subject: Guitar Solo Lessons - Guitar Solo With the Pentatonic Scale [print this page] Guitar Solo Lessons - Guitar Solo With the Pentatonic Scale
A guitar solo should always serve the song in one way or another. There is nothing wrong with going a little crazy and setting the fret board on fire, but listen to any of the greats and you'll realize that no matter how fast they may be playing, their solo always adds something of value to the song.
The easiest way to solo is to stick to the pentatonic scales. This scale is the favourite of a lot of professional players because it isn't particularly complicated and it tends to sound good. All the greats use the pentatonic scales, but the key is to use them in conjunction with other scales and modes. Boxing yourself in and using nothing but one scale or the other will result in boring solos that all tend to sound the same.
Of the pentatonic scales, a popular choice is to go with minor scales. Minor pentatonic scales are preferred by many rock and metal players because they have a darker sound to them, as opposed to major scales which do tend to have a happier, more upbeat sound. Major pentatonic scales can definitely still be used though, and again, the best bet is to mix and match. The more techniques you use, the more interesting your solos will sound to the listener.
For more information and free lessons on techniques like these and many others, check out www.FullDistortion.com. Full Distortion is a new online guitar magazine dedicated to providing you with free guitar lessons, gear reviews, giveaways, contests and more. Go check it out!
