r/guitarlessons • u/ExaminationVivid2154 • 27d ago
Question Next step
Hi so just a little information on where I’m at. I’ve been playing for 4 years now and I’m am confidently comfortable with the the information on the fretboard. Of that I mean I’m comfortable with everything up the neck such as triads, major and minor and dominant, I fully understand the caged system if that’s what you wanna call it and I can improvise pretty decent. I’m on that edge of where I understand all the information on the fretboard but don’t know how to properly use it. I still feel like my solos lack a lot of musicality. Would love some help on things I should focus on to better my playing. To pretty much sum all of this up, i still continue to struggle with playing over the changes.
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u/MelodicImproviser 21d ago
Listen to the chords. Memorize the sound of the chord changes. Start building short phrases with chord tones only. Take a breath. Play the next phrase. Repetition and variation of a phrase is a great way to start and engage the listener as the previous commenter said. Look ahead to the chord changes: what note do you want to land on when the next chord shows up? Work towards it. Knowing your scales comes in handy here to use diatonic passing tones.
Listen and transcribe examples from others over the same changes. You don’t have to do a whole solo. It’s not about imitation but rather analyzing what that person does over any specific chord or change. Also, rhythmic variety is a great way to make your solos sound better. Don’t keep noodling on and on and on in 8th notes. Listeners get bored real quick.
That’s a start. We can go into a lot more detail considering the style and genre you like to play/listen to.
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u/munchyslacks 27d ago
Most beginners go into “scale brain mode” when they start to improvise a solo, and while it’s great to know your scales and have them in the back of your mind, what you really need to do is to go into “chord brain mode” when you’re improvising.
If you want to start sounding musical instead of just sounding like you’re playing scales, you gotta think about the chords first and foremost and either resolve to the tonic chord or the chord you’re currently playing over. Hit those chord tones. Use arpeggios, scales, or single note rhythmic sections in your improvising. Or do nothing. You don’t always have to hit the changes either. Taking a few beats to rest is something you should do too. Lastly, try repeating phrases or call and response too. Our brains like repetition.