The #1 Guitar Lesson If You're Stuck

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[@Guitargate]

Get Absolutely Everything I Have to Offer. Cheers :) Guitargate.com/courses

[@sat1241]

Adding to this concept: Listen to the song, sing along with the melody. Then when the vocals stop keep singing just do "da da da" or humming, whistling, whatever, wordless singing , so you can just vocalize melody ( even if you "can't sing" at all ) Or even better do this on a backing track. As you are doing this pick up the guitar and imitate exactly parts of what what you sang on guitar Keep doing this for 10 minutes like it is a rule that when you pick up the guitar you can't play anything you don't vocalize first. And when you do the vocals, just humming or "do do do, however you do them put a lot of feeling into it. It can be off key here and and not presentable at all, it is just a sketch to get new melody on your guitar without all your hand habits. If you do this many melodies will come naturally but when you go to the guitar you will find they are not the same ones that you would come up with out of your hand habits. After doing this just integrate this material into your regular guitar playing. You can also read a page of text from a book and listen to your own rhythm and melodies fragments in your own plain speech and occasionally sing some of the text or you can do this with your own writing. With the guitar imitate some of this, the nature of your own unique speech.

[@joem6859]

you nailed it.... listen to 95% of green day 'solos', he's just recreating the vocal melody...

[@joem6859]

Nirvana too

[@TroubleClef92]

This is what was just absolutely DRILLED into our heads in jazz school when we were first learning to improvise; "Just play the FUCKIN' melody!" Valuable advice here!

[@rogerelton6791]

SHOW US

[@qwerty.44]

Same!

[@kylanmcnichols6525]

Wow, why is this so hard for us guitarists? 18 years of playing and I constantly forget this lesson. Thanks so much for this non click-bait, practical lesson. Advice worth its weight in gold!

[@davidpereira9058]

This went WAY over my head.. I'll come back in another 2-3 years haha

[@BOBANDVEG]

Easy, just point the photon crystals at the flux capacitor to circumvent the adamantium diode..... It really is that simple. Me: still playing polly wolly doodle

[@nihilistictanuki6947]

Exactly my thought. I laterally understood nothing :D

[@deepeshjohnekka2161]

It has been 2 years; did you get it now buddy?

[@davidpereira9058]

@@deepeshjohnekka2161 No I didn't man, life got in the way in a bad way. Randomly just caught on to an amazing band - Greta Van Fleet - and its inspired me to get back on it. All the best.

[@imlijc7588]

It's almost time dude

[@silvertonman77]

I sat in on a calculus class one time and got the same queasy feeling I get from watching you talk about music. I have NO business thinking I'm a guitar player. Much respect.

[@JKFlaker]

I’ve been playing off and on for years but consistently for at least 7. I feel the same way 😳

[@allguitar3349]

Guys don't get discouraged. It takes time...if you've played for years and never learned actual music start slow and you will get there ..have fun most of all and help your playing by learning as much as you can ...just a suggestion. .I also understand .many guys can play incredibly but have no musical vocabulary. Good for those rare players , just keep in mind theory can only help you .never hurt your playing. You got this man....u can do it.

[@JKFlaker]

@@allguitar3349 I appreciate the words of encouragement. I’ve got good basic theory under my belt…applying it to playing is the struggle but I’m plugging along. 👍🏼

[@salvadormarley]

I'm the same - it puts me off when these lessons sound like algebra and I realise just how incredibly difficult it all is. I gave my guitar to a charity shop two weeks ago after realising I could never be any good.

[@JKFlaker]

@@salvadormarley Sorry to hear you gave it up. It can be frustrating. I’ve realized there’s a certain level of playing I will never get to no matter what so I have to accept that and just enjoy playing for playing sake. I often can hardly get through a simple song without playing the wrong chord- basic stuff, let alone getting good at soloing.

[@robbyosullivan8196]

The biggest source of “free” lessons on melody and bass runs over chords have been from sitting in at local old-time and bluegrass jams. There are always amazing guitar players at these who are super helpful. This is the foundation of all rock music. Plus, I learned to sing out loud in a bar at these sessions. And harmonize. Everyone should seek out their local jams. Plus you get the invaluable lesson of playing with others and having to keep up!

[@brushstroke3733]

Great tip! Here's another: learn to appreciate the unique sound of your own voice and sing as much as possible. No matter where you are now, you can become a very good singer if you keep at it. And then you can play 1-4-5 progressions with cowboy chords until the cows come home and never get bored, because you will be having so much fun singing and making up songs as you go. 😁

[@SHANEANTHONYMUSIC84]

yes!

[@paulgordon6949]

No can do. Not me. My voice is wrecked from spending my whole twenties smoking joints and sniffing coke, which then goes down the back of your throat and messes it up. It can sound OK if you have a deep voice, but mine ain't so it sounds terrible. Wouldn't recommend.

[@brushstroke3733]

@@paulgordon6949 Clapton sounds good as a singer, so does Elton John. Lindsay Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Steven Tyler, Robert Plant likewise. They all did plenty of coke ane still can sing.

[@jackcrook4435]

@@paulgordon6949 Dont need a good voice if you have a good story to tell (sounds like you do!)

[@tomeasley3538]

After hearing that question a thousand times that's may be the First Time Ive heard an answer that actually makes sense and works THANK YOU

[@orvilfarley7861]

Back here in the mountains of Ky it's called making the guitar talk. That's one of the first things you'll hear from an old timer. "Can you make it talk son"?

[@ajithbrown4343]

I've been in a rut forever now, you saying this feels like a lightbulb going off. Thanks for being such a a great teacher!

[@ziggylayneable]

Light bulb went off for me about a year ago man. I didn't plan for decades and all the sudden something just happened

[@Malleuss]

This was legit super eye-opening for me. My harmony rules all and I didn’t realize…I couldn’t put into words what you just expressed. Ty!

[@PeterCat1111]

That's what I love about Bluegrass. It forces you to learn the melody for your breaks!

[@reggiebellamy7112]

You're absolutely right! Thanks for sharing this...I have been teaching this to my students for years!

[@REM1956]

Being a singer/guitarist I've always been focused on the song's melody in my soloing. But I've never stopped to grasp why that's always worked for me. It's taken your clear articulation of the concept for me to realize, and put into words, what I've known and used all along. Thanks for that light bulb moment. It's only been 30 years in coming!

[@TheElevationFitness]

Michael, long time lurker. Just joined your lessons. Been playing for 27ish years but still always learning. I live in Nova, I've tried to spot you at concerts. Always telling me wife, keep an eye out for that guitar dude! Tix just went on sale for T. Trucks band in feb at the warner, hope to see you there. Thanks for the great and inspiring content. Pushing me to get out of my normal grooves.

[@alexolivera3151]

I feel an important point mike made in I believe was one of the John Mayer reaction videos he did, maybe different one. But he said when soloing, divide up your solos between playing the melody and riffing, which he did exactly Here. I’ve been thinking about that all lot lately and it’s been super helpful.

[@ChrisSkinner1]

I’ve always done this with songs I play in church because they are often in major keys. Learning the melody and then thinking through ways to split off of it is the easiest way to get ideas (for me). Awesome lesson thanks man! You rock!

[@glennc100]

Great lesson...you are defintely one of best teachers on youtube. I'm glad I know my scales from playing the piano for so many years, otherwise I would have had no chance in keeping up with you

[@ponzo1967]

So True! Learning the melody is key to understanding why this and not that. Great lesson man, I've been focusing on this lately.

[@cglasford1]

This is so GD good! Thank you! this video and the one you did on Angle from Montgomery and playing the vocal lines completely opened up my solo options and made it sound so much better! Its not the easiest thing to do, at least for me but definitely something I want to learn how to do better. Especially because I play a lot of slide guitar and I'm a huge Derek Trucks fan and he does this all the time!

[@ridesingletrack]

Great tip, man. Appreciate that way of thinking about it! Love your snippet style lessons, especially when you're able to give familiar references like this. Long-time subscriber and you've massively influenced the way I approach the guitar and helped me become a better player. THANK YOU.

[@karenbaker28]

Love this, like "use your ears and hear the essence of the whole song. Then you'll have what you need". Thanks so much for just saying it plainly :)

[@darryltham313]

Been stuck in a rut for many years. Thank you for opening up another avenue. I'm going to try this!

[@SticksAandstonesBozo]

I can play just about any song these days. But all I want is to be able to just play leads instantly over any song. That requires knowing the fretboard like second nature. Which I’ve been working on for about 10 months.

[@keltone]

I can't play chords at all but I can play lead to any song because I started by playing along with an advanced friend. Can we combine powers?

[@laivasimo8427]

I am getting to this stage too... But oh lord hearing exactly what is happening and reacting to it by going to right notes in a fraction of a second while playing seems really damn hard 😅 Sure i can pick a song and plan that stuff somewhat ok, but on the fly... I will be way older when this really happens 🙄

[@melian9999]

When i was trying to learn the fret board i wrote it out a couple times, find your octaves and find the patterns, could help you get there a little faster

[@k7j007]

I spent 15 years just jamming to my favorite bands songs. I could play almost anything I wanted if had tabs and time to work it out. But I had no clue where to begin with improvising solos over backing tracks. I spent a year learning by ear only. I used a cool app that u can break songs down on a grid and slow it down and loop whatever sections you want so it made learning by ear much easier. After about a 8-12 months I viewed the fretboard entirely different and it gave me an understanding of how to move anywhere on the fretboard I wanted while improvising. It can take some adjustments and be a little tough to start off but ear training and learning by ear is an incredibly effective way of advancing your playing and giving you a much better understanding of how to navigate the fretboard

[@brushstroke3733]

Do you sing the solfeggio scale often with and without guitar in hand? I'm working on the same thing as you and find this practice seems to be helping most. Everything starts to connect when you start hearing the intervals and the roles each note in the scale plays.

[@the_blackheart_project]

Hey boss i just wanna say thank you brother youre videos are awesome and you’re awesome. Much love and wishing you nothing but the best thanks for making my day when im bummed and making guitar playing a lot more fun.

[@billregan1981]

Good stuff. I love how you have so much conviction.

[@gertlarsson9285]

So so True 👍👍🍻 I haven’t got any physical teacher (only you guys in utube) and with your help trying to learn the fretboard, and what you explain here I fully agree on! Its the single best tip - listen to the melody and feel it, the playing will come naturally

[@activemelody]

Great video Michael 👍

[@Guitargate]

Thanks Brian! More of these to come.

[@GuitarJoLa]

It's all about the melody! 👋😉

[@Shroomer47]

Amen brother. I have been working on this the past month or so and it really separates the lead sections from song to song and makes each lead seem more unique and fit for the song being played. As you say... broad strokes. Doesn't have to be note for note melody but the lead is much more tasty and gives the listener something to grasp onto and makes the player be more present with the notes they play. Cheers!

[@noahnickolson4697]

Currently trying to learn how to solo (I've always been an acoustic player and now transitioning to electric) and this just opened my minds eye. Thank you!

[@LUckybones25]

Thank you Michael. I am confident that this lesson will help my playing style evolve

[@HayesR.J.]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS VIDEO! You, Sir, are my new favorite teacher! I feel like I owe you money!

[@stevengrinold3203]

Good lesson Michael! Very appropriate for all of us guitarists. I'm glad I sing as well as play - it helps. I like your style!

[@peterandrews7434]

Love love your teaching approach

[@craig0832]

Right on Michael, thanks for this!!

[@df6496]

Great stuff Michael! Learning basic music theory is the most important thing that I have learned with guitar.

[@kaytam6997]

Great advice . Thank you Michael :)

[@chuntoon1]

Great video .. everyone should be reminded of this this now and then

[@groendahll]

Buddy thanks so much!! You changed my life

[@N0rmad]

Been trying to learn some singing and this has made me learn vocal melodies on my guitar more than ever before.

[@mickeyabbot5851]

Great channel, love the reactions and analysis. Would love if you could do a walking bass/comping tutorial. Not quite exactly Jim Hall style but in that same breadth. There are some good tutorials out there but i havent worked on them since college outside of a couple chord solos and blues jams. Always looking for new approaches. Thanks for taking the time to make these vids. The grateful dead reactions got me interested and your playing/understanding and quick analysis withoutbover simplifying make it perfect for where my understanding had been after a couple of years away from things

[@mightyluv]

Listening to this, I feel like I’ve been hiking a super difficult trail and finally reach the camp where my friends are all having a drink and asking why I didn’t just take the road up here? Love the channel here, thanks for making life easier.

[@kpuliatch]

Well Done keep up these theatrical presentations Makes the truth medicine go down with a chuckle

[@niguel4438]

A true eye opener. Thanks.

[@manuelsabin]

My sense of harmony is way overdeveloped compared to my sense of melody I’ve been trying to think more melodically lately and this is definitely helpful. Would love more videos like this in the thought process you use to play melody over changes

[@tompoynton]

I know that feel

[@joeurbanowski321]

I don’t think Michael will be bothered by my recommendation for you to visit the “other camp”… so check out Guthrie Trapp and his videos… he’s a very melodic guitarist down in East Nashville… although his teaching methods are not on the same level as Michael’s,he does have some great advice..

[@johnhiggins6800]

Very COOL! Makes complete sense!

[@anthonysloanmusic]

Will be sharing this with my students asap!!

[@hmtaylor7]

Great video. Would love to see a more in depth discussion on this in a follow up video - gold!

[@alexwalsh3516]

Greetings from the UK Michael. Dude, you're lighting up my passion for learning. Been playing guitar for 40 yrs and can shred with the best but saying something different and having my own voice is a constant battle. Love your work and presentation style! Consider me converted. Cheers.

[@xXMvrphXx]

Awesomeness! Tim Pierce’s play over on new Adele track is masterclass on this exact vibe. Long time viewer, new sub. Keep it up.

[@brainbowfright]

This is well said and spot on.

[@josevalles2136]

Michael your awesome takes on the musicians life and times is spot on!! I appreciate your analysis on the musicality of the guitar and those who dare to pick it up. I would love to see you review the live performance with Joe Bonamasa and Eric Clapton . Pl plz

[@Wesley-oo6kn]

I've been doing this! Started playing jazz recently and have been learning the melody to all the standards. My understanding of the fretboard and where I need to be comes so easily after I learn the melody, its been really fun to work on.

[@Guitargate]

Yes!! It’s the key to it all.

[@colemcleod941]

Now you are a bonifide, real, honest to goodness TEACHER. Thank you for what you do.

[@cmick09ish]

I love the way your channel is developing brother, you keep feeding us magic and we'll keep coming back ( There's some kinda Field of Dreams reference in that haha)

[@Jay-lr3me]

Great advice I did this with Jolene when I was playing a gig with a singer and it helped me solo a lot.

[@Guitargate]

I bet!!

[@blushark]

That was fantastic insight!

[@scottm8429]

I miss read the title. I thought the title was, “The number #1 guitar lesson if you suck.” I was like, alright finally!

[@nexus4googleplay612]

I totally needed to hear this!

[@TigerWill]

Still have to learn scales, my fret and understand Basic things, i can't wait to start with melody exercices

[@Dave-gf3kd]

Love It! More Tough Love!!!!

[@SwinginBluesTube]

Awesome. An enlightening revelation. Let’s do some more of these examples please.

[@143jeg]

Such good advice here. I don't even play guitar, I play bass and ukulele (weird, I know), I still watch every video you make.

[@glenlaforce3322]

Awesome video! Yes very important part. 💪🏻💪🏻

[@eamonmac2751]

YESSSSSSS! Exactly what i have been doing lately...All I want for Xmas is my most recent one!

[@Imtheboss333]

You sir are correct! Ty

[@graemethorne4540]

Thank you, Really great advice I've been working on this on my Ukelele I find karaoke tracks very helpful rather than jam tracks to play along Too cheers 🙏🎸

[@ckallaher]

Every amateur guitar player like me should have a tattoo of this on both forearms so we don’t miss it while playing. One of my favorite examples of this was Rick Beato’s WMTSG on Smells Like Teen Spirit. He gets to the solo and it’s “just” the melody! Of course, it helps that it’s a brilliant and surprisingly complex melody but still. If you’re chasing “motific development,” no better motif to start with than the melody the singer just got through singing. Thank you!

[@bsmith5433]

Brilliant - now to apply...

[@davorgolik7873]

First time here, and I'm supprised how brilliant and motivated this lesson is! This is just what I'm missing! Don't want to say it is easy to master, but reward is great whan finnaly chords on looper and melody become complete peace! Your teaching stile is a little bit unique, more like army drill, but it's OK, it is your signature. I think I will became regular visitor.

[@clairaudient_mica]

I’ve always been melody over anything so I’m struggling switching to the stuff not as exciting to me. But great advice 🤘🏾

[@jeffkushmerek9433]

Sounds like a good course idea!

[@DistrustingToaster]

I’ve been doing this for the last couple of years almost exclusively, I love just playing along and trying to match the melody of singers on the radio in real time

[@Crabfather]

Excellent advice! And in addition , learning and following established vocal lines trains your ear to finger /fretboard process.

[@kdavis63]

Great advice....love it..

[@thedenoftone3900]

I've been kinda working on this very thing for a while now... Since I can't sing a lick, I've been trying to find and use the notes that speak the vocal parts to build a run on the fretboard. Thanks MP!

[@johnkitrilakis9473]

It works!!! Thank you!

[@gijslimonard6583]

Awesome video 👌🏻

[@darrendirkin9645]

Hey man don’t know if you’ve heard it or done it already. But “Overseas” by Jason is bell is a DIRTY slide riff with some cool changes for the chorus. Along with a down right filthy solo. Also obviously Jason brings super deep lyrics. Would be great to see you break it down

[@SyntagmaStation]

Never seen this cat before. Popped up on my feed. Clearly have been missing out, haven’t I? Terrific video, great personal style. I’m in.

[@Guitargate]

Thx!!

[@russhaven1575]

Jerry Garcia always learned to play melodies in several positions on the neck -- one of the reasons he was a great melodic improviser. Many of the great melodic improvisers also wrote beautiful melodies. They also think like horn players.

[@juliosapere8010]

I've found to feel it there's all the modes and chords and tech in the world but when you feel it really really feel it you start to create cool stuff that's why Mike's a genius by saying follow the singers cause of all the instruments a person's voice has the craziest feel atleast that's what has helped me

[@iantaylor827]

Mate. That is such a helpful 7 minutes. Thank you

[@chuntoon1]

Jerry Garcia once said the first thing he did when thinking about soloing on a new song was learn the vocal melody on the guitar. Eric Clapton says when he's jamming, he closes he thinks about the guitar as an extension of his voice, which is what helps keep even a several min solo melodic rather than one guitar technique after another, though practicing those techniques is what allows you to express your 'voice' freely.

[@benbignell]

Thanks!

[@pumpkin1982]

Nails it. Love this.

[@adrianjewell5995]

Old Brit here - I started by playing Hank Marvin Shadows stuff, which is all melody, so I never had that particular problem- but since those days, a lot of guitar players have never ever actually played a tune (melody) in fact it’s probably looked down on, hence this problem arose.. This is great advice & has helped me realise the debt I owe to players like Hank !

[@RyanJamesOfficial]

chord tones yum!

[@jclark6895]

This is what I'm trying to beat in my head now and all the guitar channels say this same thing...melody, chord tones, listen to the song and singer.

[@sixstringblues06]

I could tell you were a fellow Marylander from all the PRS guitars haha. Im an easternshore picker, great videos man

[@TheLadsBandLive]

This is how I began writing and continue to write all my solos. I'm no prodigy and I hardly know anything about theory but I can sing "a little" and so I first sing my solos over the melodies in order to give me a roadmap. It works every single time.

[@brushstroke3733]

Hey, it worked for David Gilmore, so it's probably a good idea. 😉👍

[@ericrouse6458]

Wwow Dude ,too cool ,thanx Totally!!!

[@danieli.9252]

For a while I was trying to learn jazz guitar, and all the talk of modes and 2-5-1s and everything else just got me bogged down. I found an instructor online who taught a ton of standards. He provided the chords and the melody, and in the accompanying videos he would alternate playing the chords while you played the melody, and then reverse it so you played the chords while he played the melody. It's a lot of fun, and I really felt like I was playing music, even without improvising or anything.

[@Guitargate]

That’s it. People make things too complicated sometimes. A song needs a melody... usually:)

[@Yindis]

I didn't ever play a guiter but watched this whole video and it was just interesting to me. Good stuff, if I pick up a guitar since I played only a small amount when I was little (A few chords like D, G, C, and E) I will pick up this video again. Saved.

[@gratefuldev23]

I laughed many times in this video, the laughter of recognition. Spot on!

[@Guitargate]

Yup. Takes one to know one!

[@ThePandaProcrastinates]

You can also sing it to get the concept and learn your solo. Sing over the backtrack with your own solo.

[@butchsguitarsgear520]

I am a combat wounded veteran from Afghanistan and a couple of other different places that to this day my injuries still affect me to where I can't even find anybody to give me guitar lessons since this pandemic to try to get the strength and dexterity back into my hands and I know this feeling all too well especially when you can't even do the things you used to be able to do 💥💥💥💥💯💯💯💯🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@marklyon8406]

This is annoyingly accurate advice...lol It is not something I do anywhere near often enough--mostly out of laziness. Thank you for this. I will definitely begin implementing this more than I have been.

[@davidacosta3874]

Mannnn, thank you for the 💎

[@westinclinard8189]

i’ve been playing for 5 years and this is insanely hard. the guy that said this lesson went over my head, you’re not lying ….