Blues soloing

[nic]

Here's my problem. When playing lead over a blues progression, my guitar teacher insists that the soloing changes with the chords. He stresses focusing on the notes in the chords, (root, 3, 5 b7) and then the pentatonic scale. Lately we've been working with modes, dorian with minor progressions, and mixilodian with major progressions. I'm pretty comfortable with this approach but it seems more like the way a jazz player would play.

I'm also in a Blues Band class, and this teacher insists that I do not change with the chords. He states that the pentatonic scale based on the root chord is the only scale to use and he even goes further stating that when playing a major progression I should focus on the root, 2nd, and 6th. These three notes would be used with all three chords (Root, 4, 5).

Both teachers have plenty of example of both approaches.

I'd love to hear what the people on this forum think about this.

[Stackabones]

Both work. Just stay with whatever each teacher wants you to do. It'll be a good exercise in constraint and limits.

[M-ster]

You have two teachers presenting two different approaches. That's no surprise. (Read any thread here and count the opinions! You know the saying - everyone has one, right?)

Your job is to digest the information and apply it in the way that resonates with and works for you.

[ksjazzguitar]

Yeah, just two different approaches.

The rock/blues approach is just to play that minor penta/blues scale over the top of everything. The jazz approach is to apply a scale to each chord and to target chord tones.

But even jazz players will sometimes use the minor penta/blues scale approach as some flavoring, but if you do it too much it starts to sound very un-jazzy. It is often a problem for guys playing jazz blues for the first time, so it's often advisable to force yourself not to use blues cliches for a while until you learn to use jazz lines.

And even advanced rock/blues players will target some chord tones in their lines, but that is a more advanced technique for them.

To me, I think very differently if I'm playing a rock blues or a jazz blues - different vocabulary. There is a little overlap though.

So both of your teachers are right, just within their respective musical styles. Different styles have different "rules."

Peace,
Kevin

[max_power]

I'm also in a Blues Band class, and this teacher insists that I do not change with the chords. He states that the pentatonic scale based on the root chord is the only scale to use and he even goes further stating that when playing a major progression I should focus on the root, 2nd, and 6th. These three notes would be used with all three chords (Root, 4, 5).

The reason your teacher is saying this is probably because you're focusing too much on just hitting chord tones. If that teacher is legitimately trying to say that you should only use the pentatonic scale, then he/she is a tool.

There's nothing wrong with using the chord-tone approach, but blues music tends to be a little looser with this kind of thing. Learn some B.B. King, Albert King and Freddie King licks and see how they do it, and try to incorporate parts of their styles into your own. Blues players are expected to be steeped in tradition, so make sure you're listening to a whole bunch of blues records and learning what you can from them.

[JonnyPac]

Originally Posted by max_power

The reason your teacher is saying this is probably because you're focusing too much on just hitting chord tones. If that teacher is legitimately trying to say that you should only use the pentatonic scale, then he/she is a tool.

There's nothing wrong with using the chord-tone approach, but blues music tends to be a little looser with this kind of thing. Learn some B.B. King, Albert King and Freddie King licks and see how they do it, and try to incorporate parts of their styles into your own. Blues players are expected to be steeped in tradition, so make sure you're listening to a whole bunch of blues records and learning what you can from them.

+1

Good posted advice here, guys. I use both approaches mentioned, but I tend to stick to bop motif chord-scale runs with pentatonic connotations. Make a combination of what you like and hear, and be able to fit the particular context as well. There are countless blues forms, and some are far more demanding than others. Blues for Alice is not the same as Bag's Groove, though both are cool. Experiment and don't be afraid. Good luck!

[abracadabra]

Good idea from stackabones about keeping within the constraints of what each teacher is telling you.

In front of each one, only play what they say you should be doing, and practice specifically for each. Meanwhile, on your own time, use both.

Then, after a few months of steady improvement with each technique, pull out all the stops in front of each teacher, playing both techniques.

[markerhodes]

Originally Posted by abracadabra

Good idea from stackabones about keeping within the constraints of what each teacher is telling you.

I agree. Limitations spur creativity (paradoxical as that might sound.) It's good to be "fluid" both ways (and others that you will learn later.) There's a saying where my folks are from about "more ways than a country boy can get to school." It's good to have several approaches to the blues so if you take five or six choruses, you don't repeat yourself or become too predictable.