How to Make Melodic Solos Out of Scales On Guitar

👉 Here's How You Make Music Out Of Scales! www.justinguitar.com/modules/... If you want to make melodic solos on guitar, you need to use your ears! In this lesson, you'll learn a powerful exercise to develop your ability to identify chord tones and how to land on good notes. #justinguitar #majorscale #guitarforbeginners
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Video Chapters
00:00 Scales & Improvising - The answer is here!
00:44 What are chord tones and how to identify them
04:05 Tip: The target notes change all the time
06:06 Landing on the good note or on the bad note?
08:13 Practical Scale Exercise - Go Grab Your Guitar!
08:16 Exercise: Using your ear to find the chord tones
10:40 Practice Time
12:15 Coffee Break :)
12:48 Re-Active Listening Exercise - 1
15:09 Re-Active Listening Exercise - 2
16:37 Re-Active Listening Exercise - 3
18:29 Re-Active Listening Exercise - 4
21:07 Re-Active Listening Exercise - 5
23:06 Improvising: Things to Avoid!
23:59 Major Scale Maestro - Practice 1
27:06 Major Scale Maestro - Practice 2
28:30 Major Scale Maestro - Practice 3
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[@John-fk3rv]

Justin has dedicated his life to teaching the WORLD to play guitar, if they can afford to pay for it or not. How can anyone give him a thumbs down. Give me a break. Keep u posted the great lessons sir. Thank you

[@justinguitar]

Thanks John - I appreciate your support!

[@2drsdan]

@@justinguitar Those down thumbs were all from Mel Bay book salesmen.

[@roblloyd7038]

2he is a great teacher

[@texasprenegade]

While I agree with the sentiment, it has more to do with the kinds of videos that show up on your youtube feed. The Google is saying, 'maybe you wanna watch this video?' And someone who is not a guitar player or who has no interest in instructional videos may not want it in their feed, so the way to tell the algorithm what you don't want in your feed is to give it a thumbs down. It's not necessarily the case that everyone who thumbs it down watched the whole video and decided that Justin did a poor job of teaching. They just don't want it in their feed. How is this so hard to understand?

[@My-Channel_forever]

@@texasprenegade , people have the option to select “not interested” or “don’t recommend channel” rather than down vote, which is for content. Sad that apparently this is hard to understand.

[@kiproslofitis2016]

justin is one of the most likeable persons ever existed

[@zaqintosh]

And one of the most intuitive empathetic guitar teachers I’ve ever seen online. He’s a gem

[@kiproslofitis2016]

@@zaqintosh 100% true

[@dorytepper3218]

I agree.

[@cantubloodaxe768]

Ya, totally.

[@veganphilosopher1975]

I want a full album with Justin going "ooh" and "ugh" over him playing scales

[@jimwoodswrites]

Justin, thanks for putting out such great content on a regular basis. You're the best!

[@justinguitar]

Thanks, Jim! Have a great week. :)

[@utbronell]

Justin, I think you've just put my guitar teacher out of a job! This is EXACTLY the stuff I've been wanting to learn. Thank you!

[@danielebellemo5346]

The music world just thanks you Justin..... You are the best 👏👏👏👏🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@esatakan3076]

Wow... This blew my mind Justin. Man, İ get emotional thinking how much of a passionate and incredible teacher/person you are Justin. I'm currently doing your beginner course 2 and it's so awesome. I've bought all your apps and the music theory course and definitely will be buying t shirts and jam tracks as well. You inspire me to my core man, not just as a guitar player but as a guide to living an epic life. Thanks a million man, Your fan 4 life, Esat from Turkey :)

[@roisela3441]

you are one my favirote guitar players man, no kidding , your feel to the instrumant is just amazing.

[@justinguitar]

Thanks!

[@rolfklaer2671]

Justin, as an experienced by-ear-player of 62 years of age I can still learn so many things from you and find it easier than with most so called teachers. You are really not too vain unlike most others. You don´t shred along just to show off. That is just great!

[@matwhite57]

Hi Rolf, like yourself I have been playing for many years but playing by ear has never come easy to me. Particularly finding the key of a song, it’s east enough with twelve bar stuff, 1,4,5. This is not a criticism of Justin’s work on KZbin, like you I think the guy is brilliant. But part of the process of finding the key of a song seems to be similar to this you know playing the major or minor scale over a chord progression. Now I’m thinking no wonder that doesn’t work for me. I’d be really interested if you have time to reply, I chose to reply to your comment because I think we may have stuff in common similar age etc. and obviously the interest in guitar (I’m beginning to sound a bit weird now😂) I’ve posted a few bits on you tube, check them out, cheers Mat

[@rolfklaer2671]

Hi Mat, yes, I also like getting into contact with people who share my love for music on a level, where we can talk about it in similar terms. You have something where I absolutely suck: picking. I have never learned that properly and find it very hard to do now. I lack the neccessary patience, because my plectrum playing has already become too much of a part of me. But I am not frustrated any lomger about such disabillities. Age has given me at least this "coolness" about my ambitions. What I really do and love with great passion is writing songs. Should you want to know me a bit better, go and have a listen to some of my songs. They explain where I stand with regards to pop-music. When it comes to pure listening I am a JOHANNES BRAHMS man. ;-) PS: Are you on Facebook? Me, you will find there under my name. Cheers, Rolf Klaer

[@darrengibson135]

Truly one of the most concise and clear descriptions of soloing over a progression. Well done!

[@spencemaddy]

Your way of teaching is just what students like us need! Great and thanks for all you do!

[@mcbooker14]

I've been following you for years and what keeps me coming back is your up-beat enthusiasm and the real connection you make with your students. I always get uplifted in going over the courses that i have already done, but i always get something new out them and that is due to your individual caring in a medium that can't be individual. You are definitely the very BEST!

[@greentearukasu5970]

Thank you so much for all your lessons. As a beginner guitarist, I have been so overwhelmed by all these terms that I see most KZbinrs use. I have been finally able to start from the beginning and follow through a thorough course. Thanks for your amazing work!

[@briancoleman7507]

Purchased your guitar course, came across this amazing video. You’re the reason lotta people fall in love with the guitar over and over. Cheers Justin!

[@rajennaidoo7]

Thank you Justin. Profoundly grateful for these 'gold nuggets' that you selflessly share.

[@teleacousticplayer9386]

Hi Justin. I just want to say thank you sooooo much for your detailed explanation on how to make music out of scales. I have to say this is one of the best inspirational video's out there. There are so many of us who are wanting to learn lead guitar but are just not sure where to start. Even when we sit there and play scales, it can become very disappointing because your first thought is, I'm not even sounding like half these guys that play lead, and then leads to (no pun) feeling very inadequate, which then can lead to not wanting to play. You just inspired many of us by just showing us that YES, it is POSSIBLE. Yes it takes work, just like anything, but having someone show you the actual outcome of what you would be working at is a great feeling, because the way you showed us, shows that we can do it if we work at it. I know many of us understand that there is so much more to lead playing, such as hammer on's, pull off's, slide, bending...etc, but you gave us a foundation to build that on. You helped start our house for us :) I know after as long as you have been teaching, it can get somewhat questionable as "do people really appreciate this?, and the answer is YES Justin! We do, and I know even though you do get many great comments, it's always that few more that can just show how appreciative we are, and we are. Looking forward to seeing more of this. Thank you Justin!

[@tbazzle]

Thanks for this ear training vid Justin! Really awesome content as always :D

[@editionsforever5353]

WOW Justin! 12:38 - 12:44 put a smile on my face - you not only genius with guitar but, you have humor of the first order - Keep it rolling superman!

[@Isykul]

There is so much value in this lesson. Pentatonic "boxes" are regularly taught as the start point for soloing/improvisation but it has its limitations. Playing against a drone note or a chord and listening to how each note reacts to that chord opens up far more possibilities. Other points about listening to what other members of the band are doing are useful and serve as ways to embellish/enhance a song rather than both bash out the same chords. Thanks Justin

[@dmitriiandreev8320]

What a great lesson, thank you soooo much, Justin!

[@alexanderhammer688]

Justin is a very gifted teacher with a great, encouraging personality and motivates you to pick up the guitar. Thank you, Justin!

[@merrileeburoker3689]

Ok! I'm inspired to hook up my looper pedal and train my ear. Ear/hand coordination boot camp!

[@mrethecat9262]

Huge lesson even for intermediate or advanced players. It'd deserve a lot of extra views!

[@joslin01]

That's what I was just thinking! This is eye-opening for me

[@TheJstewart2010]

Wow. Just. Wow. With this lesson plus the one-finger solos lesson, I made more progress today than I have in six months of noodling around with scales and backing tracks. I actually came up with my first little melodic riff that *sounds like music*!!!!! I can't wait to practice more. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@gersonperez3781]

Fantastic lesson. Thank you so much Justin!

[@klaushjerrild]

So good...incridible amount of relevance...🎸👍🏼

[@rnichol22]

Totally agree with this, I'm no shredder and don't know much theory but I can play by sound and it's great for creating feeling rather than minor pentatonic blitz on everything.

[@rajibazam2431]

Justin you are great. I really mean it. Thanks for what you are doing for us.

[@EngRMP]

This is such a great idea, Justin. When our heads are full of scales and patterns, and chord shapes and chord progressions and blues and jazz... we just don't have the mental bandwidth to focus at this level of detail. Your approach is a great way to clear that other stuff out of the way and try to make some progress at hearing the note vs chord tones. I know that i still can't find the 3rd and 5th notes of chords by sight or ear... the good news... that means I can't cheat... I'll have to use my ears (and then check my paper notes).

[@tjt5918]

Great lesson Justin. Great teaching style as well. Too often I find myself going robotically through the minor pentatonic scale pattern (or others) without really listening to the notes and how they sound with chords in that key. This exercise will not only help train my ear but also will get me practice using my looper! Thanks.

[@garrydavies2068]

Great video Justin, always had the feeling that certain note's sounded better over different sections of a backing track and now I understand why. Thanks for all the effort you put in its really appreciate. You are by far the best online teacher.

[@RiffsRhythm]

It’s a great lesson that you can learn the sound of a scale over one chord but when chords change so do the notes in relation to the chord (intervals)

[@johnmacmillan627]

Excellent. Thank you

[@kom1996]

Justin you're killing it with the new course ❤️

[@josephsanjay4806]

Thank you so much, Justin!

[@jacquelinemcneil2620]

Great advice, had been doing something like this with the C scale pentatonics and backing tracks. just finding what works without thinking to muuch other than navigating sound and Root C notes. now know all my C's. thanks for all the videos mate, much appreciated!

[@murlyg]

Thank you so much Justin. For self learners, you are our lifeline.

[@williamsteel4694]

Hi Justin I found this lesson very encouraging, it has helped me with the struggle Ive had with doing scales, a great lesson cheers and thanks

[@timmarkle5108]

Thanks Justin, working through the beginner coarse! Like checking out what's coming hopefully soon for my playing! Cheers from Canada!

[@peteambriz31]

Found this video very useful! Thank you Justin.

[@birdsongman]

Just what I need Justin! Thanks . . .

[@anselmdevas1530]

Most practical lesson, thanks

[@340ACP]

Great teacher! I always learn a lot from Justin

[@jonnyhe2906]

As usual very well explained. The whole scale maestro stuff is heaven for learning to solo. I feel like your new videos are an improvement on explanation compared to the very old ones, even that the old ones where great allready. You can be compared to certain kinds of wine...

[@teodelnorte]

Great lesson, thank you!

[@tglass624]

Really insightful stuff, Justin. TU.

[@lodgeeagle9279]

Thank you Justin

[@OdaKa]

Justin calls B in a C major "crunchy" 🍘 Adam Neely would call it "spicy" 🌶

[@fedayeentaqx9956]

after 30 years playing mostly 3 and 4 chord punk on 2 and 3 string power chords, played hard and fast and always in the pocket, but strictly hardcore punk and some simple metal rythym gtr, im now actually learning to play, and not limiting myself, with emphasis on surf, rockabilly, and blues, and your lessons have been very helpful, and stil are (i have a long way to go but practice like 2 to 3 hours a day so improving fast!)

[@GhostOfKratos93]

You've changed my life Justin. Thank you.

[@zacharyglenn]

Justin, you’re such an amazing an wonderful teacher. Always referring beginner, intermediate and beyond to your channel!

[@justinguitar]

Awesome! Thank you! Cheers 😊 | close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide & Moderator on JustinGuitar Forum [ www.justinguitar.com/ ]

[@verfran]

Thank you Justin, I remember how much your lessons helped me from year 2007. Still helps :)

[@justinguitar]

Great to hear! | close 2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide & JG Forum Mod [ justinguitarcommunity.com/index.php ]

[@Rickman165]

priceless!!!!!!!! thank you...

[@mikelawrence4849]

This seems very helpful, thanks.

[@weatherboy1551]

First comment baby! Love your videos mate. Absolutely admire your playing and teaching. Greetings from Israel and much love!

[@justinguitar]

Hey, thanks! Loads of love back to you! :)

[@keithsurridge6022]

'Sometimes the wrong notes are right.'. Justin so true! So inspiring.🙏

[@garethmartyndavies2250]

Almost like if you don’t make a mistake , you don’t learn from it !

[@FirstSonsMotif]

Thanks for sharing this Dude! I was looking up videos and glad I found this one.

[@justinguitar]

Glad you liked it! Check the full website www.justinguitar.com/ for much more: Cheers 😊 | close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide [ www.justinguitar.com/ ] & Moderator on JustinGuitar Forum

[@brentfunk1936]

Wow, great instruction!

[@barryoneill1703]

That was an excellent lesson, Thanks.

[@justinguitar]

Glad it helped!

[@michaelsauder]

Thanks for another excellent lesson man

[@martynspooner5822]

That was an important lesson for me. Cheers

[@ronchalfant6394]

This is a great lesson! Really hits home on the ear tones not the notes..👍🎸🧙🏼‍♂️

[@SFSGH]

Great lesson so deep n inspiring

[@johnmac.6760]

Hi Justin, great lesson, I'm not there yet, but I will get there, I'm on the beginners course and just smashed Save Tonight, with all your help and tuition, luv it thank you, and keep up the brilliant work, been looking at your workshop guitar week in Italy in September if all goes well with the world I'm hoping I could get there.. Right I'm off to practice my guitar, thanks again, cheers, John.. 🤘🎸🎸😁

[@lalayotka23]

Developing your ear is by far the most important skill you must train as a musician. It is very hard at first, but you must not give up. 4 years ago i could not make a difference between Dmin and Gmaj and slowly but surely i have practiced and now i am nowhere near where i want to end up, but at least i can transcribe solos, which was impossible for me.

[@meadish]

Solid advice, well taught. It's humbling to think how much you give to the guitar community. Thank you!

[@justinguitar]

I appreciate that! You can help support with donations www.justinguitar.com/donate or buying stuff. Pay it forward Cheers 😊 | close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide [ www.justinguitar.com/ ] & Moderator on JustinGuitar Forum

[@69moooooo]

Justin is the Bob Ross of guitar.

[@anthonyward8587]

Great lesson Justin. All the best from Melbs, Oz.

[@gnawbabygnaw]

The resolve. The tension caused by some notes begging for the resolve. Many moons ago there was a world famous piano player, Liberace’. I heard him say the way his butler got him out of bed in the morning was to hit a note or notes on the piano he had in his bedroom that were begging for that resolve. He had perfect pitch and HAD to get up and go to the piano to hit the note to resolve it or it drove him crazy. Great lesson Justin 🤙🤙

[@jamesvanzyl4758]

That was magic. It changed everything..

[@SM-sl4lb]

😂😂🤣🤣 at 13:15 that's exactly what I was doing ! You're an amazing teacher and guitarist Justin ! Thank you so much for all your work.

[@Oheh84]

Justin, can you do a lesson on modulation? And also when the chords are changing quickly? Great content amigo and great energy!

[@Esse70R]

Yeaaaaaaaaaah, baby ! 🙏🏼🤪 Justin is back with us 🎸🥇 🎼. Let the party begin... and never ever stop. Oh ! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah ! 👑 Thank you so much just to be you, Justin 😉

[@PoPo-xp7yk]

almost unimaginable that this depth and breath of content is available for free.

[@kalvinhepple5975]

Really liked the reactive listening lesson!Luved the looper crash and Clark Kent like clothes change 🤣.Tough lesson though,not as easy as it seems but practice and more practice correctly is the answer,I expect.

[@tuepham3293]

Thanks!

[@justinguitar]

Welcome! I appreciate your support. Cheers!

[@seanlowe6092]

This is a very important lesson, if there was a special extra like/bookmark position for key videos it would be hit for this one. Thanks Justin

[@erniel7689]

There is! Expand the description of this video at the top and tap ‘save’ . To return to it tap ‘Library’ on the bottom of the Home Screen then tap ‘Watch Later’ over on the left and you will see all of the videos you’ve saved :)

[@klew5988]

I love that guitar man what is that? And thanks for all the lessons man you are the main reason I am still learning this instrument and haven't given up yet

[@justinguitar]

Thanks, mate! That's a customized Gray Guitar. Good luck on your journey.

[@Northyorkspaul]

Good stuff there.

[@BlazingCobaltX]

You are a godsend :)

[@Crazygabe123]

I've learned so much with Jusitne. I've bought the song book and the guitar app. Great tools!

[@justinguitar]

Thank you! I appreciate your support.

[@biraz9689]

Justin, Marty and Andy are my Trio Band of KZbin..

[@abdullahbarqawi3495]

There is something about British musicians/ teachers that I can't pinpoint but I find really helpful. I learned Bass with Scott Devine and Now I'm here learning guitar with Justine after scrolling for hours through countless other teachers.. Thanks Justin.. Thank you so much.

[@thebaneofyourexistence.3377]

He’s not British, Abdul.

[@Escape99100]

that's the reason we use different pentatonic scale on each type of chord in the beginning of our guitar or piano experience: avoid the "bad notes", distant just a half-tone from one of chord tones

[@SubaruPlaya]

Nice video!

[@justinguitar]

Thanks!

[@mustafaalkotobe7741]

13:20 man that's hilarious 😂 Thanks Justin you are a real help

[@pogchamp7983]

Justin dropping no nonsense wisdom for over a decade, still recommend you to people!

[@justinguitar]

Over a decade? How about closing in on 2 decades?! (2003-...) | LievenDV | JustinGuitar Official Assistant

[@wadepatton2433]

hell yeah, now we're opening things up.

[@perro0076]

Justin. Many thanks. Very nice. So how would you do it the other way around? From a single note find the the consonant (I think that is the right word) chord? So if I follow a melody with single notes. How do I figure out the chords?

[@gordoncooke4527]

Great lesson. I was doing this over a G chord and suddenly I felt like I was playing the intro to Moonlight Mile by the Rolling Stones. Seriously, It feels like Mick Taylor is feeling out those notes and being drawn back to the chord tones. Have a listen.

[@justinguitar]

Cool, sometimes, by accident, you land on those same combinations that gave inspiration to some of the greatest! If you master all the shapes, there will be a ton of inspiration for you to (re)discover ;) www.justinguitar.com/modules/major-scale | LievenDV | JustinGuitar Official Guide

[@gordoncooke4527]

@@justinguitar such a coincidence. After the video this was the first lesson I went to.

[@ik3140]

I have been playing with your app all day long, but my fingers can't take it anymore. 😃

[@jkfrojen]

I can't help but wonder if this, "Oops, didn't mean to land here" is how string bending was invented.

[@kishorbiswakarma2464]

you are a good guiterist

[@williamreaves3780]

Hi Justin! I love this video. By the way, I 'd like to ask you for some feedback if it's something you could help me with. I'd really love to learn how to figure out what the chords are to most songs by just listening to it. How the heck do you and others do it? For instance if a tune has three, four, five, or even more chords, and some might me major, minor, 7th, sharp, flat, diminished, augmented etc. How might I go about learning the song ? I just don't know the trick unless I'm supposed to have perfect pitch, or a genius ear. There has to be some way I can learn how to do it. Can you help me?

[@Couch_LIVE]

I couldn't help but start wheezing at 13:05, that situation seems so accurate lol im dead

[@wendysgarden4283]

I read an article by H Allen Smith from the 50s, about Dinah Shore, how personable and sweet she was etc... until he watched her rehearse with her TV show band and someone did not resolve his seventh and she went ballistic. Smith wasn't a musician and had no idea what she was talking about, but she scared him more than a little and he personally swore to always resolve his 7th. (I'm assuming this was a musical conflict between guys -- and it was all guys -- with jazz backgrounds vs those with a more popular big band sound, the jazz guy wanting to hang on to that 7th, but she would have none of it for TV.)

[@kishorbiswakarma2464]

love from assam Guwahati India 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 🙏💗🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@bobk9074]

Should I start by looking at the left hand?

[@mitchholland1]

these videos are fantastic! i'm glad norm macdonald's clone does these.

[@Crazygabe123]

how do I identify what note the fingers are?

[@sergioherrera1772]

Curious why you don't play the A string when you form an open G chord?