I want to learn how to freeform solo.
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I want to learn how to freeform solo.
Do what I did... get into Zappa exclusively for about a decade. THEN get into Buckethead. Then read the Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns by Nicolas Slonimsky. That should just about do it. Don't blame me if you get all lost and stuff. Buckethead has to be THE most inspiring musician I've ever encountered. I'm a metal freak from way back "in the day" so I love everything the Big-B does, including and especially the nosebleed metal. Electric Tears is a real beauty too if you want an album you can listen to with your wife and/or girlfriend.
A big thing with improv soloing is modes. Modes are specific kinds of scales. I won't go into all the names - but here is what they are.
A mode is when you start on one letter, go all the way to the same letter up an octave, and then back down, but staying in whatever key signature you're in.
So let's pretend you are in the key of C major.
The letters in the C major scale are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
So, let's play the 2nd mode. To do that, you start on D and play the C major scale:
D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D
Then the 3rd mode would be:
E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E
etc etc for all seven modes. These are good to practice with a met as well.
Alright. Art, how long did it take you to learn all of this?
Well, I started playing piano when I was eight. Next I started learning percussion when I was about thirteen. I kept up with music all the way through high school. Then I went to Berklee and majored in production with an emphasis on percussive arts, and now I'm getting my masters at Berklee in production and song writing. So, a long time.
Let's look at it logically though.
I learned the raw basics of music theory (notes, basic rhythm, how to play the piano) in about a year - the first year of my piano lessons. Then I really started to learn more complex music theory when I started playing percussion (complex rhythms/time signatures) - it took about five years for me to understand what I'd say are the intermediate topics of music theory. College was the first jump into advanced music theory where I learned about arranging/instrumentation/analysis etc. I'm still learning more theory to this day.
When I step back and think about it, though, I'm sure you could learn basic/intermediate music theory in about two years (logically). The reason it took me so long was because I was always taught at a very slow pace. I didn't have the necessary teachers at first, and then in high school I was being held back by the curriculum/other students. If you were to take music theory classes or really devote yourself to learning all of these concepts by yourself, with a fair amount of practice, you could learn music theory relatively quickly.
Like I said, check out http://musictheory.net
This should take you about part way through what I'd consider intermediate music theory. It even starts out with the basics for you. Extremely useful site.