It was basically learning the 5 positions of the Ionian (major) without having to be able to look and at a fairly moderate tempo/bpm.
Don’t get me wrong, I knew of scales and somewhat was familiar with the CAGED system but I was not efficient at moving around through the different positions nor was I efficient at moving from one position to the next position. I had to physically look. I sometimes would even hit the wrong string with the pick. Moving around on the guitar was a daunting task for me. Sure I could stay in a single scale position and do something with the notes but I could not be creative with them.
I guess you could say that the effort I was putting forth was tasking my brain so much that the creative side was completely shut down and not permitted to express itself with MY personality. Any attempt at a “jam” I’d find myself falling flat on my face in just a few short measures. Sure other folks that didn’t play lead thought it was amazing, but I knew I wasn’t fooling the musicians, it was garbage, made no sense whatsoever and failed miserably on the melodic side of things…I could wear out a G lick or a few other licks here and there but to me it just wasn’t acceptable. I was not creating music, I was copying music (or licks) that others created. I wanted to be my own musician. Call it a “composer” if you will.
Once I decided to learn the scales I gave up on everything else, scales it would be…for how long I did not know, but I was ready to make both the attempt and effort. To note: a person will see the CAGED system at some point if they simply learn the major scale in 5 positions or so. Those two terms are one in the same or equal. The CAGED system helps visually.
During all of this scale practice one should also know what notes make up the triad or chord. These 3 notes of a triad can be used in just about in combination creatively and you can get by with using only them and do OK with a lead break. The famous “G Chord” - G-B-D are the notes of the triad. If you are majoring in G then you can wear these suckers out while inside of the G chord of the progression. Also pay attention to their location to the root note.
For those that have not practiced their scales realize that outside of when you have to use the dreaded B string string the 3rd of the root is always one string below and back a fret. The 5th is always 1 string below and two frets forward from the root or 1 string right above the root. When switching to the next chord (say a C chord majoring in G and leaving the G to C) always practice hitting the first 1/4 note beat of the measure by hitting a C note. This sounds so much more musical. You can practice your scale work in the same manner. Grab a backing track that goes through a progression that you are accustomed to. We major out of G a lot, goes to C, back to G, then to D. A good way to practice is to start playing the G scale in time. The 1st qtr note of the measure there should be a G note, at least try to hit the next G an octave up in the scale on say the 4th (or last) quarter note of the beat. When the chord progression changes to C then simply start that scale practice out on a C note but work your way up (or down) the G major scale so that you land on a G note at the same time the progression moves back to G. Practicing this will make you become familiar with the “space between” those two ever import notes. That space is short when you start, man it flies by. After putting in a lot of time practicing the speed of things slows way down and you could bake a cake between those 2 important notes…and fill them with whatever your creative side can come up with.
It’s really difficult to explain via writing. I could explain it in person so much better.
Scale practice is physical and mental work. Those scales need to become 2nd nature so that you can free up some brain power to be creative. I am one that had to free up the brain power in order for creativity to reveal itself…memorizing those scales/patterns/notes, etc freed up my mind and permitted me to be creative. Some are born with this ability…the rest of us need to put in our time in the woodshed doing scale work up and down the neck until it becomes almost like breathing.
At the ed of the day now most progressions sound just as simple as the old 12 bar blues progression. We all hear that progression and think “man this is easy to follow”…over time and lots of practice nearly all progressions will be approached with the same simplicity.