Soloing – navigating a chord sequence

[Alan B]

Are there any guideline regarding soloing over a chord sequence?

I have been working through a lead guitar course for several months now and can play most of the licks over the supplied backing tracks. I can alter the phrasing and mix the licks up as long as I stay on the same backing track.

My problems start when I play the same licks over a different chord sequence – but in the same key.

Some of the licks sound as if the have no place in the chord sequence. It sounds as if it is something to do with the notes the lick starts and finishes on, at least that is what my ears are telling me.

Any advise would be appreciated.

[Brian]

Hey Alan, that’s an excellent question. You’re right in that just because the lick works over one jam track it won’t always necessarily work over another… although there are certain licks that are fairly safe – I guess a lot of depends on the lick. You’re at the point where you’re going to have to start relying on your own ear to modify licks and make them work. Sounds like you’ve got a good understanding for how it all works, but this is the point where you have to take the brain out of it and start relying on your heart (or ear).

Not to sound like a sales guy or anything but the premium [email=https://www.activemelody.com/premium_guitar_lessons/blues_lead_guitar_lesson/]blues lead guitar course[/email] that I have for sale has 43 different licks that are repeatable, meaning you can play them over and over again – and I show you how to play them across three different jam tracks in three different keys so that you can start to see how they work. Trying to teach you how to not become to reliant on a given jam track, but instead to understand how it all works.

[Rickey]

Alan, are you talking about where to resolve your lick over a chord? As Brian said trust your ear and as you perform the licks you’ve learned modify them to steer towards a note that sounds good. For example, if playing the A minor pentatonic over an A7 chord you can resolve at the root or the major 3rd. However, play that same lick over the four chord, D9, a major 3rd of the A chord will sound terrible because you’re playing in a different chord. You will have to resolve at some other note. Trust your ear and when you find the note(s) look at where it’s at in pentatonic scale and you’ll start to learn that over the one chord you can resolve at these set of notes, over the four & five chord you can resolve at these other set of notes.

[Alan B]

Thanks guys,

Your comments are helpful.

So, basically it’s the note you end a phrase on, or the note you might linger on which have to be right – and this can vary depending on which chords you are playing and the chord which follows

Am I over complicating this?

[Brian]

Alan, that’s a good way of looking at it. But don’t try to over analyze – there’s not TRUE formula for it – lots of ways to skin that cat 🙂

[Alan B]

I guess its a case of becoming familiar enough with the licks to be able to feel where you are going rather than think about it – if that makes sense.

Brian: Your Hendrix course was great and your teaching style very easy to follow. It was easy to take your ideas and used them on other songs. So I will be buying the blues lead guitar course in the next few weeks.

Many thanks, Alan

[Alan B]

Could not wait for a few weeks so have just purchased the Blues course and had a quick look around. Can’t wait to get started. Thanks, Brian

[Brian]

Awesome Alan – feel free to post any questions you have or shoot me an email – my email is always listed in the footer.

[Rickey]

Alan, wasn’t sure if I understood your question so I threw the resolve thing out there.

As you practice and get comfortable with your licks over the chord changes remember there’s a lot of ways to get to that note. You can pick it, slide to it, bend to it, hammer on, change your speed to it, or use an extended version of the scale…that way your solo is not repetitive and sounds like your licks are all different even though you’re basically playing the same thing .

[Alan B]

Thanks Darby. Yes resolving the lick is the bit I have been struggling with. Also Some of the licks I have learnt are in Major Pentatonic which I know realise won’t work over a song in a minor key. That took me a while to work out and I am still a bit confused about that one.

I have just started Brian’s Blues Guitar Course which deals with adapting licks to the backing track. It also seems to stick with minor pentatonic which I believe works over major and minor chord sequences.

Thanks for your comments

Alan

[Rickey]

Hey everybody, I hope you guys are doing well! I’m new to the forum and I have to say, I haven’t been this pumped up about guitar lessons in a very long time. As far as phrasing and how you end your licks goes, I think it’s all about internalizing the scales enough to the point where you are actually listening to the music and USING the scale to “sing” over the chord progression. Often times I don’t think abou the chords that are being played, I just know that the progression is about to turn around so you go to the appropriate position and hit one or two licks. It takes practice, there’s just no getting around to it. But once you internalize it, you will feel an incredible sense of freedom and you won’t even have to think about chords or changes, just focus on the music, from a musical perspective if that makes any sense.

I hope I made SOME sense, I’m not very good at explaining things sometimes. The best way to practice how to internalize for me was to try 2-3 notes at a time in different positions of the scale and you start seeing what works. You’ll start to notice that different positions are friendlier to different parts of the song (chords), but you don’t look at them as “what is the chord being played right now?”, you’re more in tune with the music. Anyway, I’m rambling nonsensically. Great website, great lessons, I’m psyched to be here!

[Author]

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