Melodic improvisation – A Step by Step Guide to Amazing Guitar Solos

ByDaniel Weiss

Introduction

Hello, hello, welcome everyone. You guys offered some cool subjects that I will talk about. I want to be honest with you; I didn’t really know what to talk about. Then I remembered my promise to myself: just make it an open-source thing, just do whatever and don’t be judgmental because I want to post every day.

Today, I want to talk about my lines. Someone said, “Can you just play some lines and talk about them?” Sure, why not? So I thought about setting up this E minor backing track.

Example 1

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And then talking about my lines. So here we go. What I just played—that’s the first thing that came to mind when I heard this E minor kind of vibe thing. So this is something up just like that, right?

A lot of the times when I see scales, I really like to see them in different intervals. In this case, there’s a sus chord that is diatonic to the scale, and I think it’s really beautiful to start like, you know, take whatever you already know and ask interval questions. Like if you know the pentatonic scale, see if you can play it with fourths. Same thing goes if you go like to E minor.

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Because guys, you gotta understand there’s so much beautiful stuff that is untapped yet within really simple stuff that we already know. Like everyone is asking about the altered scale, which is great, and the diminished scale, which is great. Those are beautiful, and they’re so beautiful that I have an entire diminished course coming up next week.

But the fundamentals sometimes have all the hidden beautiful melodies. As a teacher, I see a lot of the time that people really want to get into the juicy stuff, the cool scales. Maybe there are some untapped beautiful melodies within just the simple stuff you already know. Take, for example, players like BB King. BB King was very advanced in his own idiom, but, you know, they mostly used the pentatonic scale and the major shapes and stuff like that. Very fundamental, but I can listen to them over and over again without having even a thought about scales or hip stuff.

The beauty of taking, you know, milking an idea, getting the juice out of some sound is something that’s like storytelling, guys. And that’s something I felt like sharing right now.

Anyway, back to the phrase. I just may the 4ths be with you! I love the sound of fourths; it’s just a beautiful sound. What you can do is make sure that you can actually, diatonically, let’s hear an E Dorian, and then you can take this shape and diatonically move it.

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And then you can really start grooving these ideas.

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So that’s how I do it. That was this example. Let’s see what else happens if I improvise. What else can I talk about? Phrasing and stuff like that. As I said, it’s kind of like an open-source thing.

Example 2

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So yeah, I noticed that I really love fourths. And just like in the first example when I used these kinds of fourths, now I noticed that I used them only on one string.

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And also, even after I played them on one string, I then kind of moved into the atonic sus chord, like Cestroyd arpeggios. Something that you can definitely learn about in my Galactic Modern Guitar Fundamentals course.

The Foundations

You know, that’s why I made a course about fundamental stuff like triads and voice leading. Most of the beautiful stuff and control comes from those typical, very fundamental things.

So the same thing: I would see E minor and moving an idea around and milking it. I would try to move that kind of vibe of the arpeggio.

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I would move it diatonically to the scale, and that’s how a lot of the times I think also in terms of having an idea and just keeping milking that idea and bringing more emotion into it. I like to have some subtle movements around something. Let me show you another example of how to kind of repeat an idea but create subtle changes that feel organic, not like forced.

Let’s see if I can play that. Let me try.

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Milkin’ Ideas

So I’m just gonna try to build this idea.

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Right.

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Maybe starting over certain points, like in the barn.

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Very spacey vibes.

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Same idea, subtle changes.

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Conclusion

So I just wanted to make this video because someone asked about ideas. I guess this is just the start of a series where I talk about phrasing very openly and share ideas with you.

What I hope this kind of communicates with you guys today is that there’s so much in the stuff we already know. If you already know just a pentatonic scale, try and like put it back in track, put some drums on. If you can learn a DAW like Logic or Cubase and create your own drum loops and record some chords, that’s the best because it’s your own. You can create your own vibe and explore it.

Take an idea and milk it, see if you can come up with some different shapes. Think about arpeggios and the use of intervallic patterns. Don’t forget to also experiment with space—playing an idea and just resting. Explore different sonorities using different sounds. You never know.

That’s it, and with that regard and spirit, I’m gonna keep exploring myself. I’ll see you guys in the next episode of this open source series. Still don’t have a name for this episode, but it’s really fun to do.

All right, guys, please subscribe and like this video. Make sure you check out my online courses on my website, weissguitar.com. Hit that subscribe button and let me know in the comments below what kinds of videos you want me to make.

I’m trying to make four videos a week, but let’s see if I can make it happen. For now, please make sure to subscribe and check out my website for some online programs.

Anyway, guys, this was very fun.

Backing Track

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Discover the Power of Melodic improvisation and get the most out of simplicity ..

Today, I focus this video around the topic of Melodic Improvisation.

I would also like to share with you some insights on how to find beautiful melodies inside “simple stuff”. But before that, let me ask you a question:

when was the last time you tried to explore the fundamentals of guitar playing?

As a teacher, I often see students who are too eager to learn the cool stuff like altered and diminished scales, which are undeniably beautiful.
However, there are so many untapped hidden melodies inside the “simple stuff” that we already know.

Take the pentatonic scale, for example:
You can play it with 4ths, and you’ll get a different sound that can lead to new melodies.
You can also try to see the scale in different intervals
(like what I did in the video with the SUS chord that’s diatonic to the e-minor scale)
The sound of 4ths is just so beautiful, don’t you think?

But why do we need to explore these fundamentals?
Well, because there’s beauty in simplicity. And simplicity in fact is not simple at all.
Just like how BB King played mostly with pentatonic shapes,
yet we can still listen to him over and over again without getting bored.
That’s the power of milking an idea and getting the juice out of a sound,
making a statement.

You probably heard me speaking about storytelling, that’s also what guitar playing (and music in general..) is all about. It’s not just about playing scales and arpeggios; it’s about telling a story through your playing hence the title: Melodic Improvisation.
And to tell a good story, you need to connect with your audience on a personal level.
It’s about the emotion that you put into your playing.

That’s what makes your playing memorable and shareable. It’s not just about playing fast or technical; it’s about playing with heart.
To get the most out of simplicity,

Melodic improvisation

Practical tips that you can use to improve your guitar playing skills:

  • Focus on groove and rhythm:
    Simple guitar playing relies heavily on a strong sense of groove and rhythm. Experiment with different strumming and picking patterns, and try to develop a consistent groove that feels good to play and listen to.
  • Develop a simple motive and idea:
    Instead of focusing on complex chord progressions and melodies, try to develop a simple motive or idea that you can build upon. This will give your playing a sense of direction and purpose.
  • Focus on dynamics and feel:
    Dynamics and ‘feel’ are essential to simple guitar playing. Experiment with different techniques, such as palm-muting, fingerpicking, and slides, to create a range of dynamics and feel in your playing.
    Experiment with different styles and their qualities: Simple guitar playing doesn’t have to be limited to one style.
  • Experiment:
    with different styles and their qualities to expand your musical vocabulary and find new sounds and ideas.
  • Listen to music and hum (or sing) along:
    To internalize the language of guitar playing, listen to music and start to hum and sing along to the melodies and rhythms. This will help you develop a deeper understanding of the language of music and how it relates to the guitar.

By incorporating these tips into your practice routine, you can unlock the hidden beauty in simple guitar playing and take your playing to the next level. Remember, simplicity doesn’t have to be boring or unexciting.

Daniel Weiss