and you would never know that this was based around a scale that only has five notes in it.
Yep that is right this incredibly versatile widely used scale only has 5 notes. I am sure that maybe part of the reason for the popularity of this scale. Not to mention its ability to sound almost anyway you need it to. This great versatile easy to use scale is an immense way to jump start you on the road to guitar idol status.
So what is the minor pentatonic scale? Well first the construction of this scale is distilled from the minor scale. We simply leave out the second and sixth degree of the minor scale.
So if we are using for example the E minor pentatonic scale the notes are as follows:
Notes: E G A B D E
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 1
So that is the basic construction of the minor pentatonic scale. Take some time to learn and use it. However do not neglect the major scale. This is a very important scale and will help you with your leads.
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