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Posted by: superize Dec 17 2008, 08:21 PM

Well finally i have begin to learn some theory......

Often when learning a new lesson i just look a the tab a play as it it written without even knowing what i am playing....

But now i have started learning all the modes there is and i already feel that i got a pretty good hang of it and i feel my improvisation and solo writing is getting better to know that i know what notes to use.......

Now i wondere what should i learn next??? What is good to know when writing solos

Posted by: Matt23 Dec 17 2008, 08:32 PM

Well you might know this but as well as knowing the modes, you need to understand the whole concept of modes, otherwise there is not so much point in them. Also try and get a feel of what each major mode sounds like, in terms of feelings it creates in songs.

To write songs (or solos) you need very good chord theory, so learn well about extended chords, modal chord progressions, and everything to do with chords.

You also need to learn well about harmony and intervals, so just study hard at that, and you will understand how to use harmony in solos, and how different intervals sound. It will also help you with arranging songs.

When you have learnt some theory try and use it straight away as then you won't forget it and you will be able to use it more.

Hope this helps

Matt

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Dec 17 2008, 08:57 PM

Superize work on Repetition, Motive development, Time feel, Phrasing, Sequence and melodic choice in your solos. Also it is very important that each solo has a meaning to it, in a way telling its own story , and every story has intro development and ending - so you should focus on that as well.

Posted by: superize Dec 17 2008, 09:14 PM

Thanks for the tips Pedja and Matt

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Dec 17 2008, 09:21 PM

You welcome man

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Dec 17 2008, 09:39 PM

The next big step superize is to learn the chords mate. Check out Andrew's lessons, and see how chords are derived from modes. This should get you a clear overview what harmony is about, and how to improvise better over given chord progression.

Posted by: opeth.db Dec 17 2008, 11:36 PM

ALso Ivan where would you start "memorizing" this stuff? How would you approach it? This all probably sound redundant huh?

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Dec 18 2008, 12:43 AM

Not at all mate, the good starting point is with chord basics. Since we have 12 keys, learning the cord progression in all of them is a good starting point. Since every key has 7 notes, and builds 7 chords, then it is not too difficult to learn it by heart. This doesn't happen overnight of course, but in some time a good understanding of the chord sequences should be obtained.

For example a good way to start is from C major scale:

C major
D minor
E minor
F major
G major
A minor
B dim

The chords in G major are:

G major
A minor
B minor
C major
D major
E minor
F# bim

and so on.

By knowing the chord progressions, you can easily determine in what key you are in, and what notes to use in your playing. i should say that there's a difference in knowing the concept of these rules, and knowing them all by heart. It is good to really learn everything thoroughly cause then the player can focus on other important aspects of playing instead of thinking what note to press where and why.
This skill is achieved through practice and I recommend combination of learning the chords progressions in all keys straight from the paper and playing then as exercises. After a while of learning them, and playing them, brain develops a skill to recognize chords. This process becomes a background process, so the focus can be on the playing, and playing should sound much better when we know what is the backtrack harmony.

Posted by: Gerardo Siere Dec 18 2008, 01:59 AM

Should learn intervals, they are the key to understand even non tonal music, (understand them and memorize them like multiplication table, and also learn them on the freetboard using as refference the 3 lower strings.)

Posted by: kjutte Dec 18 2008, 07:52 AM

I will list it in the order I find will yield most progress.

# Part 1 - Degrees of the scale
# Part 2 - Intervals
# Part 4 - Triads
# Part 5 - Seventh Chords
Chords for Scales (Intermediate)

Basically, never go to the next lesson unless you UNDERSTAND what you're reading. The key here if of course to read again until you grasp it. This is how I did it, anyway.

Your goal is to know, firstly:

Notes of major scale.
Definition of each mode of the major scale (minor, major, diminished, etc)
Chord structure (Example which notes make an Xmaj7 chord, which is Root, maj3rd p5th maj7th)
Obviously knowing what makes a note major, minor, diminished and augmented is absolutely necessary.
Once you learn that the major scale has this progression: maj min min maj maj min dim.
You should be able to know that this also means Imaj IImin IIImin IVmaj Vmaj (or dom if 7th) VImin VIIdim

Basically, you gotta know what note intervals form each type of chord, and what you can name the chord.
This is absolutely necessary to understand!
Oh, and you say you know all the modes. You need to know all the 7 boxes by heart before you venture onto chords, or it will be alot more confusing for you.

I hope this post helped.

Posted by: opeth.db Dec 18 2008, 02:16 PM

Great advice guys. I guess this would coincide with memorizing the fretboard too?

Wow. I got a lot to learn.