That is indeed the key (no pun intended!) As I mention, you're going to learn theory by default. But some guitarists think that you have to be an expert in theory in order to be a great guitarist.
Another thing you can mention is when you bend the note(cuz you had some bends), you're bending it to "where it sounds right", but you're really bending it up to the next note on the scale depending on interval 1/2 step or full step bend.
@@SticksAandstonesBozo See my earlier comment and let your fingers get to know the fretboard! You’re only a half step away no matter where you are. Bend it up and your golden. You will be able to tell if your out of key.
Awesome to hear this! I also just posted a new video on 3 simple things that’s helped me with soloing here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Bb-isKPKhxg.htmlsi=KV92PMzhQrGKBx6M
I like performing variations of “1-2-4” (index, middle and pinky). This provides 1.5 steps to work with when ascending or descending hammer-ons/pull-offs.
Ive been practicing this exact method since im not a music theory guy as well. I use a looper to record my own rhythm track and practice leads by ear. Its cool to see that im not crazy and an established axe thrower like you does the same thing. Thanx for the inspiration!
Dude, been playing for a long time but let myself get stagnant sitting in rhythm guitar. Just found your channel and want to say your stuff is real and realistically inspiring. Thanks!
That's awesome and yes, it's time to pick it up and go full force! Also, if you don’t have it already, be sure to get my free practice guide that I give to all my subs here: www.jasonstallworth.com/guitarist/
You are absolutely the best guitar instructor I've ever heard I got so much out of this it's incredible and the way you do videos you've got this down pat I mean perfect you blow everything out of the water of anybody that's on RU-vid
Finally someone who could teach solo's without making it more confusing, May guides regarding solos I found here on youtube has been very confusing and often contradictive, so thank you so much, now I might just be able to go from rythm player to lead
Hey mate, really enjoyed this, played in a garage band as a lead guitarist and was totally playing by ear and finding the notes with this method. Went on to learn modes ,which really helped, as it became more familiar to find those patterns. Been out of it for abit.
Watched a lot of videos of others trying to explain the way a solo can go, but hands down this video has got to be the most straightforward and easily digestable version I've ever come across. Thanks bud.
I do both I listen to stuff I remember the way our son goes and I’ll work it out that my theory helps me with that because if I didn’t know where to start and finish and Mess
Just seeing this in April of 2024, and this is exactly the type of lesson information I'm looking for. I picked up a guitar in high school, more than 40 years ago, and took a couple of quick lessons. But I never learned the traditional way by learning the notes and the fret board, or how to read music. I'm just starting again after all of these years, but my wife and I will only be playing at home for us and our friends to enjoy, not looking to gig, ha ha!
I do encourage folks to learn the basic chords and major and minor scale (if you know one, you can play those anywhere) But there’s a lot of be said for learning to use your ears and figure things out that way
this is so perfect. I did this quite a while back. the find the right note. I didn't go to music school so it's all I was able to do. Now I'm a bit more polished but still hunt that right note now and then. Ahm the memories that brought back. Such a great video.
Awesome to hear this. I didn’t go music school or got deep into theory. Some learn better with different methods, and in our case it may be more with ear training than textbook
@@jasonstallworth I'm glad you brought up ear training as that is just what I do. If I can hear it, I can learn it. Thanks for all the info and good words Jason, It means a lot.
I've just gotten of living on the street and am using guitar to get back to what was my normal life back in the day. I used to play in punk bands as a teen... Your videos have been Amazing!!!! Thank you so much dude! You have helped rekindle my love of playing music.
Always remember that every root note has the same notes surrounding it, regardless of context on the neck. So if you know your Minor Scale or Pentatonic Scale, for example (7 or 5 notes), then you can play it starting from ANY root note on the neck. The only caveat is to always bump up one fret when you cross the B string. It’s really that simple. What comes after the 7th note? The root note octave of course. So you can again play the same exact scale pattern from there, never needing to know more than 7 notes.
This is one of my favorite videos! - I keep playing the same old solo in every song that i write but now I want to try this approach you have showed us today... Thank you!
So, yeah.... As a bassist, I write and record my own music on my own.... playing guitar aswell. I've always thought this to be the way to write leads.... but Theory Players always say you need the Nashville Number System, the CAGED system etc etc..... Stuff that simply doesnt resonate with me. This is the 1st time I've seen someone explain leads so well.giving examples of what to do, and what not to do (within reason) while offering bits of what makes Theory , Theory..... Thanks a bunch!
I totally learn by ear even though I know the chords. That’s with a lot things I do. I pick up quick. A.D.D i Guess. 😝. I just got back into guitar after 40 yrs! Im a gal and I’m learning your metal 🎸 love it!! Thank you! 👍🏼🤘🏼
I’ve been so frustrated trying to play by ear for about my whole first year. I could only play songs and nothing else. Thank you so much for this I’m finally starting to get it
I wish we would have had RU-vid and you teaching 30 years ago I play by ear and it’s hard to break playing like that but you have helped me tremendously
@@jasonstallworth My pleasure Jason!!! If you wanna visit our channel, we 'll very greatfull. My name is Ariel and I am the guitar player/singer of A.M.P and I manage our channel. Keep on Metal!!!! 💪😉
You're welcome and glad this helped! Also, I'm adding a new metal soloing bonus series to my latest guitar course here if you're interested: metalmastermind.com/metal-riff-master/
So I've been practicing guitar for 10 hours each day for the last 2 days and then 5 hours a day before that with my new Jackson JS32. Wonderful instrument for only $350. Amazing sound. To breakthrough, this is what needs to happen. Picking, fingering, rhythm and tremolo is what I've primarily focused on but the one thing ultimately is learning the fretboard. That is the best way to grasp and understand music theory. Good video. You keep it simplified which is awesome. Keep up the good work!
You gained a subscriber today sir. This is something I have struggled with the entire time I have been playing guitar. I am pretty good when it comes to replicating songs but I suck when I try to improvise. This is really helpful, will keep an eye out for future lessons 😊
Music theory is pretty badass though. Yes there is feel or "instinct", so to say, and thats how i started just by tabs really, but as ive been slowly digging into theory as of the past 3 years, and i go at my own slow pace lol but wow there is much to be gained from theory. Minor harmonic scales are my fav i think. That and blues. But i did also commit to developing a style of my own before diving into theory.
That's good stuff man. My buddy Ken has some material on diving deeper into theory on this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UpUttW7nHIo.html
You're one of the only guitar player/ teachers who isn't speaking a foreign language to me. Thank you for your content and making this a fun experience! I love your style of playing and I aspire to have your skills
I really like the way you keep it simple, Jason. In my case, though, I needed a minimum of theory to make progress doing lead and solo stuff. For me it was two things. Figuring out the whole and halfsteps between the A-B-C-D-E-F-G and using that knowledge to find them on the fretboard. I also memorised the E pentatonic scale on the fretboard, even though that's the only scale I acually can, it's quite easy to adapt that knowledge to "fake" a solo or lead in other keys. The second thing was a tip I got from a friend he called "4 notes solo practice lesson". Actually it's a technique practice thing, but you'll be amazed how much you can make out of four notes on two strings using, downstrokes, alternative picking, slides, bends, vibrato, whammy bar, hammer-on/pull-offs, pinch harmonics, natural harmonics etc. The four note limitation really triggered my will to practice those techniques and the creativity. Cheers from the dark woods of Norway. Keep it metal...and simple!
Jason, you're probably more than aware that I am an acoustic kind of girl. I rarely play any of my electric guitars. You have taught me today something I hadn't realised and because of you, I feel I dare to take one of my electric guitars off the wall and the possibility of actually beginning to solo is now a possibility after 41 years of playing ( I started when I was 6)! Thank you Jason, you rock 🤘🏻!
Thank you, and I don't know if you've seen any of my acoustic or solo gig videos - here's one of the recent ones: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fA9kMaGlOK0.html
Dude you’re most welcome! I’m also planning to upgrade my metal guitar course with a lead series of lessons (probably coming next month): metalmastermind.com/metal-riff-master/
LOL Jason! You referenced music theory more times in the video than you led on. It is impossible to play any instrument without referencing theory in some way. :) Great vid and very good instruction. You're the best!
J-Man this was an awesome lesson. I don't play by theory nor by ears (somewhat, I do), I play by heart. But I know it's not the best way. I've learned so much stuff in this video, I cannot begin to tell. I'm gifting myself an ESP EC-1000 in two months, since I sold all my gear due to the freakin virus and I will sign up for your Patryon. Keep up the great work brother.
Wow. I never knew you made this video. It just popped up, lol. Awesome instruction! Makes me wish I was a beginner again, would've saved most of us a lot of frustration 😂
I just discovered your videos after 5 years on youtube watching countless lessons. Gotta say I really like your simple common sense teaching approach. Starting guitar at 40 years old, I kind of found the theory approach to be kind of a shortcut to knowing what is supposed to be right and wrong. That said, I really like your practical approach on this video. It never really occurred to me to approach it in this way. So thank you for giving me some ideas..
If you hit a bad note, bend it half a step or slide up (or down) half a step and you are back in key. You are only chromatic speaking, off by one note or half step.
I believe you have earned yourself a new sub. I'm around your age, I really like the presentation, and really cool down to earth teaching style. I'm no noob, I've been playing guitar for around 35 years BUT... I consider myself a lifelong student as well as professional. I am always looking for and interested in the chasing of knowledge. I believe I (and others) can pick up some very useful musical wisdom here. Thanks for taking the time. I'm looking forward to checking out your other videos. 🤘
Why after starting to learn guitar over a year ago I’ve only just found this video and your channel!!? I’ve learnt more in the last two days than I have since I started playing! One thing I’d like to ask is… how is your amp set up? I hear reverb but can you tell tell me anymore? 😝
Really glad to hear this helped! Here’s what I using these days in the studio: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LQ68ib-rpIs.htmlsi=32VYn8RNw02HqdvA
Man, that's great to hear! Also, if you don’t have it already, be sure to get my free practice guide that I give to all my subs here: www.jasonstallworth.com/guitarist/
Today I was very frustrated with my guitar course, I get that theory is important, but this video reminded me why I picked up the guitar in the first place, to have fun.
Thats pretty rad ole' boy. That little upward sweep was just so fast and effortless for ya. Ever time I watch I have "Ah Ha!" moments. Thanks for all your efforts!!!
You're welcome, brother! Yeah I don't do sweeps that often so I really have to make sure I nail them when I do! lol...I'm certainly not the greatest at them!
Great tips and ideas, very useful video. I'd add that it maybe can help and speed up the process knowing the scale we are in (E minor here)- , those notes will sound always good. It is only a small bit of theory :) and practicing scales is also good (for ex. pentatonic)
Great lesson Jason, I loved it when you played out of key on purpose, i do that sometimes to learn what notes to stay away from when playing a specific key :) something that Marty Friedman does is he bends a wrong note to the right one, sounds very exotic and it’s very fun to practice
I started looking at Theory after being a working Guitarist for 20 years . I found it restrictive to what and how I had learned or figured out over 35 yrs. almost 40 now .
I definitely understand where you're coming from. I've dove a little deeper into theory lately but I never think about theory when I'm playing or writing music. I can see where it could be restrictive and cause overthinking.
