Fretboard Logic.

[MondoMarcus]

I just finished the first installment of "Fretboard Logic" and it made a lot of things clearer to me. I can already tell that my improvising and lead playing is getting better because of it. But I was wondering if the next couple of books would teach me about whole scales as opposed to just pentatonic through the CAGED system?

And in regards to "lead patterns". What are they exactly? Why do I need to know them? And where would I play them? I'm guessing they are just transitions from scale pattern to scale pattern, but I could be wrong.

How can I create a more fluent feel from one scale pattern to the next instead of just sounding... well... "scaley". I don't know if this makes any sense, but I'd appreciate the help.

[cardello]

start learning some songs

[TheJeffinator]

Two notes per string.
Four notes per string.
Five notes per string.
Six notes per string.
Three notes on one string, two on the next, five on the one after that, one on the next, four on the fifth string, and as many notes as you can fit on the last one.
Basically, just mix it up and find all the notes all over the place.

Another (more interesting, in my opinion) way to go about doing this is by using sequences and moving them around - for example, using a 9-note sequence in A minor:
/ Sequence first time around \/ Sequence (again) \
E-15-13-12-13-12--------------15-13-12-13-12-----------------------
B-----------------13-12------------------------13-12-----------------
G-----------------------14-12------------------------14-12-----------
D---------------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------

Repeat the sequence in different places. When you've done this, start moving around - descend by fifths (down a string, down a tone), descend by thirds (down a string, up a tone), ascend by seconds (up a tone), et cetera, until it's sufficiently beaten into your head. When that's done, do it again in E minor (raise all the Fs to F#s) and D minor (lower all the Bs to Bbs), and again in B minor (raise all Cs to C#s) and Bb (lower all Es to Ebs), and so on, until you have all the keys down. It's less boring than going up and down scales over and over, and by the time you've completed a key you've also worked your chops pretty well and you have another sequence that burns.

When that's done, you still have melodic and harmonic minors, pentatonics, odd-tone scales, and all that fun stuff, so get started and stick with it.

Rock On,
The Jeffinator

[Malcolm]

Sounds like you had the first Fretboard Logic Volume I. Purchase Volume II right away while Volume I is still fresh in your mind and Volume III is worth your time.

Lead Patterns are patterns that are not exactly scales or modes but notes that go up the neck and --- go with each other --- that is about as good a defination as I can come up with. Your good notes are never more than two frets away from each other or put another way when you hit a bad note you are one fret away from a good one.......

The other posts have done a good job of answering your question on how to not sound like you are playing scales ----- You have to stop running the notes up and back down the scale - as long as you do that it will always sound like you are running scales. I suggest learning as many patterns - scale, mode, arpeggio, diatonic lead, etc. as you can and then add and mix them together. A year from now you will want to be able to develop repetative melody phrases from those patterns. Once you get to melody you no longer will sound like you are running scales.

Good luck, and have fun.