Stuck In Boxes!

CalDMoore · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:48 am Post subject: Stuck In Boxes!

Can anyone help me man? I'am really bored and tired of picking up my guitar everyday and my fingers automatically just keep inside pentatonic positions, I can't get out of playing in boxes its really 'daein' ma heid in' lol

Strat Man dwight · Man with a bone Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 8708

You're doing better than me! Proper grammar: better than I. Shocked

Try different tunings, that'll make you wish you had your boxes back, and possibly some figerpicking, but not necessarily. Tunings would be different enough.

Stash · Newbie Alert Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 4

CalDMoore · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:13 pm Post subject:

Cheers guys, To be honest Stash I don't have a clue about modes, I know all my Pentatonics and Blues scales and I can play them all in the different postions in each shape, I usually add one or two notes that aren't in the scale which makes it sound more musical.

I'll be checking up on modes.

Can I ask another question? I have heard blues players play say the A minor pentatonic blues scale and then they will move into A major of the pentatonic is this true?

Stash · Newbie Alert Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 4

CalDMoore · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:18 pm Post subject:

Cheers Stash thats cool of you to answer that thanks very much mate, That'll do me nicelly! Very Happy

Coronianblues · Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:30 pm Post subject:

ive found that doing different stuff with your picking hand makes for some nice variety and new sounds.

try pinch harmonics( where you hit the string with the pick then hit it with your thumb in the same motion to create a harmonic),

strum up while the strings are muted then hit your desired note(srv does this in little wing and several other songs)

and pick close to the neck for a warm sweet sounds, then get pick close to the bridge for cleaner, more define sounds.
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tonyd135 · Big Hamster Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 93 Location: PA

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/guitar_techniques/hopscotch_method_part_1.html

This helped me get out of the box a little. They are still all the same notes of the scale but it helps to open things up.

jamesron41 · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:43 pm Post subject:

Yeah, look at what Tony posted. Connect all the pentonic boxes together + add a few notes here and there, and you will be in good shape.
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Herb · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:21 pm Post subject:

Simplest method - practice simple major scales and start using them in your solos. Also practice simple major arpeggios and use them, too.
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Patrick Curley · Newbie Alert Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 4

This is a common problem, we rely so much on shapes because we have this convenient two-dimensional map to work around with and we don't learn aurally as much as other musicians. We tend to play the shapes that make sense rather than the sounds that make sense.

I think it's also got a lot to do with why guitarists are such notoriously bad readers. We have this whole other notation almost (I'm not talking about tab although tab illustrates the point I think) that is based on images.

There are two ways of learning - linear and non-linear (network). Non-linear is more visual - you can see connections better where linear is more aural - one sound follows another one. People tend to be better at one than the other but most of us can learn to do both. I think if we concentrate less on scales, that keep us in that box mentality, and more on playing through changes, being aware of each notes relationship to the particular chord it's playing over, we're moving along linearly with the tune and the fingerboard becomes a whole other beast.

Midiman57 · Toad Level Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 2243

Patrick Curley · Newbie Alert Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 4

That's the common view, it's a valid one obviously and most people, including me, would agree with you pretty much. I wouldn't go so far as to say they are the "source of our ability to explain/communicate/harmonize", I'm not exactly sure where that source is but that's another matter.
Scales are obviously important, they do form much of the foundation of western music and I'm not suggesting they be ignored. Guitarists however tend to learn scales as shapes and patterns first and logical musical structures second. One way to get out of this is to forget about scales, for a little while at least, and find another way to learn to play. You never abandon them completely, playing chord tones or extensions over changes is still playing in the scale of the chord, it's just coming at it from a different angle.

Twist Of Fate · Not So Newbie Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 7

Get into new styles of playing

Jake D · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:38 pm Post subject:

This is one of the best threads I've read on here. The link to the hopscotch is brilliant. I totally had one of the "lightbulb" moments that James refers to.

So here ya go! Bump for a Idea