These 2 exercises will help you play the chord changes when improvising. Guitar Lesson – EP488



In this weekโ€™s guitar lesson, youโ€™ll learn 2 exercises that are designed to help you fluidly play through chord changes when improvising. Tab and MP3 jam tracks available at https://www.activemelody.com/lesson/these-2-exercises-will-help-you-play-the-chord-changes-when-improvising-guitar-lesson-ep488/

00:00 Intro
01:07 What is โ€œPlaying the chord changesโ€?
03:13 You have to be able to play the major scale
05:27 G, C, and D chords, in the same area
06:52 The G Major Scale (E Position)
07:42 The C Major Scale (A Position)
08:50 The D Major Scale (C Position)
10:25 Convert the major scale to Mixolydian scale
14:10 How to find the Mixolydian scale for any key
17:01 Exercise 1 โ€“ Play up one scale and down another (8th notes)
19:18 Exercise 2 โ€“ Play up and down each scale (16th notes)

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42 thoughts on “These 2 exercises will help you play the chord changes when improvising. Guitar Lesson – EP488”

  1. Really enjoyed this. A lot of good exercises on many levels. Clear explanations as always. Will tackle momentarily. I need to drill precision and need to learn more. Scales are the answer and practicing with a backing track makes it seem like Iโ€™m making some music. Thanks for the hard work. I know you put a lot of effort into the lessons. Never seen you mail one in.

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  2. Awesome lesson! I'll be modifying my practice routine starting tomorrow. Thank you! It was gonna be somebody so why not me…please check the 14:47 (ish) time of the lesson, I think you meant up one string or am I missing something.

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  3. Great video but Iโ€™m blind and when I hear you say Iโ€™m going to play it like thisโ€ฆ I have absolutely no idea what youโ€™re doing. This is so incredibly frustrating. And the tabs donโ€™t help. I canโ€™t see them either. A little verbal explanation would be so helpful.

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  4. Does "playing the changes" refer specifically to this method of switching scales while maintaining a consistent mode for each? If I were to switch scales for each chord but to use a different mode such that all my notes remain consistent to the key (ie G Ionian, C lydian, D mixolydian) does that have a different name?

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  5. Thank you so much for being a great instructor for beginners, intermediates, and advancers of guitar players. You have always thumbs up from me because your lessons are just super awesome and helpful. So, Many Thanks again to Active Melody. .

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  6. You're such a brilliant teacher, Brian! ๐ŸคฏI love how you make everything so logical, explaining the science of art ๐Ÿ™‚ This is a must-do exercise, great lesson! โ™ช๐Ÿ’•

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  7. I love everything about all your lessons.At the start of the lessons I say to myself well I won't be picking that up and by the end when I get over the hump of the lesson and the lightbulb moment I understand it.I consider myself a slow learner and when I allow for this its stops the frustration and your lessons really help and improve me and are completing and confirming my musical roadmap 1 lesson at a time.Thank you for your time and experience. Cheers from Ireland

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  8. Hi Brian! I've recommended your site a number of times to people on other forums. You explain things clearly and you are obviously passionate about playing and teaching. Thanks so much for creating these lessons!

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  9. Brian I have just got notification that I got a prize an electric guitar; "Gibson Flying V". And the person (using your identity) asked me to transfer the shipment cost. Thanks God I am and Indonesian and it was very difficult to transfer money to PayPal. Eventually I got suspicous since you have never mentioned that there would be a kind of lottery. So I decline from receiving the prize and I consider it as scam. I saw that the same messages were sent to various people.
    Please make a video about it for clarification if it is not from you (or if it is really from you).
    I am pretty sure there are some people who have transfered the money.
    Thanks from Indonesia.

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  10. Even tho I've been with AM for three years now… my head had a minor explosion when I thought about doing this. I just don't see these patterns… I can figure the 1 and 4 out fairly quickly (2, 1-2, 1-2, 2-1, 2-1)… but I can't SEE those patterns on the fretboard. When you talked about your fingers hearing the intervals… I can kinda do that… but it feels like I'm turning off this important visualization aspect that I think I also need.

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  11. Thanks Brian! Another awesome offering. Super-big fan. You cover the sweet spot for "beginners"/intermediate… assuming just the right amount about student's knowledge. But sure these exercise will benefit a large swath of learners. Intelligent but unpretentious persona, a sincere advocate of music learning! Great stuff. Please keep doing it.

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