We Don’t Have to Play to Changes

Sturdy & effective phrasing is the more important thing.
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Sound Tools Used in This Vid:
90s CIJ Fender '52 reissue Telecaster
Tom Brantley Custom Pickups tombrantleyrewi...
Strymon Deco sweetwater.sjv...
Malekko Analog Delay malekkoheavyin...
Supro Amulet sweetwater.sjv...
Rode NTR active ribbon mic sweetwater.sjv...
Rodecaster Pro II sweetwater.sjv...
Valhalla Vintage Verb valhalladsp.com/
Soundtoys Tremolator sweetwater.sjv...

[@coastercook]

"Fuck that shit" -Eric Haugen: Dec. 16th, 2022

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

WHY ARE WE SO AFRAID TO LEAVE AIR BETWEEN THE NOTES??

[@potatomcfetus1205]

“…being insecure or ashamed about not being able to play fast. Fuck that shit.” Believe it or not, I really needed to hear that.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah! There's always a way to make art within our limitations!

[@RaySchwanenberger]

As a 66 year old with some arthritis in my fretting hand I love your view on playing slower (chilled) vs playing fast. Great lesson.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yes! There's always a way to make art within our limitations!

[@fedea5777]

My fridays really start when I get home from work, eat some food, take a cup of coffee or mate, and watch the most wise, kind and self confident guy, who also tech us some good guitar concepts

[@johnmirabile3535]

BEST GUITAR TEACHER, RIGHT HERE, IVE TAKEN HALF THE BLUES COURSES ON TRUFIRE..I GONNA BE STARTING A STUDIO ALBUM SOON, SO, TODAY, I FELT THE NEED TO SPRUCE UP ON MY CAGED KNOWLEDGE..I STARTED AT 2PM FINISHED THE COURSE, BY 12AM..AMAZINGGGGG! AFTER I FINISHED I REALIZED HIS COURSE, HAS MORE 5 STAR REVEIWS THEN ANY OF ROBBEN FORDS, KURT FLETCHER, BONAMASSA, JEFF MCLARAN, ALL OF THE ABOVE, PLUS ITS PRETTY NEW...AND NOW I KNOW WHY! GREAT COURSE, THE TIME FLEW... ITS CALLED, CAGED ZEN I BELEIVE ON TRUFIRE, SKIP ALL THE OTHER UNEXPLANATORY COURSES, AND DO YOURSELVES A FAVOR, TAKE THIS COURSE.... IVE TAKEN 5 OR 6 CAGES COURSES THIS YEAR, AND ERIC'S IS THE BEST BYYYY FARRRR!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks so much John!

[@johnmirabile3535]

@@EricHaugenGuitar YW ERIC, ITS WELL DESERVED, FIRST OFF YOU TEACH LIKE YOU REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE STARTING OUT, THATS BIG...2ND, YOU TEACH THE CAGED CHORDS, AND THE NOTES UNDER THE CHORDS, I HATED LEARNING THE CAGED SYSTEM BC EVERY COURSE I TOOK, I REALIZED NO ONE WAS TEACHING THE FULL SYSTEM, I PERSONALLY SHYED AWAY FROM IT BC I WAS TAKEN THESE OVER EXPLAINED CONFUSING COURSES, AND NOT GETTING WHAT THE BIG DEAL WAS, NOBODY SAID, YOU HAVE THE POSITIONS WITHIN EVERY SHAPE...EVENTUALLY I FIGURED SOME OF IT OUT...BUT A BEGINNER AINT GONNA REALIZE THAT TILL LATER, AND YOU GET DISENCHANTED, WHO WANTS TO TAKE THE SAME COURSE 10 TIMES? YOUR THE ONLY GUY THAT TEACHES IT IN ITS ENTIRETY...GREAT COURSE, EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED AS A BOOSTER, I WISH I FOUND IT A FEW YEARS AGO, ALL THE BEST, LOOKS LIKE YOUR LEADING THE CHARGE.....AWESOME.

[@davidwarren5785]

The best start to my weekend is getting to watch your lessons on my Friday lunchbreak.

[@jordantaylor1988]

Great point about too much emphasis on speed. Way too many young players equate high speed with skill. Then when they have a difficult time reaching whatever breakneck speed they envision, they give up. I have to always say to myself, "slow down!" It can make all the difference.

[@guitaristwilllane]

i so deeply appreciate your teaching style and content. taking simple concepts and utilizing them as effectively as possible.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yes! You nailed my whole thing! Wring the most magic out of the simple!

[@JasonClute]

Of course at this point, I'm such a fan of you and your philosophy, you might be able to start shredding and playing drop C riffage and I'll totally jump on board, but your advice just hits me more than any other youtuber I watch. There really is just not many, if anybody saying hey, don't beat your self up, slow down, embrace the pentatonic box. I was stuck in it for 20+ years and then starting learning how to get out, but you helped me realize, I didn't need to abandon it. At this point, its still so much easier for me to sound vocal and melodic when I'm staying in key or just playing pentatonic, than if I play the changes. Maybe one day I can go in between all of it fluidly and stay melodic but for now, I'm happy with where I'm at and just enjoying the journey and making music!

[@ryanphillips5412]

Even before 1:39 I was thinking wow this really has a Mike Campbell vibe. Nice!

[@jesperjacobsen2463]

Hi Eric, I've told you before, but I did your (first) Zen course on Truefire and it legit moved me more than the last five years of mucking around the internet looking for shortcuts to improvements. Thank you for that! BUT! Your stuff here on youtube is sooo good as well man! Thank you so much for doing what you do! You are hands down one of the best youtube teachers out there!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks so much Jesper! I'm eternally trying to simplify things and get to the core of music/magic!

[@jarettmorgan1535]

Eric, you are a “guitar player’s” guitar player. Love your channel and lessons, and this one might be the best of them all. Thanks for taking the time to share your wisdom.

[@macsarcule]

“and my counterpoint to that is: I’m not.” I laughed so hard! This was great! Thank you, Eric! ✌️😌🎸

[@KennyCarlile]

I thought CARR was gonna be Chords, Arpeggios, Rhythm, and...uh...Reese's peanut butter cups. :D Also, I recently bought my first TrueFire course and it's your CAGED lesson. I'm not very far into it yet, but it's fantastic so far. It's perfect for someone like me with gaps in their playing knowledge. I love the parts about slowing down and changing the way your brain works. This is exactly the approach I've seeking for 20+ years. Instructors who answer questions like, "Oh, you just do it like this: . See?" No, I don't see. I need to know how your brain is deciding what to do, so I really appreciate your approach in that CAGED course. We need more instructors like that. Thank you!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks Kenny! That's the thing with virtuosos that teach - they've lost connection to what it's like at the simplest level! I've definitely taken my share of lessons from fast and complicated players and felt the same as you!

[@davidhollander829]

Well-placed expletives are a core feature of my own teaching philosophy. But so everything in this lesson comes as a relief and makes me want to play. I'll stop worrying so much about developing a more intense vibrato! Thanks, Captain Eric.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah! I feel like fast and wide vibrato is more "showbiz" and slow is more "wise."

[@InsolentMusicalPeasant]

Nothing like a good, well placed expletive.

[@clawfoot8400]

well placed expletive but also what I needed to hear

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah! It's nice to let the notes breathe!

[@thenameless3271]

Yeah! It can really make things sounds interesting by staying in the same place, it's a neat trick on bass too!

[@Paul-dw2cl]

I love playing to changes

[@travisraab]

Another great lesson! Glad to be back here

[@172turtla]

Another great video with some excellent life suggestions as well! And the pizza too!

[@kadekozak4830]

Dude! This is so helpful, I love thinking of the changes in a solo but sometimes it distracts me from my flow cuz a lot of the solos i dig don’t follow changes. It’s good to use them occasionally but not relying on them sounds like a happy medium ❤

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Exactly!

[@frankvaleron]

This is a great video full of solid advice as always. At the risk of being pedantic, ahem, your solo example IS playing the changes, just not in an obvious way. Hitting extended chord tones is still playing the changes

[@bbdeffect]

See, whenever I start soloing I not only think about competition, I think about crushing my enemies, seeing them driven before me, and hearing the lamentations of their women.

[@gordonroylambert]

The Vikings approach…take no prisoners. Like it.

[@travisraab]

I like your style

[@70snuttodd95]

Honestly, I was thinking Mike Campbell before you uttered the name, how's that

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Classic Arnold!

[@georgehencz5766]

The destroyer

[@scottkidwellmusic9175]

Thank you, Eric! Much appreciated lesson. Be good to you ✌🍕🤍💛

[@tanukibrahma]

Mike Campbell--Yes!

[@Geofeze]

Yeah, going to local blues jams, I often run into the idea of players hitting these lighting fast solos and licks and kinda making it a show about being the fastest player or the flashy player. I have to reminder myself that its about the vibe (the room, the song, and the overall purpose of the jam) and i'm hear to have fun. If the song requires a little quick lickage then I play fast but it's all about serving the song.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Exactly! The VIBE is king!

[@r0bophonic]

3:39 the FTS method for legato mastery…every KZbinr needs a good catch phrase :)

[@jmwhittl]

I think the 'cello' vibrato works great if your trying to get some movement on multiple strings!

[@rinosphere]

Tone is on point as always

[@petergoddard1960]

Quote of the year, man. You know to what I refer.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

WHY ARE WE SO AFRAID OF THE AIR BETWEEN THE NOTES??

[@visionset1456]

Now that’s the kind of video title I like!

[@basicsforbaroqueimprovisation]

Great material and presentation Eric ! Thank you for sharing - Cheers - John

[@richardbehrendtiii6858]

Wisdom of the day “fuck that shit” love it

[@Sadiesoft]

Great Lesson! So inspiring! Thank you!

[@winnie5322]

Super cool. I think what you called cello vibrato is what the classical kids do. Maybe easier with loosey goosey nylon strings...?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

I should've specified - it's something only some students do, usually when they mean to do SRV vibrato. It's just that no one ever showed them the slow way.

[@scenario1236]

Amazingly valuable insight Eric thank you!

[@AlexGoesBoom280]

@3:36 Eric's got something to say about being worried about speed. Haha! Great video.

[@richardlynch5632]

Great spots to lay back, breathe and add another dimension for the tune. Just in case...I'll say it now... Happy Ho-Ho's 😉👍 😎👍❤🖖

[@guitarosteelslinger5482]

My favorite part is when you emphatically state FTS regarding playing speed. Note choice and feeling have always driven my playing.

[@Troy1g]

Another great lesson.

[@cuellar23]

Man, such fantastic lessons. Keep ‘em comin’!

[@lecmb]

Superb lesson. Tone on that ❤️

[@kaiselkamish9904]

Great class, if you know what you are doing, music sustain itself, it doens't need rules.

[@JarredDonkersley]

All your videos have the vibe of that cut scene in High Fidelity when Bruce Sprinsteen is playing his tele and offering Cusack's character relationship advice.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

HAHAHAHA LOVE IT

[@jlonglives]

Good stuff as always! Reminds me, George Harrison had a weird horizontal vibrato that somehow worked... Different strokes for sure.

[@karlfarren]

Hey Eric. Oh, man, I really did laugh out loud at “Here’s my counter point: I’m not”. Great lesson, as always.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Right! We gotta embrace what we know before we add confusing extra information to it!

[@border2beachwithchipleach63]

You’re like the Bob Ross of Guitar teachers. I mean that in the best possible way!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks Chip!

[@guitarplayingdrifter]

I love it. Great lesson. I want a shirt that says, "feeling ashamed about not being able to play fast... Fuck that shit."

[@bengordon2330]

Thanks!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks so much Ben!

[@cytwoelk4285]

Good lesson!

[@ruihenig]

Eric, every now and then I see a video of yours and I'm never disappointed. I always love them. BTW, in your older vids there was always a menorah on top of the fireplace. Happy Chanukah!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks Uri! You too (if you're Jewish)

[@station2station544]

Not playing fast is my badge of honor. I don't think I ever heard Gilmour, Richards, Lou Reed, Mike Campbell, George Harrison, or Phil Manzanara shred. The only guitarist I come across regularly that shreds is Marr and I won't even tackle Smiths music due to the string skipping repeating flurry of arpeggios by Johnny.

[@FRL1344]

Eric saves the swears for when it matters

[@tonyevans9999]

*chcks callousses*... yep got one there. In the 90's, the dreaded shreddy 90's in the middle of fan girling Holdsworth et al I made a decision to slow down, pick every note and deliberately choose notes in a bid to de sloppify my playing and a HUGE part of that was to slow my vibrato also and also to de-SRV it, so it's softer and less exaggerated. Not to diss Holdsworth (still love his stuff) or SRV or anything really, but yeah plus one for finding your own vibrato "voice". Currently fangirling over Chris Forsyth :)

[@dave-uu4no]

I'll never understand how playing fast equates to greatness. I'm 420th like

[@benjaming.2218]

FTS! Amen brother

[@Dmeador]

Love that guitar brother!

[@curtishansen7270]

Great stuff as always! I had a couple semesters with Julian Kasper and Bruce Saunders with Berklee Online. Your approach is great! I "borrow" some of your techniques with my students!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

I got to take a class with Julian too! I love his bebop:Hendrix thing = SO MIND BENDING!

[@mantashaft]

Yes master

[@aubreypetro1172]

“fuck that shit” never heard u swear hahaha, i got the message 😂

[@bluffhavenstudios]

You definitely had me at What would Mike Campbell do with this

[@gwlee7]

Me too. I literally use “Mike Campbell” as a verb. “I need to stop overplaying and Mike Campbell this solo.”

[@gab_ale]

10:17 LOL. Pentatonics are always fun. Just need to mix it up.

[@John--]

Excellent lesson! I enjoyed the carefully placed expletives 😂

[@FabrizioCalderara76]

The vibrato section made me laugh so much 😂

[@shanebrbich5698]

Hullo mate All the best to you for the season that is now! 👍🇦🇺

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Cheers Shane!

[@Throwaway-kg7ft]

Eric sneaking a meme in 7:47 thinking we wouldn't notice

[@eliotkrueger7811]

I love your style and reminding us to be musicians not just "guitar players." Question: What size strings do you prefer?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

I use Ernie Balls 10s on most of my electrics. My open D dano and Mustang have 11s though!

[@Saladzingers]

“Stuck in the pentatonic box”, said by people the majority of whom couldn’t play a half decent, well-composed and highly melodic line if their lives depended on it. Look at Knopfler, when did you hear him play an outside note?!

[@SkunkzorSenpai]

Hey Eric great video. I would love to see a cover / tutorial for your song crow!

[@johanndaart7326]

Thank you for not calling out the frets, I'm so bored when people call out obvious shit :D

[@quixoticindiscipline9524]

I Just listened to your album “Bundle Up”, it’s great stuff man!👌 And was thinking if you could talk about how to write cool and interesting parts for other instruments like drums, bass, or keys for us guitar players. Cheers, and happy new year!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Oooh yeah I gotta do more in the "Parts Matrix" series!

[@azbluesdog]

I keep my Telecaster in a pentatonic box when I’m at work.

[@Herfinnur]

Alternative opinion: skronk vibrato is a fantastique 👨🏻‍🍳 spice in more 'angular', expressionistic 👨‍🎨 styles. Think Tom Waits, surf music or, like, very angsty southern goth (or whatever you'd call that music in 90s independent films)

[@davidneath8194]

And what did this master of the guitar teach me today; F€*k that sh*t! Wise words that all of us should keep in mind. Merry Christmas!

[@blues61]

F*ck that sh*t! Yup, got my attention. lol. In my humble opinion, it's melody and phrasing that makes a great solo regardless of the method used to create them. Playing to the changes is just one method to get there or discover new "words and phrases" that can be part of satisfying melodies. That's what I've been finding of late while trying to play to the changes on the simplest of Blues songs. The pentatonic boxes, or even just little root-to-root pieces of them, are still my home base. Let that sh*t go! Ha!

[@madtho]

Don’t have to play to the changes? Oh good, because I never learned to in my year of lessons 40 years ago!

[@scottjones6624]

Great lesson. Is this a bit of a peek at what is coming in your next Truefire course on improvisation?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yup! Rhythm and Repetition - that's the main thing!

[@bradr8806]

solid comments

[@Mtaalas]

Improv (solo) isn't "All the ideas as fast as possible!" Improv (solo) is "One idea, expressed in very minute detail and explored on many sides" It should be approached like composing a song, but you do it on the fly...

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Well said!

[@georgechristiansen6785]

I think the sick of the box thing is legit when someone is sick of having less options, but you can do tones with nothing but major and minor pentatonics. And those are almost always going to be the most common note choices anyway even when folks are thinking about playing through the changes.

[@humbuckermudgeon]

"Fuck that shit." Oh yeah!

[@anthonystark5412]

"SRV" is a TLA. Three Letter Abbreviation. 😁 For the less observant: "TLA" is a TLA.

[@drwilliamlarge]

Acronyms?

[@BarneysBullit]

i do love your videos; however, they do spark an internal conflict within me regarding the question, do you resemble david van driessen, or chris elliott the most? maybe a hybrid. or, if they somehow had a child.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

yes. I hate to admit it but yes.

[@hardyshmardy]

I gladly help you with the algorithm :)

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

It all helps!

[@mattgilbert7347]

Never bet against Em pentatonic Never. HNY Eric

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Cheers Matty!

[@reidhowland]

Acronyms FTW

[@Rigel7WasAlreadyUsed]

I thought the Leslie West solo was the lead from "Speak of the Devil" by Chris Isaak.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

I LOVE Chris Isaak!

[@Rigel7WasAlreadyUsed]

@@EricHaugenGuitar And Sloan apparently!

[@charlescoleman6896]

Twin House shirt and Carr? You from North Carolina?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yup! Steve Carr is my old neighbor!

[@hanskung3278]

"Fuck that shit"....is that a acronym for something?

[@hanskung3278]

Eric, great video but I'm having a traumatic amount of conflict with the idea of not ending my phrases with a chord tone.

[@lairdhanstrum6335]

Can next week be We Don't Have to Play At All? I'm way behind on these. Do comments actually help you at all? If not I'll stop writing random stuff.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

That's actually a good idea! Sometimes student get worried that if they miss a few days they'll lose skills they gained. I think it's nice to take little breaks. Aaaand I do think any engagement/comments/likes/shares helps!

[@lairdhanstrum6335]

​@@EricHaugenGuitar Happy Chanukah! I'm behind because you are a great teacher and now I'm understanding shit that I didn't 2 years ago. You have possibly unknowingly left a legacy of great guitar lessons, the first videos you posted are still helpful and relevant! You said "encouragemant", I give praise.

[@jungeriii]

SRV noice.

[@DroomSpook]

Different parts call for different types vibrato.

[@hearpalhere]

Be excellent to each other indeed! Thanks for the great reminder/lesson Eric. Hope you have a great New Year!

[@h2obreathe]

Acronyms

[@vltjd]

Almost didn't recognize you without a hat.

[@poorbadger]

3:22 Why I come here

[@hanskung3278]

Eric...this is not a sarcastic question, I wanted to know if you went to music school?

[@lairdhanstrum6335]

He went to Berklee. He mentions it occasionally. www.youtube.com/@EricHaugenGuitar/about

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yup - Berklee! The core theory stuff they teach there is EXCELLENT. Plus, lots of great players and teachers.

[@hanskung3278]

@@EricHaugenGuitar Impressive