How do you create melodies?

To get you up and running as fast as possible you should consider this very simple concept as you are “noodling” your scales with the jam tracks. The concept is called “Question and Answer”. Take a quick look at this video clip and see how Bob Deeks, our resident guitar guru builds a basic phrase and then brings it back down.

While you are watching this video, you may as well also download the free guitar tabliture for it so you can practise a simple guitar scale solo with the music and visual references right in front of you. You don't need to buy the map or the jam tracks for this. Its totally free and just gives you a real life example to help you on your way to learning guitar scales.

OK, let's carry on with this "Question and Answer" theme. Heightening the tension is really like asking a question. Taking the melody back down to the root note of the scale "resolves" this tension and is like answering the question. Starting to understand? Don't worry you will...

By asking a question you create musical tension. You leave the listener wanting more as if you have not finished something. Then you finish it by answering the question. Or in technical terms, you resolve the melody back to the root note.

Let’s discuss this a bit deeper…

Remember that the red notes on the Map indicate the octave points. These are the first notes in the scale. The blue notes mark the fifth note of the scale. The fifth note in the scale dominant and is famous for being used as a turn around point in songs. So is the seventh note but for now let’s just focus on the blue notes on the map to get you started.

So as a jam track is playing and the song is still in the first you might try starting with your first note as a red note and noodling around it - even while the song switches to the next chord.

Then as the song moves to the turn around chord – and you will hear this as the song builds in tension - try sliding up from where ever you are to a blue note (5th). This will heighten the intensity of the melody you are playing and set you up for a nice "resolve" back to the a red note or the octave when the chord changes back to root chord.

Just try this.

It is quite a revelation when you actually feel and hear the tension you can create just by playing only a few notes together but by ending it on a blue note. There is something about the fifth degree of the scale that leaves you wanting more.

And of course, as the great guitar player you are destined to become you lead your listeners back to home by answering the question – when you feel it is appropriate to do so by resolving back to the red octave note.

This is very simple and only the beginning of learning to play and improvise melody lines. It is really just scratching the surface but is a good starting point. So remember to try the question and answer technique as you get started using the Map and jam tracks.