This lesson for Birdsong by the Grateful Dead outlines details all scales and arpeggios most useful for improvisation. Links to PDFs with a comprehensive view of the guitar neck listed below. Timecodes outlining the lesson are listed below. My email is bobby@thehallsofmusic.com or bobhallguitar@gmail.com Have fun!!
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Birdsong E mixolydian scale
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Birdsong E major Arpeggio
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Birdsong E major Pentatonic
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Birdsong the B Dorian scale/mode
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Birdsong the B minor arpeggio
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Birdsong the B minor pentatonic scale
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Birdsong the A major scale
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Birdsong the A major Arpeggio
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Birdsong the A major pentatonic scale
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Timecodes
0:00 Birdsong Improvisation Performance
2:39 Intro into video
I
3:36 The first steps for studying a tune
Know what feel or time signature the tune is
Birdsong is in swing time
Can you count and clap swing time?
Every exercise you create needs to be in swing time
4:59 Beginning to understand the harmony
Having an understanding where the harmony resolves is important
Be able to play the chord progression to create backing tracks
8:14 The E mixolydian mode
Include the link for pdf again here
Know the scale well enough to play it anywhere on the guitar with ease
Singing the scale as your practice it is a good idea
Playing the low E note as drone while improvising the scale is also a good idea
Playing along with the backing track is a fun way to practice
Resolving your melodies to chord tones is a great way to make them sound focused
Knowing the arpeggios helps to know how to resolve your melodic lines
12:18 Learning the Arpeggios
Include the link for pdf again here
Over the Bm/E chord is a B minor arpeggio
Over the Bm7/E is an A major arpeggio
Over the E chord is an E major arpeggio
Be able to think the scale degrees 1, 3, and 5 for each arpeggio over its respective chord
Improvising with the arpeggios over the correct chord helps to learn how to resolve
Improvising with arpeggios is bland sounding but good for practicing them in real time
After getting the arpeggios down, use the mixolydian mode as connective melodic material
Create your own arpeggios that are unique to your mind with this skill is a great idea
16:09 Learning the Pentatonic Scales
Include the link for pdf again here
These scales are the easiest to learn and play
Play the scale throughout the entire neck
Concentrate on one area on the neck to get a deeper understanding
Run the scales with swinging 8th notes
You can run them and change with the rate of the chord progression for good practice
Improvise with the pentatonic scales first to practice using only them
Try using all concepts with the pentatonic scales including the mixolydian mode and arpeggios
Let loose and have fun… That is the MOST IMPORTANT THING!! 😊
20:23 Learning other people’s solos is important for developing depth
Combining other people’s solos and working on scales and arpeggios is the best practice
22:20 Backing track without any lead guitar for you to practice