I found this free little software aid for memorizing the fretboard:
http://www.francoisbrisson.com/fretboardwarrior/fretboardwarrior.html

I'm giving it a try. Hopefully it will speed up the process.

There are some people who have some problem with the modes so I thought I would make a thread about it.
Basically the modes are all the different ways you can play a scale in the same key for those who didn't completly understand what I just said (I'm rather vague when I'm typing I know) lets take the C major which is CDEFGABC the second mode known as the dorian mode would be DEFGABCD
Phrygian mode would be EFGABCDE
Lydian mode would be FGABCDEF
mixolydian would be GABCDEFG
Aeolian mode (also known as the minor scale) would be ABCDEFGA
Lociran mode would be BCDEFGAB

THESE ARE THE MODES FOR THE KEY OF C MAJOR ONLY

The intervals are pretty hard to explain what they are I'll just cut to the chase

root- usually the note a song or scale starts on
minor 2nd- one fret above the root
major or natural 2nd- two frets above the root (second note of the major and minor scales
minor 3rd- three frets above the root (third note of the minor scale)
major 3rd- four frets above the root (third note of the major scale)
perfect fourth- five frets above the root (fourth note in both the major and minor scales
augmented fourth/diminished 5th- 6 frets above the root
perfect 5th- 7 frets above the root (fifth note in both the major and minor scales)
minor sixth- 8 frets above the root (6th note in the minor scale)
major sixth- 9 frets above the root (sixth note in the major scale)
minor seventh- 10 frets above the root (seventh note in the minor scale)
major seventh- 11 frets above the root (seventh note in the major scale)
octave- 12 frets above the root last note in any scale

Fingerings for major and minor scale
for a one octave oh let's just say G minor scale you would fret
D ---------------------3--5----------
A ------------3--5--6----------------
E----3--5--6-------------------------

you can move this pattern anywhere the neck

for a G major scale you would fret
D ---------------------4--5----------
A ------------3--5--7----------------
E----3--5--7-------------------------

same deal as the minor scale you can move this all over the neck

if you have any questions about music theory just drop me a PM I'll be more than happy to help you out

Here's a video of me playing the USA Dean from Hell.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RticWVKyZjc

I seem to play the same lead runs all the time. The mior pantatonic rut. Does anybody have a suggestion on how to expand my licks and make them interesting again? I'm not sure how theory works and I read the Theory thread but I literally know nothing about theory so I hardly understood any of it. This weeked I'm going to get my scale book out and try to put something together.

Thanks everyone.

Here's a tune by Skid row that I did. Sadly the guitar tone that I hear on my computer mpg file s much better than that of the video on youtube. I haden't realized this before but converting to mp4 eats alot of the bassy full frequencies I have on my mpg file. Either way it was fun and give me a reason/goal to practice from time to time.
If anyone know a better shrinking file that will maintain a better sound than mp4 please inform me.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0HpVbq0-kWY

Dennis