:: HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN SOLO PART ?

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The basic thing we must know is that when we play notes on our instrument, we are moving in some ranges,schemes. Those notes are built in a defined scale. We are going to use the most typical ones - C major (Ionian) scale. The notes are: C, D, E, F, G, A, H, C - the white keys on the keyboard.

On each step, we can build a chord. But before this, we have to memorize one more thing. All notes of the scale are placed in a precise way: between two notes, there can be a half-tone, or a tone. Half-tone is when there is one fret space between the first and second note. And we have tone (full tone) when the interval between notes is equal to two frets. So: between note C and D are 2 frets - one full tone. Full tone interval is between majority of notes - half tone is only between notes E and F, H and C (one fret interval). But generally, when using major scales (in all keys) we use 'steps' instead of note names. The first step in C major scale is C, the second step is D, third is E and so on.

In sum, half tones in major scale (Ionian) are between third and fourth, and seven and eight steps. It's important for building chords - we have to know where the previous and next notes are.

Now we can build some chords. On the first step of C major, we make chord C major. On the next step, (note D) we create D minor chord (yes - we build chords only with notes from our scale). Third step is E and the chord is E minor. Next chords are F major, G major, A minor and H minor with diminished quint, by half step (let's leave H minor for now, it sounds a little bit different and it's harder to grab)..

Listen: we have chords, so we have harmony which means we can make ourselves incidental music, to e.g. improvisation in a major scale (Ionic C scale). I'd suggest you play all of those chords with the barre technique, beginning e.g. with 8th fret, where the prime lies (the first sounds of the scale - interval). So at about 8th fret we have a C major, on 10th (a whole tone between those sounda of the scale, and we build the chord on the notes of the scale) D minor, on 12nd E minor, on 13th (a distance of 1 fret, because between those marks of the scale we play a natural half-tone) F major, on 15th G major, on 17th A minor, on 19th H minor with diminished quint and on 20th (again a natural half-tone) C major (just as the first one except here an octave (interval) higher).

Look, we have a whole set of chords from which we can compose incidental music. There are so many options of using those chords, millions of combinations and systems of their arrangements, rhythms in which we can play them that it's really possible to make something good out of this.

You can do it e.g. like this: the C major, E minor, D minor and G major ( so 1,3,2 and 5) chords. But a few notes: create the arrangements in a way that the first chord would be built on the 1st degree, and the last one of your chorus would be built on the 5th degree of the scale (a dominant chord). Advanced players may play this dominant chord with a septime, so for the C major tone it would be a G major and a septime, so the sound for it would be the sound F. Then a so-called chord progression, which affects the C major chord nicely (obviously in a C major tone) wil be created. So constructed music colud be played by a friend or by a device to which we taped it.

Now we start playing solo! We naturally use the C major scale again that is to say the sounds C,D,E,F,G,A,H,C. Now I'll wirte where we can find those sound on the neck: on E 6 string (bass string) we place the second finger on the 8th fret, then the fourth finger on the 10th fret, we witch the string to A and place the first finger on 7th fret, second on 8th and fourth on 10th; we switch the string to D and place first finger on 7th, third one on 9th and fourth on 10th; the same happens on the nest string, on one before the last string (H) we place second finger on 8th and fourth on 10th, on the last string (E 1) the first finger goes to 7th fret, second to 6th and fourth to 10th.

This way we have played sounds and with them we will play 'our' music and everything will 'burn' nicely. To those advanced a bit more I can also say that in improvistaion you should try to use chord, which is presently in the incidental music. In conclusion - we have to be aware of what's happening in the music all the time.

Note: an anternative scale you could 'move in', while improvising. It's a minor pentatonic scale. Remember: a minor scale related to major scale lies a small terce downwards (3 half-tones; 3 frets). In other words, if we are in a C major scale, the related minor scale begins from the 5th fret from A note. The arrangement of this scale: first finger on 5th fret on E6 string, fourth finger on 8th fret, on A string the first finger on 5th, third on 7th and so it goes for another two strings. On string H and E1 the same arrangement as on string E6. A simple and nice scale used by a lot of guitar players. Of course we can combine the two scales we know, after analising it's clear that the sound are pretty much the same, excpet for that pentatonic scale lacks two sounds. Ionian is 7-degree and pentatonic (as the name would suggest) is 5-degree. What I gave are obviously schemas, but it's impossible to play without getting to know any schematic basics. Later on, you will play completely different things, not related to what I had written here at all. And if those this are good, it means you reached a certain level. And I wish that sincerely to all of you.