Soloing over country/pop music

I'm not one for learning theory, but I have recently discovered something and I am curious to why/what I'm hearing. I'm all about 'blue' notes and using them for blues and R&R, but recently I've been trying to learn to solo on country and those 'other' songs that blue scales don't work on. What I discovered was that if I move down 3 half steps from the key of the song, I can use my blue notes and it works! Now, although there are no 'wrong' notes, a few are pretty boring to use, but I havn't taken the time to figure out which ones they are. Why does this work? What scales/modes am I really using?

From your description, if I'm understanding correctly, it sounds like you're just playing a major pentatonic where previously you used a minor pentatonic. That's what happens when you move a minor pentatonic down 3 frets (from A to F# for example). When you do this, you're switching from A minor pentatonic to A major pentatonic. Try to resist the temptation to think that F# is the tonic just because the familiar pattern starts on F# - F# is not the tonic, A is.

By the same token, your "blue notes" aren't suddenly working because you moved a "pattern" down 3 frets - they are no longer "blue notes."

I guess I should say blues 'fingering'. I was under the impression you need to move down 4 half steps to switch from minor to major pentatonic.

Yeah it's 3 frets down to go from minor pentatonic to Major pentatonic. It's also cool to mix them during your country solo. Say the first half of the solo you play out of the Major pentatonic than for the second half move up to the minor pentatonic. Of course you could weave in and out of both throughout the entire solo. But the half & half trick is simple and effective. That way it start out kinda nice but gets a more aggressive for the second half. It helps build or adds some tension as the solo progresses.

Mybe try adding in some Arpeggios of the Chords you're playing? Instead of thinking of Scales, think of "Connecting" the Notes from each Chord as a Chord appears in a song. By playing with a few Chord "Shapes" and the Notes from tose Chords, (Chord Tones), you may start to hear a different type of "Logic" in your Playing. Once you can comfortably play using only Chord Tones, start using that A Major Pentatonic to help smoothly Transition from Chord to Chord as they appear.

HTH.

Thanks for the suggestions. Why couldn't I find such simple ideas in my search? Either the discussion was above my pay grade and made no sense to me, or it was 'learn this lick' and 'that lick'. No mention of a simple foundation to build from.

I'd still like to know what that 'blah' note is that just doesn't fit. It's not a klunker, but I'd like to avoid using it. Or isn't it that simple - and depends on what chord is being played at the time.

Thanks for the suggestions. Why couldn't I find such simple ideas in my search? Either the discussion was above my pay grade and made no sense to me, or it was 'learn this lick' and 'that lick'. No mention of a simple foundation to build from.

I'd still like to know what that 'blah' note is that just doesn't fit. It's not a klunker, but I'd like to avoid using it. Or isn't it that simple - and depends on what chord is being played at the time.

Those Notes may not sound ideal depending on the when and the how they're being used. HTH.

I need to keep it simple, mainly because these soloing opps are few and far between, and only occur because I seem to refuse to stick with how the original artist plays it. I have to cover Buffett to Santana, and Brad to Dwight, but that might amount to only 10 songs the whole night. (Guitar is my second instrument - accordion being my first). I have no intention to impress anybody, I just need to know enough so that when I venture off into the unknown, I won't embarass myself as I try to find my way back. :lol:

I would advise that soloing in the situations I think you're describing should be dictated largely by the song's melody. Get the melody thoroughly ingrained in your mind and fingers, then add variations and embellishments when it comes time to step up for the solo. But always know where the melody is(or would be). And definitely know the chord tones of what you're playing over.

I would advise that soloing in the situations I think you're describing should be dictated largely by the song's melody. Get the melody thoroughly ingrained in your mind and fingers, then add variations and embellishments when it comes time to step up for the solo. But always know where the melody is(or would be). And definitely know the chord tones of what you're playing over.

:lol: That's about 50 songs, of which I'll only play maybe 10 on any given night. I was glad to find that a Major pentatonic will cover about 80% of the non rock/blues songs. Just need one more simple 'trick' that will help to open that up a bit more.

:lol: That's about 50 songs, of which I'll only play maybe 10 on any given night. I was glad to find that a Major pentatonic will cover about 80% of the non rock/blues songs. Just need one more simple 'trick' that will help to open that up a bit more.

Yes, 50 + tunes. Just like the rest of us! LOL

Get'er done! ;)


A lot of that will come through "on the job training". Just through repetition.

But, that's just a part of learning a tune. Add "Learning the Vocal Melody" to your process of learning every tune.
As you do this, it will become easier and quicker. Plus, there are many other aspects that will become evident as you do this.

And yes, this IS that "quick trick" you're asking about. It really will help you in many way, for the rest of your playing career.

In fact, I always try to learn every Vocal Melody in at least 3 different Positions on the Fretboard. You'd be amazed at how much your overall Musicianship and Playing will benefit from this.

Here's a couple more ideas:

Try playing the Major Pentatonic Scales off of each Major or Dominant Chord in a Tune. So, in G you could play the G the C and the D Major Pentatonic Scales. etc.

This will add some more flavor to your solos.

Try learning how to play all your Major Scales in 3rds. and then in 6ths. This idea here will be huge, for you, I think. Try it and let me know if this does as much for you as I think it will.

Try mixing the Major AND the Minor Pentatonic Scales together. This works ovey tunes.

Try playing ONLY from Chord Tones as the CHords appear in a tune.

HTH.

Funny thing is, when I first learn a song (just the chord progressions), I felt I was coping out by just playing the vocal melody as my solo. lol. little did I know that that was a 'technique'. :razz:

I'm sure it might work on some songs, but playing a minor pentatonic on a country song sounds like a trainwreck. Unless its country blues of course. Playing the major pentatonic of the chords (i.e. G, C, D) sounds like something I will try first. Thanks for the ideas.

That discovery is the same way I did what you are now trying to do many years ago, since I was never formally taught. But because of that discovery and no internet to ask the same question you did, I booked a lesson at the local guitar shop.

The guy then taught me major scales and arpeggios which helped me advance the concept even further at lightening speed. I then had this whole huge vocabulary of stuff open up for me and like others have said, learned to mix and match. You can't really play different styles without knowing how to squeeze melodic lead lines over different chord shapes and that's where arpeggios can really help you too.

You are at the beginning of the open door - you've now opened it a crack and there's no turning back-LOL. That's when you can really start learning a vast amount of stuff if you open yourself to it. For me it was easy because I like so many different styles of music minor pentatonic box patterns are just too limiting.

From that point I thought that real soon I'd know it all before long - how wrong I was.
I'm still learning 20+ years later. That's what I love about guitar playing. It never ends, even after you know the fretboard inside out, because then there's other things like how you interpret stuff, picking techniques, fingering techniques and getting as good as you possibly can, at everything you can.

That's if your fingers can hold up to the punishment-LOL. So far mine have.

But, that's just a part of learning a tune. Add "Learning the Vocal Melody" to your process of learning every tune. In fact, I always try to learn every Vocal Melody in at least 3 different Positions on the Fretboard. You'd be amazed at how much your overall Musicianship and Playing will benefit from this.

Not that I am a picture perfect example of how to learn guitar (far from it!!), but I do this a lot too. After I figure out the notes of the melody (usually by ear, sometimes from sheet music) I'll play it over and over very mechanically with no "feeling", almost like you hear a child playing melodies from beginning piano books. This helps me play the notes cleanly, memorize them, and get the timing straightened out...I use a metronome during this part. Then after like five minutes of doing that, I move on to trying to add a "vocal" feel to it by using slides, vibrato, dynamics, hammers/pulls, etc...I like to use a looper with the backing chord progression for this part. I mostly work with simple melodies like Carter Family songs, old hymns, Christmas carols, TV themes, and other familiar (to me) tunes. It really helps. I can't tell you how many times I've snuck the first two bars of Dixie into a guitar break on a rock/country song!!

...Add "Learning the Vocal Melody" to your process of learning every tune....

In fact, I always try to learn every Vocal Melody in at least 3 different Positions on the Fretboard. You'd be amazed at how much your overall Musicianship and Playing will benefit from this.

Listen to the Budda. The Budda is wise. Seriously, this is excellent advice for country styles-- for any style, really. It not only gets you focused on the proper notes, but it will inevitably make you more musical. Scale-running leads to shredding; this requires great skill, of course, but to my ear it's not very musical. Running melodies leads to melodic lead breaks, which are awesome! :cool:

Look up the term "relative minor". You just discovered it.