im new to theory id like to get into it for soloing purposes but i have no clue about anything i know some scales but thats it. ive always been into my riffing but now im getting more into solos. any sites, books, or help you guys can give to me about theory from step one. i got the skills to play msot scales im just confused about all of it.

that is a good start andy, but it doesnt seem like hes to interested into learning to read sheet music ( i suggest it though

what exactly confuses you though?

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all the different keys, moveable patterns cofuse the shit out of me. like i said i know a few scales but nothing beyond that. is there any kind of books or anything or any sites that would help or even on here?

the scale keys confuse you? like A major and Bb scales...

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youre not going to be able to shred out solos over night...just practice scales slowly

conect the dots

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i know how to read the fuckin' tabs for scales and can play all the ones i know, but when someone says to move it down the neck were do you go im lost what i mean. maybe i need a theory for dummies book sounds good i wish they had it. im lost and confused.

well to move it down the neck you can either
move the shapes you know up to the next octave
or
find where the notes would be else where and get creative like open A string is an A so is 4th fret low E and so is 7th fret D string

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I recently started theory as well...

If you mean you have trouble with connecting the different modes of one scale, then you might start out with the minor pentatonic... 5 modes and not too much notes, you'll probably learn it pretty fast. Once you start seeing the modes as one big unity, you can improvise and stuff... Then move on to more complicated scales.

http://www.theorylessons.com/pentpos.html
Good example for learning... If this is what you are looking for?

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that site owns thanks alot

Check this out I'm gonna get it along with a couple of others because i really want to get some music theory behind me

No problem man.

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dont let some of the wankers on this forum confuse you, theory can be much easier if its explained in the right way. pick up a beginners thoery book, anyone. even if you know some of it already make sure you get down the basics so it doesnt fuck you over later on

Learn your root shapes first. It'll be a million times easier.

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thats exackly whats goin one for me too

I pity you because apparently you are going to get very discouraged being an Alexi Laiho fan and all. He's very talented(equally as unconventional). Don't let it get you down though. I've done a few lessons and I'll do something over the Cage system of visualizing the neck regardless of if it will help or not, but it should. Being discouraged you feel like you won't get any better or as though you'll never be good enough. I've been there, I think everyone does go there at least a few times. Also anytime they hear anyone that just blows them away musically. Anyways, later.

Agreed .Thanks for the link Exodus.

yeah, there is a thrash lead guitar book out with a CD that looks quite helpful, there are tons of books out there, google it.

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if any of you have questions feel free to ask. heh, this music theory section could use it.

goddamn , åkerfeldt is one ugly dude. that is a hideous avatar.

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dude, you mean 5th fret low E right?

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As far as I'm concerned the most important thing to know for starting out on soloing and theory and improvising and shit is the minor modes and their moveable patterns. It's retarded to learn a million seperate keys like A minor, B minor, G major, D locrian and so on and which notes go in them when you can just treat them as one scale with variable strating points.
For each scale there is a set pattern of half steps (1 fret) and whole steps (2 frets). Just pick your starting note and go up the scale once or twice to figure out which notes you can use in the scale. Then you can change your key by just moving that same pattern up the neck to a different staring point. For example, most of us know the E minor scale, since that's what most thrash songs are in:
------------e
------------B
------------G
0---2-------D or, going straight up the neck: 0-2-3-5-7-8-10-12
0---2---3---A
0---2---3---E
This is your E natural minor scale, now if you want say, A minor, just move up your tonic (the starting note) 5 frets to A and pretend that fret 5 is your open string. So you get:
------------e
------------B
------------G
5---7-------D or 5-7-8-10-12-13-15-17
5---7---8---A
5---7---8---E
Nothing more to it then that. This is alot easier then learning every key individually. Even if you find moveable patterns confusing this is THE easiest way to learn keys. Just practice it awhile and try out different staring points. And once you have played around with any given scale/key using this method for a while you'll know it's notes anyway just like you would if you had memorized it and it's key signature to start off.

That having been said the most important scales/patterns to learn are
Natural Minor: You use as your standard scale in most songs, it's basically an extended petatonic scale, if you know that. If you don't know the petatonic scale, just learn the natural minor. They serve the same purpose but the minor scale is more expressive.
0---2--------D
0---2---3----A or 0-2-3-5-7-8-10-12
0---2---3----E
Harmonic Minor: Used in neo-classical, and of course, regular classical music alot. It's essentially the natural minor with 1 changed note that leads into the tonic again really well. In practical use you rarely use this scale for a whole song, you just occasionally change out the one different note occasionally with it's natural minor counterpart when you want that anticipatory, "leading" effect.
1---2------D the leading tone is the 1 in this line
0---2---3--A or 0-2-3-5-7-8-11-12
0---2---3--E
Phrygian: Commonly used in flamenco and metal. It's, again, natural minor, with one changed note.
0---2------D
0---2---3--A
0---1---3--E
Locrian: Really cool for heavy "chug-chug" palm-mutted riffing, but hard to solo with. It sounds really weird. Slayer used it a fair amount. Listen to the Angel of Death solo, it's got some nice locrian runs. Metallica’s “Shortest Straw” is in this, so is a lot of death metal like dying fetus. It's the same as the Phrygian with one changed note:
0---2-------D
0---1---3---A or 0-1-3-5-6-8-10-12
0---1---3---E

And again, any of these scales can be moved anywhere on the fret board so just play around with them. Start out with natural minor and work your way down.


I hope this helps someone. If it's confusing at all, sorry, just ask any questions.

maybe if i read it 5 times then it'll sink in