[harleycaptain]

Since I practice and "perform" in my living room, mostly alone, but sometimes with my brother, I find that I get the most enjoyment doing call and response type playing. Playing a chord, then doing a lick or fill before the next chord. In addition, looping a progression and trying to come up with a solo or melody line.

Already, with some of the suggestions in this thread I hear a major change in the sound of the melody/solo using notes added by the dorian mode.

I guess you may use part of the dorian scale, or all of it depending on the chords in the progression.

It's pretty fascinating to me to hear the dorian for C minor, which sounds like Santana and all that is caused by adding a few notes to the C minor Pentatonic.

When my brother comes over, I can have him play a progression and I can "show off" what I have learned here.

The other thing is.... the scales sound more complex than the pentatonic, which to me begin to sound too simple after awhile.

My goal is to make the guitar "speak" which is different than plastering notes all over a chord progression. I think I am on the right road now.