Rocking out on the regs, but need a bigger playground

Andrew Goulet · Posted 1 Aug 2021 4:26 pm

Hey all, I've been playing alot of solos lately. I've been really enjoying switching between pedal stomping and non pedal blue scales as my baseline for improvising. But I need some more go-to "home base" scales/licks/positions. Whatcha got?

For reference, I'm playing classic country, swing, and blues, with a D13 tuning (classic E9 changes and a big chunk with 135613 and the ability to get 7s and 9s).
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Tucker Jackson · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

I'm sure you already know ALL of this... but if you can play a major pentatonic run (or even the full major scale), you can move the bar up three frets and play the same pattern to convert it all to minor pentatonic.

Or vice versa.

Speaking of minor runs, any fret where you typically find a minor chord for the key you're in is probably a good place to find the underlying minor scale, with some notes you care about.

On PSG, key of C, there are minor blues licks just waiting for you in the frets where you find Cm chords:

Fret 4 with E strings lowered
Fret 6 with AB (or BC... but AB is more versatile since it retains the all-important flatted-7th note. Root tone is on string 7 and 1)
Fret 11 with A pedal

Obviously, you'll 'work' the pedals and knee levers to fill in the runs.

Tucker Jackson · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Chromatic bar moves in strategic spots are cool too.

Let's say you're playing in a 'major' tonality, like key of C in the 8th fret, or the 3rd fret with pedals-down. Totally vanilla, but you want to throw in some bluesy tones (like b3 or b7). You could follow the advice in the above post and slide up 3 frets, or.... you could stay put and do the following.

In either the open position or the pedals-down fret, you can get either a b3 or a b7 tone:
One fret up from your base fret
On strings 1 or 5 (and in the open fret position, you'll have A-pedal engaged on string 5. But in the pedals-down position, you will NOT).

Note that Strings 7 and 10 work the same way -- same notes -- but we'll confine discussion to the upper octave and use strings 1 and 5.

Example:

Open position

Play this run in the key of C (sorry, not tab):

Fret 9, hit string 1. While ringing...
Slide back to home, fret 8
String 4
Fret 9, hit string 5A. While ringing...
Slide back to home, fret 8
Release A pedal

Pedals-down position

Try this pedals-down run based in the 3rd fret:

Fret 4, hit string 1. While ringing...
Slide back to home, fret 3
String 4
Fret 4, hit string 5 (A pedal should not be engaged). While ringing...
Slide back to home, fret 3
String 6B

So, those bluesy tones are on strings 1 and 5, one fret up. You just have to remember to use A-pedal in open position -- and not use it in the pedals-down position.

For those who want the details:

* In the open fret position -- but one fret up -- 1st string gives you the b3, and the 5th string (with the A-pedal) is the b7.

* In the pedals-down world, it's the reverse: now, it's the 1st string that gives the b7, and the 5th string is the b3.

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Now, slide both of those patterns up 3 frets to go to a full-monty C minor tonality. And with the little bar slides, you're now introducing b5 and b9 tones into the mix... funkadelic style.
.

John McClung · From: Olympia WA, USA

following...
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▪️ If you want to have an ongoing discussion, please email me, don't use the Forum messaging which I detest! steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net

Andrew Goulet · Posted 3 Aug 2021 7:06 am

Thanks, Tucker! I definitely didn't know all of that, and it's all fantastic. Every new perspective I learn about gives me another tool in the toolbox.
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Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Another simple but deceptively difficult way to get a different voice out of your tuning and learn the neck is to solo on only 2 open strings.
For the key of E only play your B and E strings
Key of D use A and D strings
Key of C# use only G# and C# strings

And so on. You should be able to do that in a pile of different keys with your set up. I tend to avoid pedal bends when Iâ€™m in that world.
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Bob

Andrew Goulet · Posted 5 Aug 2021 5:29 am

Bob, that's a great idea. I often overlook those simple ideas when I'm getting caught up in gaming out overly complex approaches to an improvisation.

Simple in theory, but relies on really good intonation and a confident left hand.
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