Build Patterns for Lead Guitar Improvisation

A couple of strategies are there to figure out various patterns:

1. Start on the E string on any note of the musical scale. Keep this fret in your mind . Move up that string playing notes from the scale until the next note would be more than 4 frets from home position (count the home position as fret 1), and set that next note on a higher string. Continue it until you move out of strings.

With this approach you can get standard scale boxes – boxes are great because they help you to hold your hand in the same position throughout the scale.

2. Start on the E string on any note of the scale. For each string, add notes until you have played precisely 3 notes on that string and after that change strings.

You can acquire 3 notes per string scales with the help of this approach – this is good because they have an even number of notes on each string which actually helps with speed runs.

You can acquire 2 note per string scales by shifting the number from 3 to 2 or 4, or even 4 notes per string scales (practicable, but very challenging to play, a favorite of Alan Holdsworth I believe). 2 notes per string are especially suitable for pentatonic.

3. Whole neck approach – in this approach we play entire number of scales by moving up 1 string and handle every string in isolation. Understand that there will be great overlap between strings, and figure out all the practicable means of playing an individual note or run on all strings (very challenging to do in practice but this is how actually top notch performers find out things)

That’s all what the patterns actually are – and as far as a point of terminology is concerned, I would call boxes a particular case of patterns that are created by using rule 1, patterns is a more standard term that relates to all feasible means to map a scale to the guitar neck.

E Walker is contributes regular to guitar publications worldwide. He is the founder of Planet of Rock. See how guitar backing tracks makes guitar practice more enjoyable! Jam to over 1000 professional tracks including 100s of backing tracks