WEBVTT 00:00:10.685 --> 00:00:14.649 Hi, how you doing? Justin here. Welcome to IM-123, 00:00:14.649 --> 00:00:18.938 which we're going to be starting a look at major scale improvisation. 00:00:18.938 --> 00:00:22.357 And we're going to be using the G Major scale. 00:00:22.357 --> 00:00:24.846 Which I'm hoping you've kind of got under your fingers now. 00:00:24.846 --> 00:00:26.919 and you're okay playing it up and down from memory. 00:00:26.919 --> 00:00:30.286 It's important that you're there before we start on doing this. 00:00:30.286 --> 00:00:32.006 And what we're going to be doing is 00:00:32.006 --> 00:00:36.140 looking at using this scale to make up some little solos. 00:00:36.140 --> 00:00:38.443 And what I'm going to do is go through some of the hints with you, 00:00:38.443 --> 00:00:41.228 and then I'll kind of demonstrate them to a backing track. 00:00:41.228 --> 00:00:42.597 Now, I've just mentioned it : backing track! 00:00:42.597 --> 00:00:46.370 Very, very important that you practice this stuff with either a backing track, 00:00:46.370 --> 00:00:50.641 a jam buddy, or you record yourself playing some chords and solo over the top. 00:00:50.641 --> 00:00:54.235 I think, really, using a backing track is a good idea at this stage. 00:00:54.235 --> 00:00:57.815 Jamming with your mates is always a good fun thing 00:00:57.815 --> 00:01:01.671 but, at this time, I really think it might be better to be on your own 00:01:01.671 --> 00:01:04.993 where you're not afraid of making mistakes and you can kind of concentrate 00:01:04.993 --> 00:01:07.315 and kind of figure out the sounds on your own. 00:01:07.315 --> 00:01:09.471 So using a backing track is a good idea. 00:01:09.471 --> 00:01:11.458 There's a free one on the website 00:01:11.458 --> 00:01:12.949 if you're already on the website, 00:01:12.949 --> 00:01:16.064 it'll be just below or just about this video thing. 00:01:16.064 --> 00:01:18.148 And what I want to do is take you through some tips now. 00:01:18.148 --> 00:01:23.631 So, the first and most important thing, when you're improvising with scales in general, 00:01:23.631 --> 00:01:26.164 is that you need to stick to the scale notes. 00:01:26.164 --> 00:01:29.295 Particularly with this kind of major scale soloing. 00:01:29.295 --> 00:01:32.149 If you hit any notes that aren't in the major scale, 00:01:32.149 --> 00:01:35.561 it's very likely they will sound pretty horrible. 00:01:35.561 --> 00:01:37.449 Now, occasionally, you might find one that sounds cool 00:01:37.449 --> 00:01:40.126 or be able to sneak one in between two other notes 00:01:40.126 --> 00:01:43.957 but as an exercise for now, while you're learning to improvise with the major scale 00:01:43.957 --> 00:01:47.512 try and stick only, ONLY to scale tones. 00:01:47.512 --> 00:01:52.248 Second hint: you mainly want to stick on the thinnest strings. 00:01:52.248 --> 00:01:55.324 You can make a great solo using the thick strings, 00:01:55.324 --> 00:01:57.112 there's no problem with doing that, 00:01:57.112 --> 00:01:58.484 but, just when you're starting out, 00:01:58.484 --> 00:02:01.069 it's usually easier to use the thin strings 00:02:01.069 --> 00:02:04.501 because they kind of sound a little bit more like a solo 00:02:04.501 --> 00:02:05.640 if that makes sense. 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:07.148 Less like a riff and more like a lead. 00:02:07.148 --> 00:02:09.465 They don't tend to get mixed up in the chords. 00:02:09.465 --> 00:02:11.728 That's the problem with the low notes, 00:02:11.728 --> 00:02:15.077 they tend to get a bit muddily with the rhythm guitar or the backing track. 00:02:15.077 --> 00:02:16.793 So if you stick to the thinnest strings, 00:02:16.793 --> 00:02:19.748 then they seem to set themselves aside a little bit better. 00:02:19.748 --> 00:02:22.426 So, generally, thinnest strings. 00:02:22.426 --> 00:02:24.480 Explore the other ones if you like, just to check it out, 00:02:24.480 --> 00:02:27.687 but mainly you want to be sticking to the thinnest strings. 00:02:27.687 --> 00:02:31.317 Next thing : use the play/rest approach. 00:02:31.317 --> 00:02:33.652 And what the play/rest approach is all about 00:02:33.652 --> 00:02:35.508 is kind of using punctuation when you play 00:02:35.508 --> 00:02:38.195 because if someone is talking to you, 00:02:38.195 --> 00:02:40.919 if I'm trying to explain this and I didn't stop at all, 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:44.258 no little pauses in what I'm saying, no full stops or commas, 00:02:44.258 --> 00:02:47.675 it would be really difficult to understand what I was saying. 00:02:47.675 --> 00:02:49.308 And it's the same with improvising. 00:02:49.308 --> 00:02:51.495 You want to get in the habit right from the beginning 00:02:51.495 --> 00:02:55.195 of 'play a little bit', 'stop a little bit', 'play a little bit', 'stop a little bit'. 00:02:55.195 --> 00:02:57.356 Now the advantage when you're learning, of course, 00:02:57.356 --> 00:02:59.523 is that it gives you time to think about what you're doing. 00:02:59.523 --> 00:03:02.181 To, you know, have the picture of the scale in your mind 00:03:02.181 --> 00:03:04.000 and making sure that your fingers are there. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:07.280 Maybe even think about what the notes are that you're going to play before you play them. 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:09.370 That's cool! You're learning, that's allowed. 00:03:09.370 --> 00:03:12.991 Later on you want to be all effortless and free and not thinking about it 00:03:12.991 --> 00:03:15.108 but right now, if you're learning it, think about the scale, 00:03:15.108 --> 00:03:17.809 think about the notes that you can play and use them. 00:03:17.809 --> 00:03:20.379 You know : "What am I going to play? Oh yeah I might try that." Do it! 00:03:20.379 --> 00:03:22.701 "Oh, that didn't sound very good, maybe I'll try this instead." 00:03:22.701 --> 00:03:25.727 You know, you've got lots of time then to think about it. 00:03:25.727 --> 00:03:27.353 There's no rush with the improvising. 00:03:27.353 --> 00:03:30.333 You know, it's all about being relaxed with it 00:03:30.333 --> 00:03:34.909 and using the idea of play/rest/play/rest/etc gives you that space. 00:03:34.909 --> 00:03:39.092 Space in the head and space in the music. It's a really, really good idea. 00:03:39.092 --> 00:03:43.843 Now, leading on from that the next tip is to stay simple. 00:03:43.843 --> 00:03:46.687 Don't try and make things too complicated yet, you're just learning. 00:03:46.687 --> 00:03:51.746 Just be cool with kind of exploring what the different notes of the scale sound like. 00:03:51.746 --> 00:03:54.190 How they kind of react with the changes 00:03:54.190 --> 00:03:56.741 cause if the chords are changing in the backing track 00:03:56.741 --> 00:03:59.402 the one note that you're playing will sound different 00:03:59.402 --> 00:04:01.323 so just keep things really simple. 00:04:01.323 --> 00:04:04.168 Don't be in a hurry to try and do anything too flashy or too clever, 00:04:04.168 --> 00:04:07.915 just look for a nice really simple little melody. 00:04:07.915 --> 00:04:10.600 That's the most important thing. 00:04:10.600 --> 00:04:12.873 And while we're on that, again, 00:04:12.873 --> 00:04:17.250 another leading straight between these different points is repeating licks. 00:04:17.250 --> 00:04:19.287 Now when people are talking, 00:04:19.287 --> 00:04:22.653 when they start talking about the same thing over and over again 00:04:22.653 --> 00:04:26.418 then it seems to help it sink in better and it's the same when you're improvising. 00:04:26.418 --> 00:04:28.910 If you have a little idea that you play 00:04:28.910 --> 00:04:32.601 and then you play the same idea again while the chords keep changing in the background, 00:04:32.601 --> 00:04:34.618 it sounds strong, it sounds good. 00:04:34.618 --> 00:04:40.044 It adds a new color to what you're doing and reinforces the idea to the listener. 00:04:40.044 --> 00:04:45.076 So don't be afraid of playing making up a little lick or a little pattern, 00:04:45.076 --> 00:04:46.627 and then playing it over and over again. 00:04:46.627 --> 00:04:48.378 You know, here you play it, have a little rest, 00:04:48.378 --> 00:04:50.686 play it, have a little rest, and see what the effect is. 00:04:50.686 --> 00:04:53.916 Sometimes it can sound cool to play a little repeating figure 00:04:53.916 --> 00:04:57.558 that goes over and over again without stopping while the chords change. 00:04:57.558 --> 00:04:59.616 That can be an interesting little thing. 00:04:59.616 --> 00:05:03.228 Now, I mentioned earlier on, if you're by yourself 00:05:03.228 --> 00:05:06.840 a really, really cool thing that you can do is to explore. 00:05:06.840 --> 00:05:10.201 You know, you're on your own, you're learning this stuff so 00:05:10.201 --> 00:05:11.911 there's no limit here. 00:05:11.911 --> 00:05:14.667 Try doing solos only on the thick strings. 00:05:14.667 --> 00:05:17.266 Try jumping from the thinnest strings to the thickest strings 00:05:17.266 --> 00:05:19.942 and back again or whatever. There's no rules here. 00:05:19.942 --> 00:05:23.991 So long as you hit the scale 'dots', if you like, the notes of the scale, 00:05:23.991 --> 00:05:27.133 and you don't hit other notes, it's going to be interesting, right? 00:05:27.133 --> 00:05:29.511 Notice the word 'interesting'. 00:05:29.511 --> 00:05:31.596 It might not be brilliant, but it will be interesting 00:05:31.596 --> 00:05:34.392 and it shouldn't sound, you know, horrible, like out of tune. 00:05:34.392 --> 00:05:39.280 It just might not sound maybe the most melodic, nicest solo you've ever heard 00:05:39.280 --> 00:05:40.952 if you're jumping from : 00:05:40.952 --> 00:05:43.748 . . . 00:05:43.748 --> 00:05:45.244 It might sound a little bit funny 00:05:45.244 --> 00:05:46.508 but, you know, we'll get to that 00:05:46.508 --> 00:05:49.180 cause I'm going to do some little examples in a second. 00:05:49.180 --> 00:05:50.422 And the most important thing, 00:05:50.422 --> 00:05:54.964 I've left until last so it stays in your memory, is to listen. 00:05:54.964 --> 00:05:58.907 Now what you're really listening for is the effect of the note that you're playing 00:05:58.907 --> 00:06:00.387 and the backing track. 00:06:00.387 --> 00:06:04.098 To the whole thing together. Don't just listen to what you're doing 00:06:04.098 --> 00:06:07.088 cause then you kind of, you're not getting the whole picture 00:06:07.088 --> 00:06:11.462 because somebody that's listening is listening to your guitar on the backing track. 00:06:11.462 --> 00:06:14.299 It's the effect of those things together that's really important. 00:06:14.299 --> 00:06:15.745 Not just one of the things. 00:06:15.745 --> 00:06:21.129 So as you're playing try and let your ears be listening to the whole thing, 00:06:21.129 --> 00:06:25.295 the whole sound, the sound of your instrument playing against the backing track. 00:06:25.295 --> 00:06:27.320 That's really what you're listening out for. 00:06:27.320 --> 00:06:30.234 And with the major scale it's a lot about listening 00:06:30.234 --> 00:06:32.609 and if you find yourself on a note that doesn't sound very good, 00:06:32.609 --> 00:06:35.819 move to either one note higher or one note lower 00:06:35.819 --> 00:06:38.114 and you're going to end up on a note that sounds really good. 00:06:38.114 --> 00:06:39.764 It's a weird thing with this major scale. 00:06:39.764 --> 00:06:42.761 You're only ever one step away from a good note. 00:06:42.761 --> 00:06:45.039 So if you choose one note that doesn't sound great, 00:06:45.039 --> 00:06:48.002 move to the next note, and it'll probably sound really good. 00:06:48.002 --> 00:06:52.041 So I'm gonna put on the G Major backing track now 00:06:52.041 --> 00:06:54.661 and I'm going to run through these little points with you again 00:06:54.661 --> 00:06:59.611 but with a little bit of playing as well so you can hear what I'm talking about. 00:07:01.442 --> 00:07:04.531 Okay, let's try out these ideas that I've just mentioned to you. 00:07:04.531 --> 00:07:07.284 So first of all we just want scale notes. 00:07:07.284 --> 00:07:10.392 . . . 00:07:10.392 --> 00:07:13.315 These are all going to be good while we're sticking with the scale. 00:07:13.315 --> 00:07:17.417 . . . 00:07:17.417 --> 00:07:18.243 Whoops! 00:07:18.243 --> 00:07:20.714 . . . 00:07:20.714 --> 00:07:21.508 Oooops! 00:07:21.508 --> 00:07:23.825 . . . 00:07:23.825 --> 00:07:26.511 While you stay on the scale, it's all going to be good. 00:07:26.511 --> 00:07:28.807 . . . 00:07:28.807 --> 00:07:32.120 Ooops. Whoah, even worse. Oh, that's much better. 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:34.802 . . . 00:07:34.802 --> 00:07:39.361 Now you'll see that I'm mostly staying on the thinnest three strings. 00:07:39.361 --> 00:07:45.561 . . . 00:07:45.561 --> 00:07:47.207 That doesn't mean you can't 00:07:47.207 --> 00:07:51.171 . . . 00:07:51.171 --> 00:07:52.811 But it sounds better up there. 00:07:52.811 --> 00:07:56.138 . . . 00:07:56.138 --> 00:07:57.803 Now, hopefully as well, you can see 00:07:57.803 --> 00:07:59.703 . . . 00:07:59.703 --> 00:08:01.562 that I play a bit and rest a bit. 00:08:01.562 --> 00:08:05.540 . . . 00:08:05.540 --> 00:08:07.256 Then you can repeat licks. 00:08:07.256 --> 00:08:29.353 . . . 00:08:29.353 --> 00:08:30.834 You can also explore! 00:08:30.834 --> 00:08:51.857 . . . 00:08:51.857 --> 00:08:53.756 This it the time to do it, now. 00:08:53.756 --> 00:08:56.956 Just to play around with what you're gonna play. 00:08:56.956 --> 00:09:11.541 . . . 00:09:11.541 --> 00:09:14.387 It's a really good fun. 00:09:15.018 --> 00:09:17.480 And of course, I probably don't need to remind you, 00:09:17.480 --> 00:09:19.470 but the big thing that you're going to do 00:09:19.470 --> 00:09:22.214 while you're doing all these exercises is 00:09:22.214 --> 00:09:24.084 LISTEN! 00:09:24.084 --> 00:09:25.323 Really, really important. 00:09:25.323 --> 00:09:27.269 Just keep your ears open all the time while you're playing. 00:09:27.269 --> 00:09:29.949 Make sure that you're listening to your own guitar 00:09:29.949 --> 00:09:32.795 and the backing track or whoever you're playing with 00:09:32.795 --> 00:09:34.333 and you're listening to the effect 00:09:34.333 --> 00:09:37.952 that the notes that you play have on the whole sound. 00:09:37.952 --> 00:09:40.325 And if you start to play some stuff that doesn't sound very good, 00:09:40.325 --> 00:09:43.087 don't play it, play something else and find something that sounds good. 00:09:43.087 --> 00:09:45.548 Don't be in a hurry to play fast or anything. 00:09:45.548 --> 00:09:48.123 Just keep it nice and simple, explore the notes. 00:09:48.123 --> 00:09:52.527 Don't be expecting to be doing blindingly great solos straight away 00:09:52.527 --> 00:09:54.569 because you've got to let your ears tune up, you know. 00:09:54.569 --> 00:09:57.780 After you've been doing this a bit, you start to find, 00:09:57.780 --> 00:10:02.254 your fingers kind of find where the nice notes are without you even having to try. 00:10:02.254 --> 00:10:04.866 It's almost like it becomes instinctive 00:10:04.866 --> 00:10:08.157 to find the right notes rather than having to think about it too much. 00:10:08.157 --> 00:10:10.232 But right now you don't have to think, you're just learning it. 00:10:10.232 --> 00:10:12.938 So, don't be afraid of thinking about what you're doing, 00:10:12.938 --> 00:10:15.639 about looking at the notes, thinking about the scale. 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:17.833 Let all of that other stuff happen by itself naturally. 00:10:17.833 --> 00:10:20.550 But in the beginning, you've got to think of it. 00:10:20.550 --> 00:10:22.307 So I'll leave you with me 00:10:22.307 --> 00:10:26.165 having a bit of a muck-around of this tune or that backing track, you know. 00:10:26.165 --> 00:10:29.593 Feel free to have a go at nicking some licks or whatever you feel like 00:10:29.593 --> 00:10:32.309 and I'll see you for another lesson sometime very, very soon. 00:10:32.309 --> 00:10:34.548 Take care of yourselves. Bye bye.