Practicing random scale patterns for hours on end won't do much for helping you create killer guitar solos. But, there is a way to "chop up" your scales and create miniature patterns from them that will lead you to playing great soloing with awesome lines... 




This lesson post is designed to help you better comprehend how to expand your frame of reference (away from the “text-book” scale patterns) and view scale shapes differently so as to evolve the basic scale patterns into new ideas that will be better for inventing phrases and small melodic statements when you solo...

WATCH THE VIDEO:



Once developed, this "Scale Chop-Up" approach will help students quite a lot since the smaller scale fragments always tend to be a little more useful when it comes to having a student (who is new to soloing) perform lead guitar ideas.

In the end, our entire topic for this lesson will be based upon taking large scale outlines and learning to view them as a collection of smaller sections that will operate as more manageable note ideas for starting to solo with.




START WITH THE BIG PICTURE:
In getting started, the large scale pattern still needs to be addressed first. You’ll want to be capable with the large shape prior to chopping it apart into smaller segments and moving into our soloing concept.

So, first of all, we'll begin by performing a full two octave minor scale, played from the root of “A.”in the guitar's fifth position of the fret-board (6th-string Root).



ISOLATE A SMALL PATTERN:
Next, we’re going to isolate a segment of this pattern and we’ll use that smaller part of the scale as a section that will function easier for inventing guitar licks.

First, I’ll isolate a segment of the scale, and then, I’ll play a lick based upon the isolated area. In the shape, (shown below), the isolated notes will be marked in red.



USING ISOLATED TONES:
From the scale tones that you've isolated, work out a phrase or two that stays withing the note outline. I've provided a guitar lick that does exactly that in the first lick (shown below).

Lick #1).



When it comes to applying this principle, the important thing to understand is that there are dozens of ways that we can go about creating isolated segments of our scales.

Here’s another example that you to try. Once again, I will start by isolating a specific section of the scale on its own, and then, I will play a guitar lick using that particular isolated section…




ISOLATED SCALE SECTION:


Lick #2).



CONCLUSION:
Now you have a good understanding for how to break apart the larger scale shapes and then go about isolating select groups of tones from those ideas to form smaller, (and sometimes even more interesting), shapes for solos.

If you’ve never experimented with doing this before, it can be a great way to gain a fresh insight for playing unique collections of notes. This can be especially helpful when you're using a scale pattern that you might otherwise feel is very basic. 




THE CREATIVE GUITAR "SOLOING COURSE"
There’s a number of interesting ways that you can go about learning to play better guitar solos. And, if you feel that you’re ready to start learning more of them, then have a look at my “Guitar Soloing” program (within the members area) of my website...

You can join the site as a free member and start looking around...

Every course on the site offers students between 20 to 25 lessons taught in a step-by-step approach – all based upon progressive topics...

If you’re looking for a way to vastly improve your guitar playing, visit; CreativeGuitarStudio.com





JOIN THE WEB-SITE:
Head over to review all of the guitar courses that are found on my website at CreativeGuitarStudio.com

I’ve got step-by-step; Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced courses that work alongside of in-depth elective programs to form the best guitar course available.

The Creative Guitar courses have all been designed so as to help you learn to identify where you're at, and what's required to get you up to that next level of guitar playing, in a very organized step-by-step way, that simply makes sense.

I look forward to helping you further at CreativeGuitarStudio.com