Backing Tracks

Volume 1

Written & Recorded by Dan Flees

Book & CD Set $15.00

Table Of Contents

2---Copyright Page

3---About The Author

4---What Is This Book?

5---What Scales Should I Start With?

8---Where Are Scales Located On The Neck?

9---Ready To Improvise

10--Track 1: B7 Jam

12--Track 2: 12 Bar Blues In Bb

14--Track 3: 12 Bar Blues In Three Keys

16--Track 4: A Side, B Side

18--Track 5: Trade Fours With Dan

20--Track 6: Four Bar Climbing

22--Track 7: Two Bar Climbing

24--Closing Summary

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Thank you for trying my book!

Book #___________

Backing Tracks Volume 1

Written & Recorded by Dan Flees.

Printed in Schofield, Wisconsin.

Copyright © 2012 Dan Flees

Sound recording ℗ 2012 Dan Flees

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About The AuthorI am an instructor in central Wisconsin who teaches over 2,000 guitar lessons each year. I also teach classes in music theory and lead workshops on how to improvise.

I began college as an Elementary Education major and later changed my degree in order to emphasize music performance, music history, music theory, and psychology. I earned my Associate’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin - Marathon County and my Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

My stage experience includes jazz ensembles, worship groups, blues bands, and rock groups. I’ve also played for theater productions including Jesus Christ Superstar, Next To Normal, Legally Blonde, The Wiz, Grease, Evita, The Wedding Singer, and Footloose. In addition, I perform regularly with a thirty-piece symphonic rock band.

I am also a husband, father, Eagle Scout, and Christian.

Please visit my website at danfguitar.com for videos, photos, and all the latest news!

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What Is This Book?

Welcome to Backing Tracks Volume 1!

This book contains sheet music and seven backing tracks. A backing track is a pre-recorded band with no lead guitarist. This gives you a “band” that you can play along with in order to improve your skills. As a guitarist, you will use different scales at different times in order to get the sounds you want. Playing with backing tracks helps develop your hands, your musical ear, your ability to play with others, and gives you an exciting way to practice.

I originally recorded these backing tracks and wrote this book for use with my students in private lessons and group workshops. It has helped guitar players of all ages and musical backgrounds get a start with improvising on the guitar.

If you have never improvised before, I recommend the following steps:

1 – Memorize and practice the pattern for each of the three scales

2 – Learn the locations of the scales on the guitar fretboard

3 – Learn how to move the scales around to match the backing tracks

Each track is about eight to ten minutes long. This gives you plenty of time to experiment with the scales and get into a groove.

There are practically countless scales that can be played on a guitar. This volume deals with three of the most commonly used scales in the world of blues, rock, and pop. With mastery of just these three scales you will be able to play a vast amount of material.

Part of learning to improvise involves trial and error. Learn the scales and use them, but feel free to try some “wrong” notes or push things outside the box. Put on your headphones or practice alone if you feel shy at first, but give yourself the chance to make some mistakes and learn your way around the guitar.

Although I’ve attempted to make this book as user-friendly as possible, it does help to have a basic understanding of general music theory and chord charts. It can be useful to listen to the recordings while following along in the book (without playing) and familiarizing yourself with the music before playing along.

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What Scales Should I Start With?We will be focusing on the pentatonic scale, the blues scale, and the Dorian mode. Try each of these three scale patterns with every backing track on the CD. They are some of the most commonly used scales in the world of guitar music.

The Pentatonic Scale

The minor pentatonic scale is built around only five different notes and results in a two-note-per-string shape. It is easy to memorize and has been a staple in many music genres.

The white notes on the diagram are the “root notes” that name the scale (more on that in a few pages).

In tablature, the pentatonic scale would look like this if you start in the key of A at the fifth fret:

--------------------------------5--8----------------------------5--8----------------------------5--7----------------------------5--7----------------------------5--7----------------------------5--8--------------------------------

The next two scales include all the notes of the pentatonic scale.

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The Blues Scale

The blues scale is very similar to the pentatonic scale. The only additions would be two octaves of a flatted fifth. These notes add some extra color without drastically changing the scale. The blues scale and the pentatonic scale are often played together in the same song.

If you prefer tablature, the blues scale would look like this if you start in the key of A at the fifth fret:

--------------------------------------5--8----------------------------------5--8-------------------------------5--7--8-------------------------------5--7-------------------------------5--6--7-------------------------------5--8--------------------------------------

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The Dorian Mode

The Dorian mode is another scale that fits in most places where you could play a pentatonic scale or a blues scale. It is a favorite of many artists across many genres. Compared to the major scale, it has a flatted third and a flatted seventh.

If you prefer tablature, the Dorian mode would look like this if you start in the key of A at the fifth fret:

--------------------------------------------5--7--8-------------------------------------5--7--8-------------------------------------4--5--7-------------------------------------4--5--7----------------------------------------5--7----------------------------------------5--7--8--------------------------------------------

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Where Are Scales Located On The Neck?One of the greatest features of the guitar is that we can use movable shapes. We can take any scale or pattern and move it to different keys simply by moving it to a new location on the neck.

For example, play the pentatonic scale starting at fret 5. This is an A pentatonic scale. The white dots on the scale diagram are all lined up on A notes. Now play the same scale at fret 7. It is now a B pentatonic scale.

A “#” (sharp) symbol means to go one fret higher. For example, A pentatonic is located at fret 5. A# pentatonic is located at fret 6.

A “b” (flat) symbol means to go one fret lower. Ab pentatonic is located at fret four.

Here are the fret numbers with their note names below them:

Fret Number 1 2 3 4 5 6

Note Name F F# or Gb G G# or Ab A A# or Bb

Fret Number 7 8 9 10 11 12

Note Name B C C# or Db D D# or Eb E

Every scale repeats 12 frets higher or lower. Also, one note’s sharp is another note’s flat. Whether the scale is called “F#” or “Gb” depends on the context of the song, but the scale you play will be the same.

Write in the notes of the sixth string on the diagram below. This will help you to remember them more quickly and give you a visual guide:

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Ready To Improvise

Once you have memorized at least one of the scale patterns and know where to place it on the fretboard, you are ready to start improvising along with the backing tracks!

Don’t worry about trying to be fast or fancy with your initial attempts. The first goal is to hear how the different scales sound when played with the backing tracks The second goal is getting used to moving the scales around to fit the chords of the music.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

- If you are really nervous, find a place or a time to practice when no one is listening.

- Keep it simple. Start with just track one (B7 Jam). Try using only 2 or three notes from your favorite scale and gradually add more notes as you feel comfortable.

- It isn’t necessary to fill every beat or even every measure with notes. The space between notes is also a part of the music.

I have included the scale patterns alongside every song. Feel free to glance at them often as you play over the backing tracks. You’ll be surprised how quickly they can be memorized with regular use.

There is a lot of trial and error in learning how to comfortably improvise. It takes a lot of practice and experience to be able to play what you hear in your head as soon as you think of it.

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Introduction To B7 Jam

CD Track - 1

Playing time - 9:01

B7 Jam uses only one chord for the entire song. Start at fret seven and change between the pentatonic scale, the blues scale, and the Dorian mode at will.

The great thing about this track is that it lets you gain confidence using your scales without having to worry about moving them to different places on the fretboard.

B7 Jam is arranged in four bar phrases. Even though the chord never changes, you will here subtle changes in the rhythm guitar’s strumming and the drum beat every four bars. This will help you develop a sense of “phrasing.”

A phrase is basically a musical sentence. Lots of music consists of two, four, or eight measure phrases.

For your convenience, I have included the scale patterns below. Begin with your favorite, but be sure to give each pattern a try in the future.

Pentatonic Blues Dorian

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Introduction To 12 Bar Blues In Bb

CD Track - 2

Playing time - 8:26

The 12 bar (or 12 measure) blues is one of the most common chord progressions in all of music.

For a 12 bar blues in Bb, you can play any of your three scales in Bb at fret six for the entire song. This is a completely valid approach.

If you would like more of a challenge, you can also move your scale to match the chords as they appear. If you choose to “play the changes,” the Eb scale is located at fret eleven, and the F scale is located at both fret one and fret thirteen.

Staying on the Bb scale throughout the song gives it a certain sound, while changing along with the chord changes provides a very different sound. This is one of the great things about the blues. Many players like to play a verse or two in Bb, then do a few verses following the chord changes. Try it both ways.

The 12 bar blues progression can easily be broken down into two bar and four bar phrases. Feel free to experiment with riffs of different lengths.

Pentatonic Blues Dorian

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Introduction To12 Bar Blues In 3 Keys

CD Track - 3

Playing time - 10:05

Be sure to read the introduction to 12 Bar Blues In Bb. The same notes apply for this blues piece.

This backing track makes things a little more interesting. For the first three lines you will be playing the blues in G. You may stay in G at fret three or fret fifteen for all 12 bars, or follow the individual chord changes. C is located at fret eight, and D is located at fret ten.

No matter which approach you use, you will have to shift up two frets at line four when the song changes to the key of A. Fret five becomes your new home base, or you may follow the individual chords again.

You will also have to shift up two frets again for line seven when the song changes to a blues in B. This makes fret seven your new location.

Once you play through all three keys, the song repeats back to G at the very top.

For your first couple of run-throughs, I would recommend staying at fret three for the entire G section, fret five for the entire A section, and then fret seven for the entirety of the B section. Once that feels comfortable enough, try following as many of the individual chord changes as you like. It is totally acceptable to follow some, but not all, of the individual changes in the blues.

Pentatonic Blues Dorian

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Introduction To A Side, B Side

CD Track - 4

Playing time - 8:42

A Side, B Side is built completely around two alternating four bar phrases. The first four bars are in A at fret five, while the second set of four bars are in B at fret seven.

Four bar phrases are very common in music. Also, many artists like to “trade fours” with each other, especially in live settings. This means that two or more players take turns playing four measure solos.

It would be hard to overestimate the importance of the four bar phrase. Play through this song until you can feel the chord changes without consciously counting. The drums and strumming patterns on the backing track will provide subtle changes in order to help you predict the chord changes.

Pentatonic Blues Dorian

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Introduction To Trade Fours With Dan

CD Track - 5

Playing time - 9:05

Please read through the introductory notes from A Side, B Side before playing Trade Fours With Dan.

For this backing track, I have pre-recorded my solos for the B sections. Your task is to play four measures of A at fret five. You will then hear my solo during the B section.

This backing track helps you gain confidence with four bar phrases and also helps you learn not to step on the other soloist. It’s also great to listen to other improvisers and hear what they play.

Pentatonic Blues Dorian

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Introduction To Four Bar Climbing

CD Track - 6

Playing time - 8:28

Four Bar Climbing is written completely in four bar sections.

Start in A at fret five. After four measures, shift down to Ab at fret four. Shift up to fret six for Bb, then down to A at fret five. This pattern of “one down, two up” continues as you gradually move up the fretboard.

Once you finish the four measures of Db at fret nine, the whole song repeats back to the top of the page from A at fret five.

Pentatonic Blues Dorian

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Introduction To Two Bar Climbing

CD Track - 7

Playing time - 8:05

Two Bar Climbing was written as a more intense follow-up to Four Bar Climbing. It’s the same concept, but with less time for each chord. This gives you less time to settle into each scale and keeps you thinking.

The two bar phrase is key. If you play through this backing track enough, you will greatly improve your sense of how long (or short) two measures can be.

Pentatonic Blues Dorian

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Closing Summary

Thank you for trying out my book! I hope that it has been useful in demonstrating the basics of guitar improvisation using backing tracks.

Special thanks goes to all of the students that I have worked with in person since 2001 who have helped me compile this collection.

Always remember that successful musical improvisation takes a lot of practice. Even if you mentally understand everything about music theory, you will still need to train your hands. You will definitely improve if you keep at it and give yourself a chance.

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