This may be a really obscure question or one that is difficult to flat out explain.

I have been playing for almost a year, and recently I have ben practicing a lot with trying to solo over blues progressions. My problem is I just don't understand the method/logic/process for how or what to do to stay in the right key. Example: basic blues progression, A|D|A|A|D|D|A|A|E|E|A|A|E: I understand that basically A is the 5th fret, E is the 12th fret and D is the 10th fret (right?), that is my basic understanding. I can put on a basic slow backing track with the progression I listed above and I attempt to solo over it but it ends up sounding like crap.

Am I supposed to be starting each riff in the correct key and ending it in the correct key or does it not matter what key I end in so long as I start in the correct one? I'm really clueless when it comes to this part.

I have lots of nice riffs and when I put in just a drum beat I can solo over it and it sounds decent, it isn't until I introduce a backing track with an actual guitar that everything goes to crap.

Any help or explanation will be greatly appreciated.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

When I solo over that tye of progression, I usually stay in A or the minor pentatonic (correct me if I'm wrong) . You can then add in notes from the major pentatonic which i believe is F#. Not all the notes will sound good but both scales do contain some of the same notes. If this makes any sense.

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so the idea that when the chord changes you go to that key to solo is wrong? i'm completely lost here. If I stay just in A it sounds ok but I was under the impression as the chord changes you change the key that you are playing your solo in. this may be something that is too difficult to write and just easier to demonstrate. thanks for your answer though, much appreciated.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

A guitar teacher once told me to expand your solo ability, you can solo in both the minor and major pentatonic scale in a blues progression. Certain notes sound better against certain chords. The major and minor pentatonics have exactly the same fingerings except the major is located 4 frets down from the minor. ( again correct me if I'm wrong. It would be easier if I had a guitar in my hands!)

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This site helped me.

http://12bar.de/scale_generator.php

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No, it's not wrong. It's just harder to do. It should be working for you, the way you described it I can't think of what you could be doing wrong.

Do you know all of the pentatonic box shapes? Because if you do than you can learn to switch keys and stay in the same position by just switching box shapes. Do you know what I mean? It's kind of hard to describe without actually being able to show you.

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hi mate.

i get what your saying... take that blues progression you put. just stay in a minor pentatonic. you dont change to d minor pentatonic just because the next chord is d. the key of the song is what you stay in, thats not set in stone obviously, theres no rules.

try adding notes from the major scale when you get better. which is same positioning but 3 frets down. eg. so you will find box2 of the major pentatonic right inside of box 1 of the minor pentatonic.... if that makes sense.

hope that helps.

oh yeah, really important to learn the root notes within the scale.

so learn where the a notes are in box1. try ending your licks on those root notes.

you will be flying in no time.....

Pentatonic scale is your friend. Learn all five positions and you can use them in any key. go here to get started. http://markweinguitarlessons.com/forums ... chid=38861 Hope this helps. Begin with #1.......... Mike

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

I know the pentatonics for E A and D and I am using those when I solo...so my next question would be can I start my riffs anywhere inside those pentatonic scales or is it necessary to start on the root say A or E when soloing over E?

I am being a little tough on myself because it doesn't sound like total crap, I am just working my way through it and in that beginner stage where it isn't fluid yet.

Thanks for the advice, agreed it'd be easier to demonstrate than to type out

_________________
Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

thanks to all of you for your input, I'm gonna check out the links that were posted and sign off and practice a bit, will keep you posted. Always great info here and I am thankful for the help!

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

BlackCatBone- By all means, follow the chord changes with your solo. You can always play the scale of the key the song is in. But, to keep things interesting, to make things move, follow the changes. In a blues, it's easy.

That's probably what your guitar god is doing, ya know?

Its true if you have any grasp of the pentatonic scales you are years above alot of people, the only thing you really need to "change positions" for is the IV chord. That would be the e7 in your progression. try to either hit the 7th of the scale (minor) or simply stay away from Major scale notes, (You will know when you hit one, it will sound wrong). other than that, if you stay in the A pentatonic (pretty much anything in between the 5th and 7th fret (with a few exclusions) you will do just fine.

My teacher always says to me in his snarkyest voice " if it sounds like * expletive* then start lookin for something that doesnt"

..prolific i know...

hope any of that made sense

-Vince

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Actually, it would be D7. And you're right. Leading the listener to and out of the IV chord is what makes it all swing. In BlackCatBone's example, it's a quick change blues.

Made to swing. It never gets old. In 'A', I always find myself almost playing
Bminor pentatonic, a full step above the A, for the IV chord, which is D.
Popa Chubby puts this to great use on "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out." This is Dmaj pentatonic, I guess, but you can tease it by
throwing in the blue and minor tones.

Oh, why cant I be rich so I can stay home and play all day?

You're asking the right questions, BlackCat.

Thank you sir, my instructor has really helped me a lot and has a structure to his teaching but I am ready to speed it up and start working on soloing so I have been trying things on my own. I'll see him again next Thursday so hopefully we can dig in and my practice will make it a little easier.

Funny you should mention "Nobody knows you", that is one of the songs I wanted to learn the most even before I started playing, I always loved the sound of that progression, so cool and mellow.

Thanks for all the info guys!

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!