Playing Outside

[@SyntagmaStation]

You read my mind toward the end. Just play scales in the key. The magic here is about playing briefly out of key when moving back and forth between scale patterns. Great stuff Chris.

[@curiousguitarist]

Exactly Area Man! That's it in a nutshell!

[@BTSGLLC]

More guitar Zen from Sherland . . . wonderful lesson. Food for growth.

[@director2bob]

I have been playing 45 years and studied with some great players this was a killer lesson for me. . I am BLOWN away freaken away. I Loved when you combined the a minor, b minor & e minor pentatonic with those chromatic notes over G major tonic which is A dorian. That opened so many new doors new doors of creativity. When you added the g major, c major and d major pentas I lost my shit. I totally get it.🙏. This was an epic moment in my guitar journey. Prior to this video over an A dorian vamp I would have just played only A minor pentatonic, A blues scale & A dorian scale with chromatic notes. Having 4 new scales (b minor & e minor pentas )and (D major & G Major pentas) which I already know on the entire fretboard (as do most guitarist reading this) to play over a dorian jam is beyond epic. This is one of those rare lightbulb turns for me. And when you put played d major arpeggio over A minor chord and A minor arpeggio over D major chord my old way of soloing based on the 5 position blues scale has been elevated to a new level. I new this day would come. Gotta run and start practicing now. Thanks Chris🙏

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks for this comment, these kinds of stories really keep me going, I’m so glad this help you get to a breakthrough!

[@timsellsted521]

So good @chrissherland! Making the connection for outside, now more work.

[@chadharland7700]

Special thanks goes out to you today

[@chadharland7700]

Sorry hit the wrong button. To clarify why this thanks goes out. I went down to guitar world to sell some guitars and equipment I have out grown. So it took the better part of 2 hrs waiting on corp., to send their bid back. I took the time to play some dream guitars on my list. An the manager was impressed, so we got

[@chadharland7700]

An long story short the need for instructor/teacher came up an asked if I was interested an of course getting the opportunity to do what I love finally came. An my friend this is directly a result of the Gold mine of instruction you offer us all. Your blessing a lot of guys here an appreciation can't be expressed enough from my view.

[@tube77tdf]

I have to agree with Diesel Des, it's a brilliant video. At the most basic level, you've introduced 4 (or 5) really simply ideas to take pentatonic soloing to a whole new level. But for us really curious types , you provided a ton of new areas to explore. As always, many thanks for the ideas and inspiration!

[@curiousguitarist]

As always Robert, happy to be on the journey with you!

[@MikeyBakerMusic]

I've been finding that every 20 minute video you drop inspires at least a solid month (or more) of exploration. I'm not sure how all that math will work out in the long run, but until then, Thank You for sharing your knowledge in such a clear, concise and thought-provoking manner.

[@curiousguitarist]

The math says: "Mikey will stay busy" Thanks for the comment man, let's grab a beer next time I'm down in SF!

[@augustinbaret8540]

Amazing video. Very much look forward to more lessons about 'playing outside'. As an intermediate player, I feel like this is precisely what I need to improve with my playing. Many thanks Chris !

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet. I do have a few more of these planned. Keep an eye out!

[@tyledgerwood2187]

You're a great teacher, thank you! This ties in nicely with your other recent lesson on why pentatonic scales are so useful!

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks Ty!

[@stilllife4u]

The Best ,cleanest clearest straight forward lesson on how to play outside .

[@curiousguitarist]

@@stilllife4u ha! So glad you got some value out of this one! Thank you for the views and comment.

[@muffinsfromsparta]

This is pure gold.

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad to hear it, and thanks for your support, Mike!

[@Jake66564]

Amazing video as always Chris! Missed watching your stuff

[@curiousguitarist]

Welcome back!

[@EclecticEssentric]

Beautiful stuff! Thanks so much. I get this, which is nice. Usually you leave me with more homework than this.

[@curiousguitarist]

Hahaha, maybe I'm getting too soft on your folks!? Glad this one gives you a break, and also something to think about.

[@EclecticEssentric]

@@curiousguitarist Nah. When I first watched your channel I caught stuff that I knew well, but it's always wise to revisit guitar theory again and again, and I liked your style and knowledge extras. Then you started hitting things that I had slacked on which made me double down. Thank you for sharing the knowledges!

[@terryowens169]

Simply Mind Blowing

[@rileypingleton9751]

Fantastic lesson!

[@paulmcadams2012]

Thank you....this is going to be a bit of a study over the next several days.

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet Paul!

[@melvinmedina6485]

Outstanding lesson thanks 🙏🏾

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet Melvin!

[@MrSlash00r]

This is awesome and what I'm looking for - I think I need to re-watch since I didn't get why the three different pentatonic scales worked over the Amin7/D9 progression. I get the E since its the relative minor of G (since the key center is G) but wasn't sure about the A and B .. maybe B because its the relative minor of the fifth (D) .. no idea about A though (because one of the chords is Amin7?) EDIT: I was overthinking it - its just the 3 minor chords of the G major scale .. 2nd, 3rd and 6th. ha

[@curiousguitarist]

EXACTLY! Try G, C and D major pentatonics for that same reason. These are what I'm calling "diatonic pentatonics".

[@paulkardoulias9547]

Chris this was an extremely helpful lesson tying all the modes together...At least thats what i got out of it

[@muddycube-theboringytchann9036]

Wonderful video!

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks Muddy! Glad you enjoyed this one!

[@markgoodwin5306]

I’ve been going through Dorian, just practicing in each key. The other day I jumped on D Dorian and I played an A minor Add 9 and realized that was the first chord of “Love Song” by the Cure haha. That happens to me sometimes, I hit a chord and my mind immediately goes to a certain song.

[@curiousguitarist]

Some chord voicings are like that, it's as if they themselves got famous when they were used in a hit tune :)

[@markgoodwin5306]

@@curiousguitarist Well I looked the song up and it says it’s in A minor, which is the same as D Dorian, just displaced root obviously. Then I looked up the tabs, but it said nothing about A minor add 9. I’m almost certain it’s an Add 9 ACEB, you can hear the B note clear as day.

[@SRB3ll]

Great lesson, a lot of new ideas to try. Time to get my coat and hat, because I’m playing outside today! 👍

[@curiousguitarist]

Love that!

[@Jimbob-hp6ud]

Thanks Chris, this was useful, soloing for me has always been at a bizarre angle, what notes can I use? Etc How to mix things up and make it work, I've kind of allowed myself to be free and think in a jazz approach that there is no wrong notes really and I still kind of believe that but it was enlightening to hear it just rolled out as you described, it's kind of like information I knew but when you said that minor is fine from the minor boxes and major is allowed from major boxes it kind of started turning something, I already feel like a better player, will continue to watch your videos for more mini (and likely very big!) lightbulb moments moments

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad you're here Jimbob! And so glad this is helpful. There are no "wrong" notes, I agree. But there are notes that are EXTREMELY hard to sell in some cases :) Studying what they are only shortens your journey towards successfully soloing without hitting something that you can't control.

[@Jimbob-hp6ud]

@@curiousguitaristThank you, glad to be here! :) Yeah I've certainly stumbled upon some of those notes! I always found a"wrong note" in blues interesting as it can be micro-tonally bent either sharp or flat and be palatable, the way guitarists can play blues allows us to play "Between the cracks of the piano" and these off sounding notes sound awesome! ..but as grace notes without bending I find them slightly harder to use, much like how you demonstrated in the beginning, but as you say I still have to figure out how successfully control them, sometimes it works and sometimes not! Les Paul said the guitar is defiant and he was right about that.. but sage advice once again, thank you 🙏

[@dieseldes1301]

Absolutely godamm brilliant!!!!👍👍👍👍

[@curiousguitarist]

Ha! Best comment ever :)

[@dieseldes1301]

I meant it ,just the best classiest lessons ever. I already sound more sophisticated in my own mind 👍

[@curiousguitarist]

@@dieseldes1301 That's all that really matters ultimately. Once your own playing pleases you, that comes across in the way you sound. The perfect feedback loop.

[@SyntagmaStation]

Agree, man. He’s probably the best “mystery solver” on KZbin that I have seen. Special talent for teaching. You get the impression he’s been through all these points of confusion in the past

[@curiousguitarist]

@@SyntagmaStation I have, to be sure.

[@bazilbrushrocks]

Love the diatonic pentatonics. I get the feeling that you are sneaking jazz on us though, especially those chromatic parts!

[@curiousguitarist]

what!? nothing to see here...these aren't the droids you're looking for...move along

[@bazilbrushrocks]

@@curiousguitarist you blew your cover when you mentioned Miles Davis!

[@curiousguitarist]

@@bazilbrushrocks Yeah, I guess there's jazz in me...but not too much :) Still love a good dose of metal from time to time :)

[@tone-glide2402]

Thank you Sir!!!

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet Tone -Glide!

[@BlackMath69]

I’m going to make another KZbin account just so I can 👍🏼 this twice

[@curiousguitarist]

Hahaha, I'm happy to know this one lights up for you BlackMath!

[@zenichi1209]

This lesson was certainly one of your best. The way that you were playing reminded me of “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.” Quick question, if you are playing a basic 1-4-5, A7-D7 E7 would all of diatonic pentatonic scales built off of G major work?

[@EclecticEssentric]

Master Chris may give you a more in depth answer, but basically: Here he is discussing 145 diatonic (in key), that key being G major/E minor. Blues 145 (where they all have minor 7ths like you mentioned) is essentially playing the 5th chord of 3 different diatonic scales. Can you play pentatonic minor over them? Yes, blues and rock do this often. Can you play pentatonic major over them? Yes, because the 7th is missing from pentatonic major. (Diatonic 1+4 majors normally have major 7th, only the 5 chord has the minor 7th. All 3 chords that you mentioned have the minor 7th, so since the 7th is missing from pentatonic major, it'll fit over them without clashing). I hope this helps.

[@zenichi1209]

@@EclecticEssentric Thanks! I am wondering if in the example I gave, 1-4-5 (A7 D7 E7) that you could use, A minor pent, B minor pent, C major pent, D major pent, and E minor pent over it.

[@curiousguitarist]

Nope...each chord in the progression you're talking about is a key change. Over the A7 = Use A min or A Maj pent, and A mixolydian Over the D7 = Use A min pent. or A Dorian Over the E7 = Use B min pent. or A Ionian (A Major scale)

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

Nice!

[@theunknowntv714]

Great stuff

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks!

[@mattprince9204]

That blows the mind. Tonal center of A but in G dorian. That’s some crazy shit. So you wouldn’t resolve on g natural, right?

[@curiousguitarist]

Correct…wherever that perceived tonal center is, that should be the end of your resolution path

[@Charles_S.]

Chris that's some great ideas for playing outside. I do have a question , when you say to play the minor pentatonic scale at the 3rd and 6th degree from the tonal center of A minor (key of G maj) and play the major pentatonic 4th and 5th degree from G maj. Question is can you play the full Maj. and mi scales or should you strictly stay with pentatonic for both scales? I believe there are notes in the full scales at the other degrees (Maj and mi) that are not in the scale of the original key of G maj. Thanks again!

[@curiousguitarist]

You've got it exactly correct. Pentatonics avoid the altered notes in the modal series very deftly. Stick with them so you can stay out of those trouble spots!

[@TractorMonkeywithJL]

For some reason I'm getting a Santana vibe listening to this.

[@curiousguitarist]

Hey, nothing wrong with some well-placed Carlosian feel :) Thanks man, I take that as a compliment.

[@HeyItsMarteeen]

This is so clean!! Do you have your Hot Rod Deluxe stacked with the Fender above?

[@curiousguitarist]

Super Sonic 22, with the extension 1X12 below.

[@peppyharley6901]

Great eye opener or should I say great ear opener!

[@curiousguitarist]

:)

[@Johnhasa1]

Noice! I was thinking either you was going to talk about what hand warmers you should use etc. When you play guitar outside, or playing outside the scale. You did the latter, and it sounds awesome! Sounds modal... Is that how you make a normal song in major sound like another mode?

[@Johnhasa1]

Seems like you've answered it in the vid!

[@curiousguitarist]

@@Johnhasa1 Indeed...the pentatonic overlay concept used here can definitely add some colors that sound "modal", and rightly so, these pentatonic scales are diatonic, but use unique note sets in the key to provide a new set of harmonic colors in that context.

[@EclecticEssentric]

Funny enough, I keep waiting for it to be warm enough to go park my car somewhere and play guitar outside, but it's still chilly here in the wild west of North Jersey. (Typo edit)

[@3dVizualMan]

@Joel Stephenson This thread is hilarious. I'm up early today to go set up for an "outside" festival in NC. It's COLD! Although I'm just a lowly ole bassist, my fingers still get stiff. I thought the same you did :) Thankfully the lesson was not on hand warmers. Can't wait to get back to the shed and try these modes out.

[@donindri]

I believe the CDC recommends wearing a mask for this. Or is that just for inside playing? 😎 Very hard to stay away from Santana licks when using these chords. Guess I need to listen to more of those other guys! Thanks for posting.

[@curiousguitarist]

Haha! Yeah the chord progression really dictates the sonic mood doesn’t it? Santana used this type of progression often in his early stuff.

[@YsyqStudiosy]

❤❤❤

[@splashesin8]

😊

[@melodymp2844]

"Love is kinda crazy...." Spooky :)

[@curiousguitarist]

Yup..."spooky" is written in this exact same key/tonality.

[@melodymp2844]

@@curiousguitarist It does seem a particularly apt song for the concept, thematically :) That solo would certainly slot right in. Dunno if your garage band has a vocalist. Do I need to drop by and lay one down on my way out to see Clint? :)

[@curiousguitarist]

@@melodymp2844 Ha!

[@Dave-gf3kd]

UN-FN-REAL......WOW!

[@curiousguitarist]

Another fan-f-ing-tastic comment :) Thanks Dustin!

[@tonypurcell1049]

I love what you're playing and watched it twice through, but you still lose me around 5:21 and by 11:16 it's totally over my head. So it's back to playing "inside" for me Lol. (not your fault, it's probably an age thing Lol)

[@curiousguitarist]

05:21 I'm playing a G#, which is a 1/2 step below the root...the hardest note to "sell" due to the incredible dissonance. That's demonstrating how "far outside" you can go. Right after that I use that SAME note only very briefly to show how you can control that tension. 11:16 I'm just playing A minor pentatonic...safest scale you can use over this progression. Let me know if you need more help.

[@jschoma11]

I thought we were playing outside..you never left your house

[@curiousguitarist]

🤣

[@PeterCunningham-rk5qk]

Until I saw this I thought playing outside ment sitting in the park and jamming ,which isn't all that great in winter !!!

[@curiousguitarist]

Ha!