Where next?

RocknRollDave

This has probably been asked a gazillion times, so feel free to roll your eyes and move on, but...

Where I am at:
I have been playing guitar for over 30 years.
I am quite good. I can improvise a decent enough bluesy lead solo over a rhythm track, and I have managed to break out of the pentatonic box. I think I am beginning to incorporate some modes into my playing, although I haven't learnt them as modes, rather as "Hey, I can play notes from the C major scale in this key and it sounds kind of interesting...Oh wow, I can also play notes from G major, and it sounds interesting, but in a different way..." (Please correct me if that isn't modes...)

Where I would like to be:
I would like better harmonic knowledge, so that instead of "Hey, let's try a G major scale here...whoops, that sounds wrong" I could predict more accurately what notes I can and can't use*.

What I want:
Recommendation for a cheap (ideally free) and, more importantly, user-friendly (i.e. I am likely to stick with it) pathway towards enlightenment. Is there a YouTube series you swear by that breaks this stuff down into Dave-friendly language? Is there a book series that is a must-have? Is Paul Davids god? Is Rick Beato's series of books worth investing in? 

I am not looking to immerse myself deeply as a full-time pursuit: I just want something that will open up a few more doors, and make my fretboard meanderings a bit less random and a bit more likely to succeed.
If that makes sense?


So...what do you recommend?!


(*"Can use" for any given desired outcome. Obviously you can use any notes at any time...so long as you are open to the occasional discordant post-punk soundscapes...) 

EricTheWeary

I can't give this much more than a well meaning bump but...

In a sense it's all the same information just finding the format that works best for you. YouTube tutorials are invariably not very well structured/piecemeal so you have to be looking for something very specific. Certainly lots of books out there. I'd be tempted by Vaideology as it's theory for guitarists and looks pretty but it probably covers a lot of stuff you already know.
I was also wondering if you used CAGED or another similar approach? Lots of introductory videos on that (Justin Guitar for example). As a way to organise your new found harmonic knowledge on the fretboard. 

CarpeDiem

I would recommend the book Harmony & Theory by Keith Wyatt & Carl Schroeder. It clearly explains musical concepts and builds on them. I find it user-friendly, and the tests at the end of each chapter have allowed me to check my understanding before moving on (the test answers are included at the end of the book). 

viz

^ that is a great book. 

Plectrum

The problem with scales and modes is that many people fall into the trap of just playing up and down them, which sounds rubbish. Personally I don't find that stuff particularly helpful. Take for instance a song in the key of D with the old faithful chord sequence D-C-G-D. Now that's actually D Myxolidian but that doesn't mean you can play any note from that mode over any chord in the song and have it sound great. Tim Pierce has a video which I think is better, simpler and more effective approach where he talks about using the underlying notes of the chord especially when there's a chord change and when you end a phrase. It makes a lot of sense to me and you don't need to memorise any modes

EricTheWeary

CarpeDiem said:

I would recommend the book Harmony & Theory by Keith Wyatt & Carl Schroeder. It clearly explains musical concepts and builds on them. I find it user-friendly, and the tests at the end of each chapter have allowed me to check my understanding before moving on (the test answers are included at the end of the book). 

This probably isn't much of a recommendation but an awful lot of what happens when I pick up a guitar comes from watching a Keith Wyatt video thirty years ago. I've watched a few things on YouTube over the years as well, I think he has a very clear approach so I can imagine this is very good.

viz

Plectrum said:

Take for instance a song in the key of D with the old faithful chord sequence D-C-G-D. Now that's actually D Myxolidian 

SHA

EricTheWeary

EricTheWeary said:

CarpeDiem said:

I would recommend the book Harmony & Theory by Keith Wyatt & Carl Schroeder. It clearly explains musical concepts and builds on them. I find it user-friendly, and the tests at the end of each chapter have allowed me to check my understanding before moving on (the test answers are included at the end of the book). 

This probably isn't much of a recommendation but an awful lot of what happens when I pick up a guitar comes from watching a Keith Wyatt video thirty years ago. I've watched a few things on YouTube over the years as well, I think he has a very clear approach so I can imagine this is very good.

Well, I looked this up on Amazon and it said I bought it in 2018! Turned out I bought it for my son but he later sold it to someone on eBay. Currently one on eBay for £10 (not from my son). 
I know this isn't helping Dave but odd little sidebar. 

CaseOfAce

RocknRollDave said:

This has probably been asked a gazillion times, so feel free to roll your eyes and move on, but...

Not at all! I wish this question was asked more often on guitar boards Dave!

Personally I think this is a case of just getting the looper out and just playing....and putting in the hours all over the fretboard.
There's no substitute or easy route.
Youtube vids, book etc... will teach you what the scales are and certain licks...but I think you build the pathways just doing it and deliberately trying to break out of the patterns and seeing where it takes you.

ESBlonde

You can learn all the scales and modes, names the notes on the fretboard etc. all which is good stuff.
You could just try playing rhythm to a song and for the lead start by playing the melody, simple as you like and then add some double stops or even triads. Keep the melody as the anchor point and experiment. Your ear will develop and your lead “toolkit” will improve. Most punters like a simpler more musical part, the blistering speed will come in time but reserve it as just one of your many abilities.

Barney

A lot of good info here I think and fairly easily understood a lot of different videos IV just linked one ....it's piano but well explained for any instrument ... definitely worth a look 

RocknRollDave

CarpeDiem said:

I would recommend the book Harmony & Theory by Keith Wyatt & Carl Schroeder. It clearly explains musical concepts and builds on them. I find it user-friendly, and the tests at the end of each chapter have allowed me to check my understanding before moving on (the test answers are included at the end of the book). 

A belated response but I have just ordered a used copy of this for £4.90 incl. P&P from eBay.

Thank you for the recommendation!

duotone

I think there are quite a few courses on TrueFire that would be of use. 

I’ll let you know when I see their 4 courses for $20 special offer again.

Something like these might help you out:
https://truefire.com/guitar-lessons/guitar-zen-caged/c1762 - Eric Haugen's Guitar Zen: CAGED
https://truefire.com/ariel-posen-guitar-lessons/triad-targets-soloing/c1750 - Ariel Posen's Triad Targets: Soloing
https://truefire.com/essentials-guitar-lessons/chord-tone-soloing/c1157 - Jeff McErlain's Essentials: Chord Tone Soloing
https://truefire.com/guitar-lessons/dna-caged-soloing/c1233 - David Wallimann's Guitar DNA: CAGED Soloing

duotone

@RocknRollDave ;

Just a heads up that TrueFire are doing their 4 courses for $20 special offer again, for the next 24 hours.

kelpbeds

My YouTube channel would help you out a lot. Loads of content on there. I've also got a Patreon channel with more in depth info, courses and two books on Amazon. The one on Chord Tone Soloing sounds like it would answer a lot of your questions. All my links are here. https://linktr.ee/timdaleyguitar  Hope that helps. Tim

nero1701

kelpbeds said:

My YouTube channel would help you out a lot. Loads of content on there. I've also got a Patreon channel with more in depth info, courses and two books on Amazon. The one on Chord Tone Soloing sounds like it would answer a lot of your questions. All my links are here. https://linktr.ee/timdaleyguitar  Hope that helps. Tim

I've used one of Tim's books, I enjoyed the content, His youtube shorts are great for licks also.

Danny1969

Personally I love what I term as the "maths" in the music. I don't tend to watch videos or read books I just think about the intervals and what a note will sound like when played over a chord. Because that's what produces the magic. What you play as a standalone set of notes has no musical impact really until you put it over a chord or more specifically a chord change. 

You absolutely have to know where notes are on the fretboard. This is such an easy thing to learn but guitarist today learning from YouTube and tab often don't know where the notes are, which I find baffling as I teach the kids how to see the notes on a fretboard at age 13 within a couple of months. I have a kid student aged 13 at the mo who's had 5 lessons and knows how to find the notes on the fretboard quite quickly. 

You then have to know the intervals to build chords ... 

Then you need to train your ear to recognise a chord and it's quality when you hear it. 

After that the first rule in my book is Know the chord sequence you are going to solo over. Because if you don't you can't apply the math that will make a solo melodically fit. 

Now, with the above knowledge you can apply some simple rules. My common Gilmour trick for example is to bend into the third note of the next chord as it changes. Then target other notes of the chords as they change, like the 5 or the root. 

Want to create tension over a static chord, bend into a 9 (2) or release from root  into a 7 

Know you have more latitude for outside notes as passing notes when you play quicker but still think about landing on notes that suit the chord change. This is a Van Halen trick known as "fall down the stairs but land on your feet" 

There's a lot of low hanging fruit there that a lot of my fellow muso's don't seem to be aware of. I've been dining off it for years

monquixote

I really like David Bennet and 8 Bit Music Theory 

Neither guitar channels, but explain it from a composition basis like "Why does this Beatles song have a weird chord in it", but I've found it very helpful to understand how scales make you feel rather than how to shred through them without hitting a bum note.

kelpbeds

nero1701 said:

kelpbeds said:

My YouTube channel would help you out a lot. Loads of content on there. I've also got a Patreon channel with more in depth info, courses and two books on Amazon. The one on Chord Tone Soloing sounds like it would answer a lot of your questions. All my links are here. https://linktr.ee/timdaleyguitar  Hope that helps. Tim

I've used one of Tim's books, I enjoyed the content, His youtube shorts are great for licks also.

Big thanks!

Roland

Danny1969 said:

... I don't tend to watch videos or read books I just think about the intervals and what a note will sound like when played over a chord. Because that's what produces the magic. What you play as a standalone set of notes has no musical impact really until you put it over a chord or more specifically a chord change…

Wiz’d and quoted, because this is fundamental. All the theories are ways of documenting the out come. All the “secrets they don’t tell you” are attempts to monetise. 

guitarjack66

Got to be honest and say that 'blues' music doesn't do a lot for me apart from the 'cool' sounds of certain notes or progressions...but anybody who listens to popular music from the last 60/70 years would be a fool not to try to understand at least the basics given it's massive influence on said music. Tim and 'Big Jim's' youtube stuff are an excellent resource and I also have his most recent book,which is excellent.