Often time, the question arises for beginning guitarists - "What's the best way to learn to solo?".
While there's no straightforward answer to that question, there are a number of different techniques, that if mastered, will give you a good head start and will round out your bag of guitar tricks as you learn how to solo.
One such technique that I'd like to address today is linear patterns.
These are fairly straightforward, and you no doubt already employ them in some form or another.
If the only way you've learned to play scales on the guitar is by playing up the neck, using one single string, then you most likely have never used linear patterns.
If you, on the other hand, know how to play across the neck, using several different strings to complete the scale, then you have some idea of what linear patterns are, and probably already have an idea of how they can help you solo.
What I want to do is to introduce you to three different linear patterns.
Two of them are 5 note patterns and one is 6 notes.
The reason that they are so powerful is that they can be shifted up and down the neck to allow you them to be played in any key.
They are also very short, consisting of 5 and 6 notes played across two strings and are quick and easy to memorize and master.
When you're playing these linear patterns, you'll have to take it upon yourself to spice them up.
Playing them straight as I give them to you will be bland and won't result in much solo magic, but adding in some bends, slides and walking up and down the patterns will open up doors for your soloing and help you get a few steps closer to being the next Stevie Ray Vaughn.
All three of these are based on pentatonic scales and are a 5 & 6 note pattern over 2 strings, repeated over the neck of the guitar.
Pattern 1 |-8-10-12-- |-8-10-- |--5-7-9-- |-5--7-- |--3-5-7- |-3-5- Pattern 2 |-8-10- |--6-8-10- |-5-7-- |-3-5-7- |--3-5- |-1-3-5- Pattern 3 |-8-10-12-- |-8-10-12-- |-5-7-9-- |--5-7-9-- |--3-5-7- |-3-5-7- As you can see, the pattern that's established on strings 5 & 6 are repeated again on strings 3 & 4 and 1 & 2, just moved up the neck as required to be in key.
These are fast ways to move up the neck and include a lot of notes into your solos.
Each one spans almost three octaves.
You can see that learning these will allow you to use alternating picking patterns and get up the neck very quickly.
One thing that you should note is that, while I've written them out like scale, they don't have to played in this order.
You should experiment and jump around within the pattern.
The reason that I'm showing you this & what makes linear patterns so powerful is that they are short, can be memorized quickly and lend to speed & accuracy.
Jump around, experiment & you'll be sounding professional in no time!