Here's how you make your guitar solos flow better.
View the full lesson at Motif Development | JustinGuitar
Iām trying to figure out what chord progression heās playing for the backing track. It sounds like G, D, C, and something else.
I think the progression in the intro is G, D, Am, C.
This is a really really good lesson, gone through it a few times now and to my ears anyway it sounds like Iām making progress.
Hey, I gave it a shot! Hereās the link to my attempt: G Major Improvisation - Motif Development
Can I post it here? Or should I post it in the AVOYP area? Idk
[ Moderator note ā¦ I have edited this so the link is to the AVOYP topic rather than direct to your youtube ā¦ people then have the chance to comment within the community itself. ]
How is the 16th note strumming rhythm going in Justinās backing track loop? Trying to figure it out 
Hello folks! I tried to transcribe Justinās version and here is an attempt. The ending is my own improvisation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IL_x9nUXy0
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Hi Karl,
That sounded pretty good 
ā¦ This could easily have been done in AVOYP
Greetings,Rogier
Edit: Welcome and sounding like that youāve been practicing for a bit longer than your first post above 
ā¦ feel free to tell us a bit about your background in the introductory post section,ā¦that will quickly provide more feedback in the next post,ā¦if you are waiting for that of courseā¦Greetings
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Thanks Roger 
I will dig into this AVOYP section, and post something else as well and introduce myself too. This seems like an encouraging community that I will need to start engaging in more in addition to following Justin Guitar modules
Kind regards, Karl
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I think this Motif Development lesson is one of the best lessons yet. I have watched this now at least 5 times. I like the comparison to someone drinking too much and just rambling on without a point. Makes me think you must have met me!
I am wondering if someone can help me out with where to go next with learning to improvise. I am working through the lessons and have pattern 1,2 & 3 down and can play them up and down and in 3rds. I also spend some time trying to improvise using one finger solos and moving between patterns. I noticed that in the scales course Justin discusses three notes per string patterns (connecting the block pattern shapes). Is this something I should add now - I am having a hard time being melodic playing to a backing track. I understand that things take time but I donāt want to stay doing the same thing if I plateau and play the same things in my āimprovisationā over and over. I tried studying what Justin does in his examples and can copy some of the ālicksā he does but canāt seem to get there myself when I noodle around with improvising.
Hi. This is my attempt at soloing. I chose the key of A. For the backing track I used a looper pedal and the chords A, D and E.
I tried to use a small phrase as the basis for the solo.
The problem I had was that it felt uncomfortable to move too far away from that āhome baseā. I wanted to go a little more crazy in between. So the result is rather boring.
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Ive really enjoyed this lesson and I think that it has led to definite improvement. I keep returning to motifs -I dont really regard it as practice as it is so much fun.
Some of my best have been with the fewest notes.
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has anyone found an the Stevie Ray Vaughn and Albert King discussion on improvisation that Justin refers to? Iād love to give that a little listen.
I looked at this course a while ago and am now thinking of returning to do it properly. I recognise the value of learning the major scale, how itās used etc. My question is more around how to get the most out of improvising using the scale.
The suggested practice for this course includes regular work on improvising using the major scale. However, apart from a few rare examples (eg Come Up and See me Sometime) I hardly see any solos using the full major scale - but lots using the major pentatonic. I guess there is good reason for this with it harder to use the notes outside the pentatonic nicely.
Similarly, I can find loads of licks in the major pentatonic but none in the full major scale.
So is it ok to stick to the major pentatonic notes for these improvisation exercises or is there real additional learning to be had by incorporating other notes?
Hello Sajid,
Perhaps think of it in a slightly different way.
Sure, the pentatonic form, both minor and major, are widely prevalent. They sound pretty good, are simpler, and you cant really mess up too bad with them, as there are no half-step intervals that create sudden ā distastefulā tension.
However, for a bit more colour, tension, creativity etc, you can add these 2 āhalf-stepā tension, or colour notes. And they come from the Major scale.
So its like sprinkling on top, rather than using one or the other.
Many famous solos incorporate this.
Stairway to Heaven, Comfortably Numb, Sweet Child of Mine, lots of ACDC mixes major and major etcā¦hundreds, if not thousands if solosā¦
So perhaps try to see all these notes a āpalette of notesā - with the pentatonic as a base framework, plus the addition of the 2 colour notes from the full Major, or Minor scale.
Then of course, you have a whole other level of triads, and arpeggios, chord tones/colours etc, that can be incorporated, as you align yourself with the chords of the progression, rather than just the key.
So maybe start by using the major pentatonic over a backing track, then add those 2 extra notes from the major in here and there, and see what you come up with. If youāve not done it this way before, youāll quickly be surprised at how much more melodic you will sound.
Cheers, Shane
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Thanks Shane thatās a great reply. I think when I tried this course first time round, I was basically randomly noodling about with notes from the scale and it sounded as boring as you would expect that to.
Using the major pentatonic as a framework then adding colour notes as you described gives me a structure to work and knowing this is happening in real music is also a good reference point.
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This lesson was a game changer for me. Thank you!