Hello to everyone, my name is Joni Fred and I’m shredding guitarist from Vaasa (Finland).
I have played guitar for something like 13 years now. I have done few solo demos and
demos with bands Wings of death and Mr. Crowley. You can hear my solo works at http://jonifred.tk.

This lessons is about “the five block system”. The five block system is most important
concept for understanding the fingerboard. With the five block system you can develop
your own style of playing.

I always teach first pentatonic scale to somebody who is asking how to play solo guitar.
Pentatonic scale is 5 note scale. Here is example A minor pentatonic scale.

A minor pentatonic scale

A        C       D       E       G

E|–(5)——-8——-10——12——15——-|

A is in this case a root note, means that if you put same scale example to 8th fret, you
play C minor pentatonic scale.
C minor pentatonic scale

C       D#      F       G        A#

E|—(8)—– 11——13——15——-18——|

Pretty easy or what?? but back to the five block system..
Let’s take position one which should be familiar to everyone.
(?) = root note

Position 1

E|–(5)———-8——–|
B|—5———–8——–|
G|—5——–7———–|
D|—5——-(7)———-|
A|—5——–7———–|
E|–(5)———-8——–|

This position is basic position to every solo. Root note at this case is A. Here comes
where most of the players drop out. Let’s take position two.
Position 2

E|—–8——-10—|
B|—–8——(10)–|
G|—7——-9——|
D|–(7)——–10—|
A|—7———10—|
E|—–8——-10—|

Most of the players try to play always in position one and try to do something with that. But when they try to go futher from position one they confuse and go lost because they don’t know whole scale throw the fingerboard. If you have played examples of Malmsteen’s or Hammet’s solos you have seen that they always try to use whole fingerboard. Well it is pretty easy if you know what you are doing, but let’s continue with positions three, four and five.

Position 3

E|—-10—–12——|
B|—(10)——-13—|
G|–9——–12——|
D|—-10—–12——|
A|—-10—-(12)—–|
E|—-10—–12——|

Position 4

E|—-12———15—|
B|——-13——15—|
G|—-12—–(14)—–|
D|—-12——14——|
A|—(12)——–15—|
E|—-12———15—|

Position 5

E|——-15——(17)–|
B|——-15——-17—|
G|—(14)———17—|
D|—-14———-17—|
A|——-15——-17—|
E|——-15——(17)–|

Here begins the real work. It is little bit harder to play solos in all positions and it will
take time to learn them but after that your playing is in new levels. Basically all the scales
goes at the same way so you shouldn’t have problems to learn minor or major scales too. If you can play solos with all positions, I must say that you better player than most players who have not never tried to learn basic guitar theory.

thanks

Joni Fred

mail: ironevil2002@yahoo.com

http://jonifred.tk