Chord Inversions for Solos and Improvisation In my last post, I covered "What are Chord Inversions and Triads?" Now let's apply that knowledge to soloing and improvising. We all get stuck in various ruts - the pentatonic box, starting on the root/tonic key, etc. Knowing where the chord inversions are for the key you're playing in [...]
Pentatonic Minor vs. Pentatonic Major So what's the difference between Pentatonic Minor and Pentatonic Major? Well, simplistically speaking, 3 frets! For example, if you're playing in the key of A (minor or major), you can utilize either scale based solely on your preference. Here they are, diagrammed out: A minor Pentatonic [...]
Phrasing Techniques One of the things I love most about the guitar is that there are many ways to play a given phrase / melody line. i first really started appreciating this when I first started listening to and watching Steve Vai. Specifically the "For the Love of God" solo. Watching the way he plays the [...]
Warm up and Strength Building Warming up your fingers before you play the guitar is very important. It will not only help you to play better, it will also help avoid injuries. You can think of playing guitar as kind of like playing a sport. Athletes don't just start competing without first having warmed up. the [...]
