Scales by themselves aren't musical, but they are very important when it comes to creating melodic solos. Having learned the A natural minor scale in 2 positions, let's now start creating melodies.

The rules for this game are as follows:

• Create at least one repeating melody (called a phrase) for each scale position.


• Each phrase should last for at least one cycle of the backing chords (A5 - G5 - D5).


• For each phrase, stick to notes on 2 adjacent strings only.


• Use techniques, such as bends and vibrato to enhance your phrases.


• As usual, use ONLY the notes from the A natural minor scales learned in Part One!

Phrases are short melodies (sometimes called 'licks') that are the backbone of any solo. Typically, you start with a phrase and it sets up the rest of the solo. Often phrases are repeated a few times, then a new phrase is used - in much the same way as a singer would repeat the same melody lines when singing a verse, then go in a different direction for a while.

Melody First!

It is VERY important to work at creating lots of small phrases at a slow / moderate pace before trying to rocket off on fast shreds. If you can't create something that sounds good at a slow pace, then speeding up won't help much. Often people confuse speed with ability. It's true that speed is a skill, but the best guitarists understand melody comes first. Learn to be musical first, then you'll have the right foundation for building speed with. And by the way, usually people remember the slower parts of solos more than the fast stuff.

In this example, we give you a lot of different phrases to check out. Here's the phrases strictly following the above rules:

Phrase 1 - Phrase 2 (these are very similar and repeat them in order again) Phrase 3 - Phrase 4 - Phrase 5

Notice that these repeat, and that between them there are other phrases and cool licks. As mentioned earlier, use the phrases as the backbone of your solo, be a bit fancy for the rest, and return to a 'main' phrase. A singer does the same thing when singing, they have a main set of phrases but add variations because it keeps things interesting.

Remember - Phrases don't have to be mega fast or complicated!!!! Often, just a few repeating notes will sound good! Be creative, keep it musical, and learn those scales!

If you go back to the scales learned in Part One, you should notice an incredible difference. Remember, scales aren't musical by themselves but can be used to great effect when applied in a creative way. It's important to learn how to come up with your own phrases and melodies. They are crucial for most solos. Absorb what you can from this ActionTab then go back to the Backing, loop it and start doing it for yourself. Make sure your fingers know those A minor scales though, or you're wasting your time!!