Guitar Tuning

Techniques To Improve Your Guitar Solo

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If you are a musician / guitarist, you must have likely come across the idea of scales. They seem to pop up everywhere (especially in some of the best solos of all time) and no great guitar player should ignore them. 

Whether you are composing solo or jamming with a band, knowing scales and how they interact will allow you to write better music, find great chords and improvise like you knew what you were doing the whole time! 


Scales

Scales are simply a grouping of notes known to sound good together. In the western sphere of music that usually means 7 unique notes repeated up and down until no more pitches are available. The first and most important is what’s called the root note, the start of a set of tones and what gives it a sense of home or resolve. On a guitar fretboard, these same notes are reflected all the way up and down, it can be quite daunting to try and memorize where each one is though, which is where patterns come in. 


Scale Patterns

Patterns are easy ways to remember scales due to the fact that related notes always form the same “shape” (If you are playing on a traditionally stringed guitar, more information about alternative tunings can be found here). By remembering a set of scale patterns you can use any scale wherever you are on the fretboard. 

Patterns can often stretch over 4 frets, therefore, it’s important to have strength in all fingers in order to play them effectively. By using all fingers, your hand can remain comfortable over the majority of notes for extremely easy access and even faster licks!


The Pentatonic Scale

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You may be familiar with the traditional western scale consisting of 7 unique notes which are commonly found in almost all music made these days. Pentatonic scales are adaptations of these scales which scales (heh) it back to only 5 notes. The name comes from the Greek word “pente” which, you guessed it, means 5 and is also very commonly found in modern music especially blues, pop and rock. What’s great about this scale is its simplicity, it still has major and minor tonalities and works great over the chord progression and as an improvised solo. 

Pentatonic Guitar Patterns

Knowing any one of these patterns will get you right on your way to making your own custom guitar licks at frightening speed but to be really free you need to know all 5. Each adds its own special character despite being in the same key, which makes any melody you play all that more interesting. Be sure to remember at all times where the root note is, as that will likely be the start and end of a particular phrase, giving it a sense of accomplishment before you go on to tear it up for another bar. 

Each of these patterns is in the key of g minor but as I said, these patterns can be adapted for every key, all it takes is to move it (and the root note) slightly. If you learn all the patterns really well and move them to different keys you will notice a huge difference in every aspect of your guitar playing. 


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The first Minor Pentatonic Pattern starts with the root note on the 3rd fret sixth string. Each note on the 3rd fret should be played with your first finger, each on the fifth fret with your third finger and 6th fret with your fourth (pinky) finger.

Once you get all the way down to the last note (on the 1st string 6th fret), try playing it backwards and then strum a G minor chord. This pattern and that chord should go together perfectly. 

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The second position starts on the sixth fret and does not have the root note first, which may be confusing at first. Start with your second finger and play all notes on the 8th fret with your pinky because you’ll have to go down to the 5th fret with your first. 

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This third pattern presents an added level of difficulty. While starting with your second finger on the eighth frets, once you reach the second string you will have to shift your positioning up one fret and back when playing it in reverse. Fortunately, this is the only pattern that involves a shift of position. 

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The fourth pattern in the series of G minor pentatonic scales moves up to start on the 10th fret, it involves all fingers lined up to the 13th and does not require a position shift. This is one of my personal favourites.

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The final and fifth pattern moves all the way up to start on the 12th fret with your second finger. This, and the first are the only patterns that contain 3 root notes and, in this case, the root on the last note makes a very pleasant finale or end to any melody you might play. 




How to adapt to different keys

Playing the minor pentatonic in g minor is a great way to get started, but it is very limited in terms of songwriting, therefore, as stated, it is very important to also know how to move these patterns to different keys. Lucky for us, all you have to do is remember where the root note is! Remember when I mentioned how important it was? In the case of the first pattern, this is especially easy since you are starting with it. For example, playing an A minor pentatonic with the first pattern only requires you to move and start the pattern on the fifth fret. 

As always, it is very important to be familiar with all 5 patterns but using this framework it shouldn’t be too hard to find them. For example, if the A minor pattern 1 starts on the 5th fret, where would pattern 2 start?  Don’t be discouraged if you have to count out the frets at first, once you get familiar with these patterns and the notes, it will be second nature to play a pentatonic in any key. 

Another cool practice tip is combining the patterns, try starting with the first pattern and working your way all the way up the fretboard by going through each one! 


Conclusion

To truly make this work in your songwriting and playing, these techniques require lots and lots of practice. Even if you know where the notes are, building muscle memory to complete these patterns subconsciously is another level that will greatly improve your guitar skills. 

Some preliminary, structured practice will be required to get the hang of it, but once you are more familiar, playing to a backing track or creating your own interesting licks and solos with the pentatonic scale can be extremely helpful not to mention great fun!

You’ll also find yourself quickly noticing when other guitarists use these techniques in their music, what are some of your favourite solos using a pentatonic scale? 

If you’re interested in guitar playing or getting your music recorded and out into the world, check out our services at Jony studios and keep up with our blogs for more great music tips and tricks!

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Do you have any techniques you love? Let us know below!

- By Erik Steiner

 

5 Guitar Tunings To Spice Up Your Play-style

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Do you remember your first guitar? Or how about the first time you restringed it all on your own. Way back when I was just getting into one of the most popular musical instruments in pop music today I was quickly fascinated with the wide variety of melodies that came quickly to my fingertips, but also noticed that I often fell into the same keys time and time again. 

How was it that so much of my favourite music played with chords on guitar sounded all the same?

Turns out that in the 16th century, western music decided that EADGBE was standard. Strings tuned by fourths with a major third thrown in the middle just provided the easiest and most plentiful options for chords and scales. I think after 5 centuries it may be time for a refresher (at least on occasion). 

There are countless ways to string a guitar from the innovative Led Zeppelin with FACFAC on When the Levee Breaks, to off the wall F#F#F#F#EB used by Sonic Youth in Kool Thing (among others).

Not all tunings are equal, so if you’re just getting started experimenting with alternatives, here’s a great list of 5 guitar tunings that are time-tested.


Open D

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Open D is a full major chord tuning prevalent among blues musicians especially those hailing from the Mississippi Delta region all the way to Bob Dylan. More recent examples include The Cave by Mumford and Sons and Jigsaw Falling into Place by Radiohead.

What’s great about this tuning is the low D root is easily accessible as an open string. Try it for great finger picking bass lines, or even just let it ring open as you strum. 

C6

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Just one full step down on each string from Open D and you’ll find another major tuning called open C. Bringing the fifth string back up to A however creates a beautiful jazzy C6 chord used often by the aforementioned Mumford and Sons and Led Zeppelin. 

Due to the importance of the open chord, this tuning can create a full droning sound. Don’t be afraid to hit many open strings while you strum and use a capo to transpose that sound anywhere on the fretboard.

Nick Drake Tuning

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Nick Drake was an inspiring singer-songwriter raised in England who never received the acclaim he deserved (gone too soon at the age of only 25) but who’s legacy continues on to this day in a vibrant cult following. He was especially inventive when it came to non-standard tunings which you can hear throughout his albums, but one of the most common is what is now known as Nick Drake tuning.

This tuning doesn’t create a full chord as much as the two previous examples (it’s really a C major with an added fourth) but you can still rely on a lot of open strings. What makes this tuning really unique is the unfamiliar fingerlings and note combinations you won’t find anywhere else. 

Playing with this tuning definitely took a little while to get used to, but once the new patterns became clear I was so glad to be out of my comfort zone.


Open G

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Open G tuning is another open string chord based tuning that made its mark on music history through blues players like Robert Johnson and in rock and roll with the Rolling Stones.

Rhythm and slide guitar works great on this tuning since barring all the notes on the same fret will create a chord wherever you are on the fretboard. Watch for the fact that unlike Open D, the root note of this tuning is not the lowest string.

This simple change which may seem like a limitation has only served to inspire newer proponents of this style in Coldplay, and Queens of the Stone Age, among others.

Dsus4/Modal D

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Last but not least is what's commonly referred to as “Dadgad” tuning. While it might seem like only a simple change from Open D tuning mentioned earlier, the third string changed to a G turns the whole open chord into a Dsus4 without any major or minor influence. For those interested in music theory that means there is no latent harmonic direction to this tuning.

To the western ear this tuning may sound especially unfamiliar and it has inspired many folk and rock guitarists like Davey Graham and Jimmy Page to try and emulate North African, Arabian and Indian style music.

As stated this tuning is not based on a major chord and therefore is not well suited for open string strumming however, like Nick Drake tuning, the new note layout will quickly open up endless melodic possibilities.  

Conclusion

Every guitar tuning on this list has something unique to bring your music. Where some make bass lines and blues effortless, others push the boundaries of guitar music and force you to think outside the box. For me, discovering the possibilities of alternate tunings was the beginning of a new era of guitar playing, and I hope they inspire you as well. 

Getting used to these changes may take some time but once you get the hang of it, new melodies, chords and ideas will pop up like never before. Those old guitar strings will sing again with new life and new songs. Getting into alternate tunings can also open up a new world of learning songs you may have been intimidating previously.

What are some of your favourite songs with alternate tunings? 

If you need further help creating your own music, we offer music production services that will help you elevate your sound and bring your song to life!

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- By Erik Steiner