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Hi, how you doing? Justin here.[br]Welcome to IM-123,

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which we're going to be starting a look [br]at major scale improvisation.

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And we're going to be using the G Major scale.

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Which I'm hoping you've kind of [br]got under your fingers now.

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and you're okay playing it [br]up and down from memory.

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It's important that you're there [br]before we start on doing this.

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And what we're going to be doing is [br]

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looking at using this scale [br]to make up some little solos.

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And what I'm going to do is [br]go through some of the hints with you,

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and then I'll kind of demonstrate them [br]to a backing track.

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Now, I've just mentioned it : [br]backing track!

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Very, very important that you practice this stuff [br]with either a backing track,

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a jam buddy, or you record yourself playing [br]some chords and solo over the top.

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I think, really, using a backing track [br]is a good idea at this stage.

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Jamming with your mates [br]is always a good fun thing

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but, at this time, I really think [br]it might be better to be on your own

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where you're not afraid of making mistakes [br]and you can kind of concentrate

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and kind of figure out the sounds on your own.

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So using a backing track is a good idea.

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There's a free one on the website

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if you're already on the website,[br]

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it'll be just below [br]or just about this video thing.

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And what I want to do [br]is take you through some tips now.

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So, the first and most important thing, [br]when you're improvising with scales in general,

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is that you need to stick to the scale notes.

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Particularly with this kind of major scale soloing.

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If you hit any notes that aren't in the major scale,

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it's very likely they will sound pretty horrible.

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Now, occasionally, you might find [br]one that sounds cool

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or be able to sneak one [br]in between two other notes

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but as an exercise for now, [br]while you're learning to improvise with the major scale

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try and stick only, ONLY to scale tones.

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Second hint: you mainly want [br]to stick on the thinnest strings.

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You can make a great solo [br]using the thick strings,

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there's no problem with doing that,

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but, just when you're starting out, [br]

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it's usually easier to use the thin strings

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because they kind of sound [br]a little bit more like a solo

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if that makes sense.

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Less like a riff and more like a lead.

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They don't tend to get mixed up in the chords. [br]

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That's the problem with the low notes,

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they tend to get a bit muddily[br]with the rhythm guitar or the backing track.

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So if you stick to the thinnest strings,

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then they seem to set themselves aside [br]a little bit better.

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So, generally, thinnest strings.

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Explore the other ones if you like,[br]just to check it out,

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but mainly you want [br]to be sticking to the thinnest strings.

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Next thing : use the play/rest approach.

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And what the play/rest approach is all about

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is kind of using punctuation when you play

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because if someone is talking to you,

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if I'm trying to explain this [br]and I didn't stop at all,

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no little pauses in what I'm saying, [br]no full stops or commas,

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it would be really difficult to understand [br]what I was saying.

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And it's the same with improvising.

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You want to get in the habit [br]right from the beginning

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of 'play a little bit', 'stop a little bit', [br]'play a little bit', 'stop a little bit'.

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Now the advantage [br]when you're learning, of course,

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is that it gives you time[br]to think about what you're doing.

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To, you know, [br]have the picture of the scale in your mind [br]

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and making sure [br]that your fingers are there.

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Maybe even think about what the notes are [br]that you're going to play before you play them.

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That's cool! [br]You're learning, that's allowed.

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Later on you want to be all effortless [br]and free and not thinking about it

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but right now, if you're learning it, [br]think about the scale,

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think about the notes that you can play[br]and use them.

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You know : "What am I going to play? [br]Oh yeah I might try that." Do it!

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"Oh, that didn't sound very good, [br]maybe I'll try this instead."

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You know, you've got lots of time then[br]to think about it. [br]

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There's no rush with the improvising.

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You know, it's all about being relaxed with it

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and using the idea of play/rest/play/rest/etc [br]gives you that space.

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Space in the head and space in the music. [br]It's a really, really good idea.

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Now, leading on from that the next tip [br]is to stay simple.

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Don't try and make things too complicated yet, [br]you're just learning.

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Just be cool with kind of exploring [br]what the different notes of the scale sound like.

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How they kind of react with the changes

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cause if the chords are changing [br]in the backing track

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the one note that you're playing [br]will sound different

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so just keep things really simple.

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Don't be in a hurry to try and do anything[br]too flashy or too clever,

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just look for a nice really simple little melody.

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That's the most important thing.

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And while we're on that, again,

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another leading straight between these different points[br]is repeating licks.

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Now when people are talking, [br]

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when they start talking about the same thing [br]over and over again

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then it seems to help it sink in better [br]and it's the same when you're improvising.

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If you have a little idea that you play

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and then you play the same idea again [br]while the chords keep changing in the background,

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it sounds strong, it sounds good.

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It adds a new color to what you're doing [br]and reinforces the idea to the listener.

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So don't be afraid of playing[br]making up a little lick or a little pattern,

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and then playing it over and over again.

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You know, here you play it, [br]have a little rest, [br]

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play it, have a little rest, [br]and see what the effect is.

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Sometimes it can sound cool [br]to play a little repeating figure

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that goes over and over again [br]without stopping while the chords change.

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That can be an interesting little thing.

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Now, I mentioned earlier on, [br]if you're by yourself

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a really, really cool thing [br]that you can do is to explore.

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You know, you're on your own, [br]you're learning this stuff so

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there's no limit here.

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Try doing solos only on the thick strings.

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Try jumping from the thinnest strings [br]to the thickest strings

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and back again or whatever. [br]There's no rules here.

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So long as you hit the scale 'dots', if you like, [br]the notes of the scale,

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and you don't hit other notes, [br]it's going to be interesting, right?

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Notice the word 'interesting'.

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It might not be brilliant, [br]but it will be interesting

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and it shouldn't sound, you know,[br]horrible, like out of tune.

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It just might not sound maybe the most melodic, [br]nicest solo you've ever heard

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if you're jumping from :

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. . .

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It might sound a little bit funny

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but, you know, we'll get to that

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cause I'm going to do [br]some little examples in a second.

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And the most important thing,

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I've left until last so it stays in your memory, [br]is to listen.

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Now what you're really listening for [br]is the effect of the note that you're playing

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and the backing track.

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To the whole thing together. [br]Don't just listen to what you're doing

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cause then you kind of,[br]you're not getting the whole picture

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because somebody that's listening [br]is listening to your guitar on the backing track.

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It's the effect of those things together [br]that's really important.

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Not just one of the things.

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So as you're playing try and let your ears [br]be listening to the whole thing,

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the whole sound, the sound of your instrument playing[br]against the backing track.

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That's really what you're listening out for.

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And with the major scale [br]it's a lot about listening

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and if you find yourself on a note [br]that doesn't sound very good,

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move to either one note higher [br]or one note lower [br]

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and you're going to end up on a note[br]that sounds really good.

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It's a weird thing with this major scale.

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You're only ever one step away [br]from a good note.

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So if you choose one note [br]that doesn't sound great,

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move to the next note, [br]and it'll probably sound really good.

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So I'm gonna put on [br]the G Major backing track now [br]

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and I'm going to run through these little points [br]with you again

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but with a little bit of playing as well [br]so you can hear what I'm talking about.

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Okay, let's try out these ideas [br]that I've just mentioned to you.

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So first of all we just want scale notes.

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. . .

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These are all going to be good [br]while we're sticking with the scale.

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. . .

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Whoops!

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. . .

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Oooops!

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. . .

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While you stay on the scale, [br]it's all going to be good.

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. . .

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Ooops. Whoah, even worse. [br]Oh, that's much better.

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. . .

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Now you'll see that I'm mostly staying [br]on the thinnest three strings.

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. . .

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That doesn't mean you can't

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. . .

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But it sounds better up there.

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. . .

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Now, hopefully as well, you can see

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. . .

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that I play a bit and rest a bit.

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. . .

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Then you can repeat licks.

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. . .

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You can also explore!

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. . .

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This it the time to do it, now.

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Just to play around with what you're gonna play.

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. . .

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It's a really good fun.

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And of course, [br]I probably don't need to remind you,

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but the big thing that you're going to do

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while you're doing all these exercises is

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LISTEN!

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Really, really important.

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Just keep your ears open [br]all the time while you're playing.

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Make sure that you're listening [br]to your own guitar

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and the backing track [br]or whoever you're playing with

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and you're listening to the effect

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that the notes that you play [br]have on the whole sound.

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And if you start to play some stuff [br]that doesn't sound very good,

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don't play it, play something else [br]and find something that sounds good.

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Don't be in a hurry to play fast or anything.

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Just keep it nice and simple, [br]explore the notes.

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Don't be expecting to be doing [br]blindingly great solos straight away

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because you've got to let your ears tune up, [br]you know.

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After you've been doing this a bit, [br]you start to find,

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your fingers kind of find where the nice notes are [br]without you even having to try.

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It's almost like it becomes instinctive

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to find the right notes [br]rather than having to think about it too much.

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But right now you don't have to think, [br]you're just learning it.

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So, don't be afraid of thinking [br]about what you're doing,

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about looking at the notes, [br]thinking about the scale.

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Let all of that other stuff happen [br]by itself naturally.

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But in the beginning, [br]you've got to think of it.

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So I'll leave you with me

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having a bit of a muck-around of this tune[br]or that backing track, you know.

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Feel free to have a go at nicking some licks [br]or whatever you feel like

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and I'll see you for another lesson[br]sometime very, very soon.

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Take care of yourselves. [br]Bye bye.