I wish I had insight to give Jim but I’m not a songwriter or composer yet. I noodle till I find something cool then try to structure them to fit what I’m trying to do.

Hey Jim, you’re right in that you really do need to have some sort of rhythm to define the parameters, and the solo becomes the layer on top of that. That said, you CAN do both on your own, as I’ve done in certain lessons where I play a chord, then lead, then back to chord, etc. But either way, you’re right in that some type of chord needs to be there to help put it in context.

As for how I come up with these each week, I noodle around a lot. I’m like the master noodler – in fact, that’s more or less all I do when I play guitar. So through years of noodling I’ve been able to improvise ideas fairly easily. They usually start with a chord structure of some kind, and then a lead part goes down after the fact, but not always. Sometimes, I’ll have an idea for a melody, and then will layer in the chords behind that.

The one thing I always use is the voice recorder on my iPhone because it’s always on me. So even if I’m driving in the car and I get an idea in my head, I just sing into it and then transpose it when I get home.

Writing these lesson ideas each week happen really fast. The rhythm part for this week’s lesson (EP123) just sort of fell out, and it’s probably something else out there that I’ve heard, but the more I played around with it, the more I realized that it might actually be unique. Someone on the site said it sounded like “The Core” from Eric Clapton. I love that song, but it’s not that, it’s something from Robin Trower, maybe a little Edgar Winter Group “Frankenstein”, and just a hodge podge of things.

The thing about song writing is to just capture something. Grab a recorder and start recording, but don’t think about it. Don’t try to engineer it, just record things, and then listen back. You’ll surprise yourself and find that certain things come out that you didn’t even realize you had.

I’ve written songs (if you want to call it that) for 20 years, had some very minor indie cuts, some songwriting contest success and a handful of songs published. Nothing great to blow my own horn about but I did all of that by noodling around and with very little understanding of what I’m learning here. I am a self taught guitar strummer from way back lol. After 20 years, I am still a “beginner” guitar player. You would be surprised what you can do with a mac computer, basic GarageBand DAW, microphone, minimal knowledge of music (the basic major/minor chords) and beginner playing ability. Also, courage to accept criticism … a lot of criticism. I learned a lot by making stuff up and seeing where it leads. I wish I had taken guitar lessons. I’m here to improve my guitar playing ability and I’m having a great time. Thank you Brian for the great lessons and explanations.

Hi Jim,
I look at each of the Lexion. Then I decide if I want to learn. Sometimes I see only parts from a Lexion. Then I will try to share with my ideas, somewhere to use. To every chord-series fits any Solo. In the end I have with this approach is always more experience gained on the fretboard to find the way. I am going to always be safe on the guitar. It is important for me these connections to learn and implement. So that I develop certainly my own style of play and have fun. Are terrible only the hours in which one believes not to move forward. But the hours go past. Then it goes back up. So I got in last year very well develop. I hope you too.
Least, I’m still not home, been kicked out.:-)

Wilfried