Just a couple of questions for you pro's, i've been practising a few scales which I gather are to increase finger speed and later on for writing solo's. Just wondering if a solo only uses a certain scale repeatedly or whether you would swap scales round? Probably a stupid question but I don't really understand it because i'd have thought you'd just improvise across the fret board and just go with what sounds right!
That's kind of the idea, but the whole point with scales is that they give you an idea of what sounds right. I'm sure it's totally the wrong way to approach it, but I found learning scales purely interesting for learning what notes are in that scale and then work (within reason) in that key. I know some people go through the stages of learning modes as well, which I did to a degree, but apart from a couple of 'em (Lydian in particular but also Locrian and Phrygian) I always found it hard to find the point in knowing them. To me A minor is still A Minor, even if I'm starting on the D. But learning modes I guess - apart from being for jazz buffs - is so you can view it as playing a different scale over each chord. I mean to me if I'm playing over an Amin and Fmaj progression my brain is telling me I'm in A minor, but I know people who think it's in A minor and then F Lydian. I know others who wouldn't know either way.
With due respect, if you're going for stuff like Oasis and Nirvana this stuff isn't going to be much use to you, it'll just complicate it. Learn yer pentatonic shapes and go with your ear. You probably won't go far wrong.
Personally speaking, If I'm improvising I'll use the ear to figure out what the key is and in the main stick in that, whilst throwing in a few chromatic notes to taste. Thankfully most improve I'm stuck with tends to be cringing 12 bar blues stuff, which by now I know may way around quite well, and what "colour" notes to add. If I'm writing a solo for a song I'll probably write the progression down in front of me (helps me to be able to see it for some reason) and then start looking for melodies and interesting notes, plenty of which aren't musically correct but they're what I like. The type of stuff I tend to write solos for though are a lot easier to throw a bit of dissonence into than your average Oasis chord progression, so I wouldn't worry about it.
As for whether a solo uses a certain scale repeatedly or switches about - it depends on the chords. If you're switching keys or throwing in an alien chord that's outside the key of that progression, chances are it'll clash horribly with one or two notes in that scale. You can get away with it but it's probably better to change scale/key and treat that particular chord as a one off. Like a jazzer would. These are rarities though I reckon, and for the two bands you've mentioned going this far might just be needlessly complicating it.
