So you've memorized minor pentatonic scales in 5 patterns and blue notes, you can shift it all to major and you know your major and dominant arpeggios. But you still find yourself in the box when it comes to that spotlight solo.
So here's an activity to get you using the whole neck to express yourself.
1. Get a 12-bar blues backing track in A with a quick change in Bar 2.
2. Follow this structure:
Bar 1 - over the I chord play a I chord in A shape and/or a lick in major pentatonic pattern 1
Bar 2 - over the IV chord play a IV chord then a lick in minor pentatonic pattern 1
Bars 3 & 4 - over the I chord play a I chord in E shape then licks in major pentatonic pattern 2
Bars 5 & 6 - over the IV chord play a IV chord in G shape then licks in minor pentatonic pattern 2
Bar 7 & 8 - over the I chord play I chord in D shape then licks in major pentatonic pattern 3
Bar 9 - over the V chord play a V chord in A shape then a lick in minor pentatonic pattern 3
Bar 10 - over the IV chord play a IV chord in E shape then a lick in minor pentatonic pattern 4
Bar 11 - over the I chord play a I chord in C shape then a lick in minor pentatonic pattern 1
Bar 12 - over the V chord play a V chord in E shape then a lick in minor pentatonic pattern 5
3. Repeat in other keys.
Now this seems very mechanical and to begin with you may have practice licks in advance. That's fine. To begin with, having licks already worked out means you won't feel rushed.
And that is important because feeling rushed is what keeps us in a box when we don't know where to go next.
The first time around play chords and the second time round play licks.
After a few plays, that much sought after mental map of the neck will start to reveal itself.
