Scale studies?

[artcore]

Well, I've been spending my guitar time the last few years on cord melodys my single note playing has degressed..While I have no interest in ripping off Kirt solos I do want to be able to connect melodys with a nice line or two...now and then...not sure if I should just do the old usual scale
exercise's or arps ..or just work off the ear on throwing in some hopefully
nice runs...I was wondering what other ( non professionals) do with the
time they spend with the guitar.....

[princeplanet]

A lot of us are just gonna reply "just follow your ear, if you don't hear anything and need some some choices, apply the scales and arps you like, if you don't like the ones you know, learn some new ones, if that doesn't work, take up golf instead"
But I'm not gonna say that, personally I find gambling and boozing more interesting than golf.....

[jazzbender]

If you already know your scales and arps there's no need to plug and play them because it will always sound like you're ...practicing scales and arps.
Find a solo that really "does it" for you and learn it note for note to discover how the artist is creating and connecting phrases. I have spent countless hours doing that to great benefit. It's considered learning from the masters rather than ripping off. You can learn a lot about phrasing and harmonic content without repeating their work.

[mr. beaumont]

it's funny you should say that, because the year i took to devote to rhythm playing (i.e, learning chords and inversions like mad) and chord melody really helped my lead playing.

how did you go about learning the chord melody stuff? did you do your own arrangements? if so, look at them on paper--a lot of times, the ideas for interesting single note lines are right there in the smooth movement you hopefully sought for your chord transitions.

if you learned other folks arrangements, now is the time to internalize what you learned. it's not just random groupings of notes--there's substance there you need to tear apart. i see this probem happen to a lot of folks who don't do their own arrangements (and some who do but only learn the song as an "arrangement", not as a framework and melody)--often, they can't play the song without doing the arrangement--you gotta be able to do that!!!!

hopefully, the road you took gave you the tools--now you just need to realize you have them...look at all those chords in your chord melodies--think about what that phrase means--you're playing a melody with chords. it shouldn't be too hard to seperate the "self-accompanyment" aspect of it.

[Gabe2099]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

it's funny you should say that, because the year i took to devote to rhythm playing (i.e, learning chords and inversions like mad) and chord melody really helped my lead playing.

i agree.

i'm currently working on chords and inversions, too. also developing rhythmic ideas and working on interesting progressions and i come up with better licks everyday. and i'm not even going crazy with scale choices, all i'm using is the plain old minor pentatonic with the b5 added (or blues scale, if you wanna keep it personal :P).

i support jazzbender's and mr. beaumont's posts, learn solos (you can start simple with licks) and dissect those arrangements, that will get you swingin' them ol' licks pretty fast.

[artcore]

All good points..What got me too thinking about this was this guy on Utube..linked below...he has the whole package together..He fills in his
space with nice connecting lines..Some players have a dense style, which
is nice also, but I prefer this open style, of lines and cords...Just looking
for the path to take to at least head in that direction..I don't think running scales up and down the fret board will get me there..
YouTube - Moon River - Solo Jazz Guitar

[Goofsus4]

I just develop single note runs between chord changes from arpeggios with chromatic approach notes - which is really just how I solo over accompaniment too. However, in CM, it does seem a bit harder because you can't just "blow" over something - there's nothing to blow over if you are playing solo. So the line has to really sound like it is moving toward a solid resolution into the next note of the melody/chord change. That's why I think using arps as the foundation for connecting lines is best because the arp keeps "carrying the music" with it so to speak.

I really agree with Mr. B about arrangements too. I develop all my own songs up from a lead sheet, starting with a simple harmonization of the melody, then gradually adding passing chords and embellishments by ear. I initially tried to learn from published CM arrangements, but I was getting nowhere with that. But I have a tough time learning anything unless I "do it myself" anyway, so maybe that's just me.

[artcore]

No, your not alone, I'm the same way..and I have the same approach.I
also find remembering my own arrangement to be easier ..I still do other's
arrangements also...I will usually forget them if I don't run through them
every day..I don't do that....so they don't stick for long..I'm going to work
on the arps through the changes..( I need to get Band in the Box, or a looper)....