Category: Technique

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How to Solo Using Chord Tones: Learn to Navigate Chord Changes

How to solo over chord changes & target chord tones

The majority of guitar players, when asked to solo over a progression, will typically gravitate to play the minor pentatonic scale as their go-to selection of notes. This is a great choice, but after a while you might begin to notice that it sounds repetitive and much akin to a bag of licks.

In the video lesson, we will fix these problems by learning how to solo WITH chord progressions versus OVER them. I’ll show you which chord tones to aim for, and where to find them.

The trick is to complement the chords by targeting specific intervals as you navigate through the changes 🤫 You can do this in combination with the familiar pentatonic scale.

In the video, I use the chord progression from John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room” which uses the chords:

  • C#m | A – E.

How To Find Chord Tones

Here’s the familiar pentatonic scale that you can use over the chord progression:

When soloing over the C#m chord, you should emphasise the root, minor 3rd, and 5th:

As you transition to the A chord, direct your attention to the minor 6th, root, and minor 3rd:

These intervals are relative to the key, but in practice you should start to think of them as an A major triad inside of the pentatonic position.

Finally for the E chord, direct your attention to the minor 3rd, 5th, and minor 7th:

Again, this is better thought of as an E major triad since that’s what the function of the notes are in relation to the underlying chords.

Visualise Chord Tones with the CAGED System

If you have any experience with the CAGED system, you might have noticed that the intervals highlighted in the images above outline popular CAGED shapes.

The CAGED system is immensely helpful for visualising and quickly locating chord tones across the neck. Learn how to leverage the CAGED shapes to easily find the desired chord tones for each chord in a progression. With great practice, you’ll eventually be able to used CAGED to locate all intervals in all positions of the neck!

If you’re not familiar with the CAGED system, I recommend you checkout my CAGED Fretboard Visualisation Masterclass.

Tension & Release

You don’t need to hit every chord tone, all the time, but even trying to highlight just one at the beginning of each chord change can make a significant impact on your soloing and musical expression!

The goal is to strike a balance between tension and release. The release is the chord tones, and the tension can be notes that belong to the key but not the chord. Be aware that constant release can sound predictable and uninteresting, and constant tension can sound boring and irrelevant.

Voice Leading Between Chords

When practicing this for the first time, I find that students most often begin each bar/chord by starting on the root notes. Try to avoid this! Voice lead through the progression instead. This means that as you end your melody on one chord, begin the next chord by choosing the closest available chord tone instead of leaping to the root note.

Summary

  • Consider the pentatonic scale as your safe space. For each chord you play over, it’s your job to emphasise the notes that belong to the chord in addition to the pentatonic scale.
  • Timing is key! You’ll notice that playing a chord tone at the beginning of a chord change sounds very powerful, but chord tones that are played in the middle of a bar aren’t so much.
  • Not all chord tones are equal! Root notes will always sound the strongest, followed by the 3rd, and lastly the 5th.
  • Focus on smooth voice leading between chords and emphasising the changes.

Keep practicing and have fun exploring the art of soloing over chord progressions. Remember to listen attentively to the chords as you play and adjust your phrasing and note choices accordingly. Developing this musical sensitivity will greatly enhance your soloing skills and help you connect deeply with the music.

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Remove Unwanted String Noise From Your Bends And Vibrato

remove unwanted string noise

It’s not uncommon for guitar players to struggle with unwanted string noise when performing phrasing techniques such as bends and vibrato.

In the video lesson provided, I’ll demonstrate effective techniques to help you minimise unwanted string noise in your playing. The key technique you’ll learn is left hand muting, which proves to be one of the best ways to address this issue. Below I have summarised the tips from the video for your reference so you can achieve cleaner, more professional phrasing!

Left Hand Technique

There are multiple methods in which you can employ left hand string muting. Here are just a few tips for you to consider in general practice:

  1. Always touch the string above! Most often with your first finger, but also sometimes with your third. Make sure you touch the string above with the flesh of your finger, not the nail.
  2. If you’re playing chords or arpeggios, you should ensure that the fingers on your left hand are arched to allow room for the strings to ring out. You can achieve this better by moving the thumb down on the back of the neck. If you’re playing a melody however, you’ll want to keep your fingers relatively flat. For this, you’ll want to bring the thumb high and almost over the top.
  3. Use your third finger as the leading finger for bending, while the second and first fingers provide support. Ensure that the first finger is slightly higher than the other two, lightly touching the string above to eliminate noise. By maintaining this finger formation, you can achieve cleaner bends with less background noise.
  4. When performing vibrato with the third finger, make sure to keep your first finger stable and flat so that it is muting the neighbouring strings. The first finger does not need to press down on a fret, but instead it should rest gently on the strings.

Right Hand Technique

Now let’s look at the right hand. It’s good practice to use the palm of your hand to mute the strings above the note you are playing. So, for example, if you are playing the G string, try to rest your palm on the E and A strings. It’s better to use the left hand to mute the D string.

Summary

I hope these tips and exercises help you improve your string bending technique and eliminate unwanted string noise. Remember to practice regularly and pay attention to your hand position and finger formation! By incorporating these techniques into your playing, you’ll achieve cleaner and more controlled bends and vibrato.

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The Best Way To Hold A Guitar Pick: With Pictures!

best way to hold a guitar pick

Knowing how to hold a guitar pick properly is a crucial foundational skill in guitar playing – developing good habits here will prevent problems with advanced techniques down the line.

I’ve received countless comments from people who have watched the video above expressing that bad habits have hindered their progress, and that inheriting my tips has tremendously improved their speed and accuracy on the guitar.

I will start this off with an important disclaimer though. I realise that there is no “best way” that suits absolutely everyone! There will always be exceptions to the rule, but the tips I am sharing with you in this post are what I’ve found to be most helpful for the majority of people.

Take what you will from this post, even if it’s just one or two tips. Learning to pick properly will feel a little unnatural at first, just like most new skills. In the early stages of your progression, try to find a compromise between what feels comfortable and what feels right.

A small and strong pick with a sharp tip will set you off on the right track! I’ve tried countless over the years, and I always come back to the Dunlop Jazz III picks.

Picking Grip

First and foremost, hold your pick between your thumb and your first finger. Avoid using two fingers or relying solely on the middle finger. Utilise the thumb and finger for a stable grip.

Make sure the pick rests on the side of your first finger, not the flat part. The tip of the pick should face the same direction as your nail.

A common mistake is pinching the pick between the thumb and finger, in the same way you would pinch your nose.

Instead, aim to create a circle, as demonstrated in the next image.

Keep the other fingers slightly separated from the pick to reduce friction and unnecessary tension. By curling them up, you create a noticeable gap between the second and first finger.

I like to think of holding a guitar pick much like holding a pencil or paint brush.

Wrist & Finger Position

Next, remember to keep your wrist loose and relaxed. Avoid any tightness or tension in this area.

Now that you have a grasp on holding the pick, establish a reference point on the guitar bridge. I like to rest the ball part at the base of your palm on the top of the guitar bridge, and align the entire side of your palm down the bridge.

This position helps with accuracy. Avoid starting with your arm sideways, as it can lead to issues in playing accurately.

By aligning yourself properly with the bridge and having the ball of your hand on top, you’ll increase your chances of hitting the right notes at the right time 😉

Remember that this is a picking lesson, and the same rules don’t apply if you’re strumming. When strumming you do not want to anchor on the bridge. The pick grip remains the same, but there must be no anchor point on the bridge.

Picking Angle

Now that your hand is in the right place, your goal is to attack the strings at a 45 degree pick angle.

Don’t confuse picking direction with pick angle. Picking direction should naturally be vertical – up and down as you cross over the string. Picking angle though refers only to the angle of the pick.

It’s important that both your wrist and fingers are flexible and move with the motion of the pick.

Summary

By combining these reference points and the proper pick hold between your thumb and finger, you’ll establish a solid foundation for picking.

As a beginner exercise, try picking each string individually, gently moving the pick down and up. Focus on these key points rather than speed. Pay close attention to my demonstration in the video.

These tips encapsulate what I believe to be the most beneficial and comfortable methods from my favourite guitar players. I hope they help you as much as they’ve helped me and hundreds of thousands of other viewers around the world!

Keep practicing and good luck with your guitar journey!