How to Use Scales - Easy Guitar Licks

Learning how to use scales to create solos can be very frustrating sometimes -- especially when the process itself sounds so simple. For example, want to learn how to create bluesy/rock solos? Learn the Minor Pentatonic scale. Here is the shape for it:
 
E Minor Pentatonic: E G A B D

E—--------------------------0--3-----------------
B----------------------0--3----------------------
G-----------------0--2---------------------------
D------------0--2--------------------------------
A-------0--2-------------------------------------
E--0--3------------------------------------------ 

 Seems easy right!?  We work on it by memorizing the scale up and down. And then WHAT?
 
Then you just do a solo… Well, if you are able to do it right away, that is awesome, but for most of us that is when things start to get frustrating.
 
Today we are going to learn a step-by-step exercise to help us to better transition the process of learning a scale to create guitar licks and solos.
 
Let's play the following chord sequence E A G E and apply the E Minor pentatonic scale over it. (Watch the video below).
 

Now, we can create simple passages using parts of the scale:

E—-----------------------0---0--------3--0-----0----
B------0-3-----------------0----------------3-------<
G--0-2-----2--------0-2-----------------------------<
D---------------------------------------------------<
A---------------------------------------------------<
E--------------------------------------------------- 

For a simple variation we can also take the same scale one octave higher:

E—------------------------------------12--15-----
B------------------------------12--15------------
G-----------------------12--14-------------------
D----------------12--14--------------------------
A---------12--14---------------------------------
E--12--15----------------------------------------

And still create licks for it:

E—--------------------------------------------12------12------
B--------------------------12-----------------12------12------
G------------12b-----------14b-rb-12--------------14b----14b--
D-----12--14-----14------------------14-----------------------
A—/14---------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------

 The key is to get comfortable with the simple passages first and then play the same licks changing, perhaps, the last note. After that we can start “gluing” them together and build an entire career with one scale!
 
Hope you guys have enjoyed this lesson! Stay tuned for more! If there is a topic you want to hear more about it please contact me.
 
Thanks.

Related:

• Get matched with an electric guitar teacher
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• Another article by Rod: The Importance of Knowing the Notes on the Fretboard
• More free guitar resources from Lessonface teachers and staff