How do I START a guitar solo?

In this MicroLesson, I'll walk you through my thought process for how to start a guitar solo. In addition, you'll learn how to start with a basic 3 note major chord arpeggio, and slowly make a more sophisticated sounding lead by adding intervals.
To view the tablature for the little improvised composition towards the end of the video, visit: www.activemelo...

[@humphet]

I'm outside on my porch with my fender. I'm watching this in the sun on my tablet and jamming along. Couldn't ask for a better time. You are just the total best instructor. I just love watching, and sharing with friends too

[@patrickestwick5675]

THANK YOU BRIAN!! The Fretboard is opening up nicely due to this lesson.

[@andyjales]

Ok Brian, I don t know if You realise the treasure of this lesson. This lesson is pure gold For us, who are trying to learn something being more than 40 years old. Thanks a Lot !!!! ❤❤❤

[@meeno_the_man]

Lovely lesson proving once again that there’s so much richness to be mined from the basics.

[@maheshregon5441]

Love you. I'm 64 yrs but still learning and enjoying blues solo

[@Blalack77]

I was making a lot of progress on guitar several years ago but I met my wife and just focused on her and kind of quit all of my hobbies for whatever reason. But she left me on 6/19/23 (2 days after my birthday and 8 days before our 5th wedding anniversary) and I immediately started feeling a pull back to my old hobbies. Like I guess I was like just content in my life just being with her or complacent or something - like all I needed was her - but since she left, I've got to fill my mind, heart and soul with the other things that make me happy.. Something like that anyway. But this situation made a lyric or song title pop into my head and I'm wanting to expand on it and write a whole song - "Mourning an Illusion". Like the fact she left me so randomly and without a warning, fight or discussion makes me realize, our relationship must not have been what I thought it was and so what am I sad about? I'm mourning something that didn't even exist.

[@Mountainmanfingerpicker]

Exactly... It's like mourning something that never really, fully existed. It should make you a great song.

[@blandroid2015]

Man, I love light bulb moments. You made triads so simple and digestible

[@robnic52]

A surprisingly helpful lesson, great idea and Brian introduces the note numbers in the little arpeggio then in the minor pentatonic. I had been struggling to make musical phrases in the pentatonic shapes but that simple arpeggio is made from the chord tones, suddenly it's making musical and meaningful phrases almost automatically. The chord tones, the 1, 3, 5 notes from the scale are the money notes. The he adds the 7th and the 6th and you can hear the rich effect these new notes bring. This micro lesson is a real gem to be messed around with and practiced until it's under your fingers and understood.

[@bungalowbluesman]

Brilliant. More like this please Brian. 😁👍🏻

[@scm1716]

Wow, what a great lesson! Thanks, Brian! The little improv bit you go into in A near the last of the lesson is the best part. You've really helped me understand the guitar better than I have in 30 years!

[@jimroundtree3847]

One of the best lessons ever. An absolute practical approach to the first steps of improvising a solo. The ironic thing is how much is packed into this one lesson. It would also be nice to see you work up a lead using the melody line of a familiar song, similarly relating the melody to the chord changes as you do here.

[@blainecyr7261]

Thank you Brian, I appreciate the way you break things down. I have been playing for over 55 years and for so many of those I was stuck in the minor pentatonic scale and as I have tried to expand beyond that to include modes, major and minor scales ext.. I find myself constantly guilty of drinking from the fire hose and getting frustrated. Lessons like this one help me out a lot because it pulls together very simply all the things that I seem sometimes to over think and drowned myself in. Thanks again keep them coming.

[@ambroseharper8316]

Recognise that! Me too 😊

[@TheHayruss]

Great lesson, the only disappointing part of this was that I only have one thumbs up to give, it deserves many more.

[@dieterreindl6466]

It's all so simple - when Brian explains it. Why can't I figure it out for myself most of the time? It is probably because I think too complicated, that I have not completely internalized the fretboard and chord structures and because I am sometimes simply too lazy to concentrate on them. The "Method Brian" is a good key to make decisive progress here.

[@knobby8710]

and there it is..........great lesson Brian

[@MrNgcovelli]

first solo lesson that didnt start with minor pentatonic! what a great lesson! So glad to be a member of Active Melody.. Thank you Brian.

[@douglasnelsen1301]

As I am viewing this lesson for the first time....the word.... "Wonderful" comes to mind....

[@Handyandy747]

This "building block" style of teaching is really effective and you do it very well. Thanks Brian.

[@ericcrangle6528]

Spent this evening listening and having a go. Great stuff very helpful. Thank you

[@marchallaert7372]

Excellent lesson! I was struggling to understand note playing as it pertains to chords. Not having the chords playing under the notes 🎶 opened up my mind and ears to how comping over chords should work and sound. Thank you!!!!

[@howlintim]

You're an awesome teacher.

[@Goateeist1]

Great lesson, thanks.

[@j0kar]

Hey Brian, thanks for the awesome lesson! I really appreciate it. One thing I struggle with when it comes to soloing by myself is maintaining the rhythm. Everything tends to blend together and it becomes a big blob of sound that doesn't feel musical anymore. Thanks again!

[@Smiffy830]

That lesson has just added a heap of progress to my playing. Wonderful things will now occur, thanks Brian!

[@jeremylrichardson]

Excellent video bro. Can you do some more stuff like this? Definitely helped a lot.

[@sabudjed1135]

Very good teaching and many thanks.

[@utbronell]

Perhaps the most useful lesson I've ever come across. Thank you so much. Oh and a special thanks for explaining that you can still play in the same scale when the chords change. I've always been so confused and overwhelmed thinking I needed to know the chord progression and then switching scales to suit.

[@RBZ3]

Thanks Brian, nicely done!

[@michaeljohn4598]

Thank you Brian - this has been a ‘light bulb lesson’ for me. Really insightful and I get it, finally. Thank you so much for your brilliant teaching over the years. Your lessons are a highlight of my week. Keep on keepin’ on. 😁😁😁

[@patrickbrain2464]

Can’t ever get enough!! Thanks

[@nyzombiesquad182]

OMG!!!!🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 For some reason this lesson....this lesson right here..got me.... everything came together about 7 mins..great lesson..ive been trying to create music with what i have learned and have been unsuccessfull. I listen to what you say and how you teach and still cannot come up with my own ideas...I FEEL LIKE I HAVE JUST CROSSED THAT BRIDGE!! Ty❤❤

[@upuiaropati6839]

I always enjoy the way you present your guitar lessons bro. Very comprehensive and they attract my attention very easily. You’re always one of my best guitar tutors on ytube. Thanks a lot.

[@amandamoore8516]

Thanks from the UK! All of your videos on working with chord changes and using arpeggios, triads, intervals are very helpful when playing over chords with a larger guitar group meet-up instead of just playing chords. It's really starting to pay off -people asking me to turn up the volume instead of down. Cheers.

[@mr.mcallister6502]

Gotta love a guy who still has a large LP collection.

[@bjzapped]

Great lesson, more like this, following on.

[@francisg292]

You have a superb way of teaching Brian,im really enjoying trying this out it,it is gradually sinking in.

[@willischeyltjens2980]

simple, but that's how you learn where the 6 and 7 are, great thanks Brian

[@andreuttenhoff8135]

Brilliant lesson, Brian! Fits exactly to where I am at in my guitar journey… more of that would be appreciated.👍🏼

[@reneebutouy]

Great lesson. Thank you.

[@billfehr256]

Great lesson!

[@marianodomingo8018]

Thank you once again Brian! You nailed it

[@epiphone278]

Simple but an ah moment lesson! Thanks Brian!

[@BanjoLemonade]

You are getting big Brian!!! That is great news, finally time your channel shoots the moon!

[@activemelody]

Why thank ya 🙏 we’ll have to collab sometime

[@BanjoLemonade]

@@activemelody - That would be super fun, but I don’t really want my channel to get much bigger actually. 😂

[@amsumalivallaart2805]

Fantastic indeed Can really understand what you mean Keep up the great lessons Keep ‘‘em coming

[@iannicholls7476]

Great stuff. Thank-you.

[@trusarmor4957]

this is about to be your most watched vid. cause im about to watch it couple of dozen times.

[@ambroseharper8316]

That's a guitar lesson - right there! 👏

[@allenalsop6032]

Great stuff.

[@meinhendl]

helps a lot . fantastic explanation . thank you so much !

[@rickhalle-podell169]

this is why I pay for active melody. brian knows how to teach better than anyone on youtube and simplify something and make it sound amazing.

[@activemelody]

🙏

[@GuitarJoLa]

Very cool extra Macrolesson, Brian! I always learn something new :) ♪❤

[@davidmiller3374]

Winner, Brian!

[@paulseabrook9338]

Outstanding, again! Thanks so much!

[@richardthompson8207]

Looks like Arlo may have played that guitar once! Very useful lesson that wraps up a number of concepts, yet not overly complex. Very pragmatic.

[@activemelody]

😂

[@junkcarno]

my answer. BIG BEND!!!

[@chooch54dd]

Man what a good lesson. Had a beginners light bulb go off

[@Ssoraa64]

Thank you! Great lesson and great teacher. I am finally learning the blues. I am so happy...ehh...I am so blue ;-)

[@GatoBrooks]

Superb!

[@1974xaviers]

Excellent lesson

[@bruceall2001]

Excellent stuff as usual. Thanks.😊

[@user-rk1kb1um5u]

Very nice, Brian. Thank you

[@richardcrilley11]

Damn good lesson.

[@d.l.huntministries8131]

Good it has got me going

[@hgfdsplkcm9734]

wow... half a million subscribers... Congrats Brian...

[@durwardgoudie1803]

Excellent 2100 Spain 👍😁

[@lloydskidmore]

That was a really good video, learned a lot from it , thanks.

[@ginodellaconza3037]

Grazie per le dritte, le metterò subito in atto

[@riffcodgerpetermcaleer8638]

Well done. Thanks. Great stuff.

[@liviots]

Wow… great lesson 😊

[@recordmanmusic]

Thank you great lesson

[@MusicManFernando]

Thanks.

[@talisman964]

Quite brilliant!

[@guilhermecoutinho7521]

Awsome lesson. I will be free to improvising in not time

[@QBRX]

Yeah, I liked it!

[@bradwillis2274]

Thankyou

[@metalfuryskulls]

Lovely lesson, jam packed with really useful ideas. You mentioned the 2 ways of approaching the notes - either from chord shapes and building up to the scale or from the root scale and identifying the shapes. Im interested in the mindset of this and my question is; what do you personally do in your head when approaching the changes?

[@sallymac1510]

I ❤ the vlogs/ MicroLessons (macro). Any instructional on ‘how’ to is helpful. The idea of using selected ingredients and keeping the recipe simple but more informative can turn on more lightbulbs. Example: If I wanted to use this recipe: sus2, sus4, E shape,A shape and one scale position. What can be made with it to make it successful? Thanks in advance Chef.

[@Code9]

Another great lesson in your typically awesome style but I gotta say I kept being distracted by that gorgeous Gibson!!!! What a beauty! What can you tell us about it???

[@activemelody]

Early 50s L4 👍

[@Code9]

@@activemelody Wow. If it was mine I'd be tempted to keep that baby locked up in a vault somewhere and only bring it out on special occasions. What a treasure. I'm salivating. LOL Thanks for the info.

[@vandekerkhovejeanphilippe196]

[@BigWapiti]

Awesome lesson - thanks! You mentioned starting on the and- of-three. Why? How would I know what / where to start a lead? Why did you choose the and-of-three and not simply the one? Do you have any lessons on this type of timing?? I'll keep searching otherwise.

[@rajeshgumber363]

How about including the major 7 note in the major key solo, F# note of G in this case? Just like the flat7 note is included in a minor key solo. Thankyou

[@cadrat1962]

Hey Brian, (Premium member here) I was just talking about this exact topic this morning with a freind........ After a couple of years with you I've got a whole lot of knowledge and tecnique.... But how to put it togther. The 1,4, 5 sound good. But how to build in a bridge, or make up a chorus......... thats where I get confused.. Cheers

[@geoffwatson]

I'm putting you forward for a gong in the next honours list. 👍

[@activemelody]

Wait, is that good or bad? 😬

[@rajeshgumber363]

@@activemelody Brian lol!

[@dawin6710]

15:23 yes it is pretty.

[@rafaelnava9701]

Quisiera que fuera traducido al castellano gracias saludos

[@amarildopelegrini1577]

👍👍👍👍👍👍🇧🇷

[@stevelancaster5303]

Another light bulb moment, thanks Brian

[@MetalMcfly]

Normally I put down a certain chord progression and when I begin to solo, depending what chord I'm playing over I will slide into the root note over that chord. Am chord > start with A of the Am pentatonic and work around those notes mixing through scale notes over the other chords as they change. The notes in that scale (C,E,D,G) will work as a starting point as well. Bends, vibrato, Tap sequences all fall within this. It's all based on what you are hearing in your head, feeling etc. You can't really teach that. Learning notes is one thing, making them musical within yourself is a whole other deal.

[@johnsmith-lb4mo]

But i can't play bar chords!

[@activemelody]

This lesson has nothing to do with playing barre chords

[@johnsmith-lb4mo]

oh, i only watched it to 2:25 where you demonstrate a barre chord, i'll carry on watching then till the end.