Stuart, try playing many fewer notes.
Put on a slow backing track and start with one note. Just a single note. Play it multiple times in different ways. Play it repeatedly and let it ring. Play it, mute it, play it, mute it. Slide to it from below. etc.
Then play two notes. Just two. Think of it as a vocal phrase. Perhaps it is singing ‘Oh yes’ or ‘Oh no’ or ‘Love you’. Take this two-note idea in all sorts of different directions by choosing different combinations of two notes.
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@drake_equation Good question and knowledge of music is your friend.
Justin has a brilliant course to help with that. It is one of the few subscription courses he has though the first few modules are free.
I’ll give it a go.
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Thanks. I had actually finished Grade 1 and Grade 2 previously. I just never got around to grade 3 yet.
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This is such a great lesson and a heap of fun to do. Thanks Justin and team.
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Hi guys this might seems like a dumb question I am sorry. I am at grade 2 module 10, improvising with the major scale. The chords meant to be in that scale are C, Dm, Em, F, G, and Am. I guess if i would strum those chords it wouldn’t be an issue but if i want to pick them there arent any Dm, Em, Am. So I guess it becomes : C,D,E,F, G,A,B which are all the notes if you take the flats and the sharps away - right?
I am confused. Is that it? Or am I missing something ? I feel like I am.
When improvising its not like i need to start with playing the C, that sounds weird right ?
Anyways, thank you all.
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I’m guessing what you may be missing is this:
When harmonizing the maj scale you take a note and stack 3rds. Justin describes this as first note, skip one, then add the next, skip next and add the last. 3 notes makes a triad chord, 4 notes makes a 7th chord.
So the A note in C maj scale is A C E notes building a triad. Now the tricky part is to analyse what this chord is you use the scale of the chord name you are examining to discern its tonal qualities. So A to C is a b3 away and this is why it’s a minor chord type. A to B is one tone, to C is a semi-tone.
This is why all maj scales harmonize triads being maj, min, min, maj, maj, min, diminished. C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bº
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Hey mate,
Firstly, there’s no silly questions here mate. We all picked up a guitar on the same day. Day one. 
@bblak is spot on, but you may need to build up a bit of scale/ chord construction knowledge to get the full picture. Initially, it can all be a bit vague, but stick with it, and it becomes quite clear and logical. Does take a little time though.
Justin has a terrific practical theory course if you’re interested. First two grades are free to get you started.
As an initial exercise, in your improvising, try playing the scale over just a C chord, and see which notes from your C major scale sound ‘perfect’ over it. You’ll find its the C-E-G, as these notes are the actual C chord. The other notes from the scale sound OK over the C chord as well, in differing degrees, but these 3 notes (CEG) are a perfect match.
Try this over the other chords, and over time you’ll start to see the pattern and structure that Brian decscribed.
Cheers, Shane
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great tip. I would try that
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Okay to be honest i am even more confused now 
do you know of any video that show what you say? maybe watching a example of what you are trying to explain to me would help me to see the picture abit more clearly
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Ultimately the C scale is the only scale that doesn’t use flats or sharps, which is why it’s typically introduced first.
On piano/keyboard it means you only need to use the white keys.
Without diving into and learning the theory behind it, any note in the key of C, should be playable over any of the chords you’ve listed. Although some notes will sound better than others, and there will be some harsh clashes.
To explain in more detail, and actually understand, you need to learn music theory.
I would suggest learning at least basic music theory, but you don’t need to know it inorder to improvise, as long as you know what the root note position is in the pattern you’re using to improvise.
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dailin, let’s of useful pointers already.
You are looking at a few concepts here. For now all you need to know is the notes that make up the major scale in the key of C, which you have listed, and the associated chord with each note.
As suggested, Justin’s Practical Music Theory course would eventually teach you about the forming of the major scale, how chords are constructed and named, and finally putting all that together.
For now you can improvise with the major scale in the key of C over any backing that is based on the chords in the key of C.
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So far i have followed the 1sth course of music theory, i still need to start with the second i guess it will all become more clear when i do
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once you are ready you will learn about some fundamentals that lay this out. It will become clear, I was in the same boat not too long ago.
It won’t hurt a bit to know that there are 3 maj, 3 min and a dim chord in C major (and all scales). You can still make them all sound sweet and gnarly too without the “why” at this stage.
“you just said C has no sharps or flats and now you tell me the chords in C have flat 3rds and a flat 5 !!? “. Yep. you will see it’s all good.
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Maybe it’s a bit far ahead of where you are in PMT, but this is a good summary of the things you’re looking the answers for:
The C major scale has only natural notes in it (i.e. no sharps or flats). Notes cannot be “minor”, those are chords.
The notes of the C major scale can be arranged into 3 major, 3 minor and a diminished diatonic chord, i.e. these 7 chords contain only the notes of the C major scale (that’s why they sound good over a melody in C).
Now, what determines which chords are major, minor or diminished? You can learn all about that in the practical music theory course.
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thank you, i will check this out
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Good think I am a nerd for theory 
I wont have a problem with it then 
I will get there
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Dailin
This short video may help you get a better idea without delving into too much theory.
As you now (I hope) the Key of C contain the notes C D E F G A B which then repeat for the next octave. As mentioned above when stacked in thirds each note in the key make chords. It is piano based but probably easier to see the note relations on a keyboard rather than a fretboard.
He does not mention Dm or Em but this follows the same principal of thirds and Dm contains the notes D F A. Same goes for Em which is E G B. Don’t worry too much about the diminished B chord for now, as these are seldom used in common chord progression.
Hope this helps.
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OHHHHHHHH i see, so when justin said in his video dm as a chord to play, it need to be breaken down to D F A as notes
at least that makes sence
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