I find that scale sequences are one of the best ways to add or release tension in a solo. Sometimes a solo just calls out to end on a low note. In that case, descending scale patterns are a great way to get there. Other times, you want to lead up to a searing high note. An ascending scale sequence can do the job nicely there.
Hopefully these exercises will get you interested in scale patterns. These are just a few common examples. If you search hard enough, you will find tons of other out there. Or you can come up with your own!
As you may have noticed from my guitar lessons, I never get tired of scale patterns. In fact, there is no end to the myriad of scale patterns that one can come up with. Scale patterns help reinforce scales in your playing and also take the boredom out of just playing scales up and down.
In this guitar lesson, we take the D Mixolydian Scale in its three-note-per-string form and sequence it in a way that builds momemtum as you ascend. Basically, we ascend in groupings of 3 strings, descend by one string, then ascend up the next 3 strings, etc.
Above is the tab for this exercise. As you can see I have indicated alternate picking. But you can feel free to use whatever technique you want (i.e. mix in some hammer-ons and pull-offs, etc).
Set your metronome to a low tempo and just gradually build up speed. Lots can go wrong when playing long patterns like these. So don't increase the tempo until you can play the exercise error-free in its entirety.
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