In order to apply tension to a guitar solo, you must first understand how to construct a solo. This means using your ear or knowledge of music theory to build melodies that move the listener in different ways.

A trick to playing moving, meaningful solos can sometimes be as simple as speaking. In this case, singing your notes as you play them on the guitar can sometimes unlock new melodic abilities in your musicianship. Try the exercises in this video and enjoy your newfound improvisations!

The pentatonic scale works over virtually any jazz chord progression. As you’ll learn in this lesson, you just need a few adjustments to translate your knowledge to the sometimes intimidating genre that is jazz.

Have you ever heard that the right note is only a half-step away? Well, that may be true for some, but I'd argue some of those "wrong" notes are actually the most meaningful moments of a guitar player's phrase. Developing a foundation in music theory and understanding the "rules" is the first ste...

There are many ways to emote feelings from the notes you play. While the harmony you're creating over top of and the tempo of the music will dictate the overall vibe of what's coming out, there are a few specific tips for crafting an effectively emotional guitar solo that anybody can use. The goo...

There are a variety of minor scales, so the question is, when are they best utilized? Of course, depending on the harmony, certain scales will be implied and “sound” better than others. With that said, there are plenty of ways to mix up your scale usage for more interesting licks.

Understanding the harmony behind what you’re soloing over can go deeper than simply knowing what key you’re in. Through breaking out each chord individually and identifying certain intervals that are also in common with various scales you’re familiar with is the most important foundation to have ...

There is one blues lick we all lean on as guitar players, for many reasons. One is just be cause it sounds freakin’ awesome. Another is the ergonomically friendly way the lick is executed, not to mention the fact that it sounds good in a lot of different musical contexts. The issue, sometimes, ca...

How can you approach a note that you're already playing? Isn't that physically impossible? Maybe. Maybe not. Chances are that since I made this video, it is in fact quite simple to achieve this very tasteful technique as a guitar player, so check it out!

Certain styles of guitar playing are dependent on virtuosic technique, while others rely on specific tunings to execute properly. No matter what your preferred genre of music is, there's a special spot for the passionate, sensual, and dare I say sexy way of weaving notes together on the guitar fr...

The art of sounding "bigger" as a guitar player is often accomplished through combining, or blending, chords with licks you'd play over those given chords. Making use of simple shapes we're already familiar with, as well as some basic triads, you'll find that blending chords and licks together is...

When it comes to creating the perfect guitar solo, there is one word you need to know: story. Whether you're playing a delicate fingerpicking etude or a mind-numbingly epic breakdown, the solo you take should always have intention and meaning. Here are 5 tips to help you create an awesome solo.

If you learn to improvise effectively, it won't sound random at all. Improvising is all about building melody, connecting phrases, and speaking the language of music. It's the pinnacle of instrumental mastery. A lot of these concepts and terminology were inspired by a Dean Brown interview on the...

There are three components to music: rhythm, harmony, and melody. Mastering these three concepts will not only allow you to tap into your inner songwriting voice, it will help you understand your strengths as a musician and most importantly, make the sounds in your head come out on the fretboard....