Take a dating book to a date give a baby a dictionary aye 😂😂😂 I love how you make illustration relatable it makes a lot of sense I e learned a lot from you cuz thanks 🙏🏾🙏🏾
I've been playing guitar for almost 20 years. This is a priceless perspective/philosophy on how to approach the infinite variability of learning an instrument. Thanks man!
Been "playing"on and off for 15 yrs,been "really playing" for about 4-5 yrs, just learn your pentatonic major and minor and your blues notes, and all the different positions(boxes) then do a bunch of improvising over a backing tracks then check out the licks and styles of the greats and add in the different modes .Best way to practice cause it makes it fun and interesting.The above advice was the best advice ever given to me.
right on, ive been playing without any theory knowledge for 5 years. it becomes repetitive and almost uninspiring. now im doing what you mentioned and it really opens up the guitar and makes you want to practice
Sorry I’m such a guitar newb what is a “box” or different position you were referring to in your post ?? I’ve been “playing” for about 4 years now and want to breach through my plateau.
This is one of the best guitar lessons I've heard, thank you. I'm guilty of wasting years practicing whole scales with no great results. Maybe because I'm a self taught guitar player, this lesson rings true.
Holy crap !! This morning I got board practicing my scales . I started taking apart 4 notes and moving them.. this afternoon I found this lesson and am super happy I did. Thanks for the lesson!!! I am 64 years old and after 15 years of not playing I decided to get back and understand more about music.. can't wait for more.
There's a lot of guitar tutors on line and they know about theory but you are one of the few who are actually showing people how to apply it practically on the fretboard ,that's the really important thing for most of us trying to break into how to play properly..thanks and keep it going ...subbed.
I'm 53 and you have put another burning ember in music for me to pick up my guitar and REALLY play IT now instead of just playing with it. Thanks a LOT for that and your passion to teach and get us to learn CORRECTLY is a great virtue as well. You rock and bless you for releasing my knowledge on how to scratch that music bug sting that I could not figure out how to reach to scratch.
I just have to say that was one of the most RIGHT TO THE POINT lessons I've seen on youtube. No fatty filler, just the meat! I appreciate it and keep up the good work.
i've been playing for around 10 years or so, and i know the pentatonic scales, the major, the different minors, the modes and so on, but when trying to improvise i always get stuck with either something that sounds like the scale (your first example), or the same few licks that i repeat over and over again and that gets boring and annoying.. i know the theory is all there, but i have the feeling that i'm missing the bigger picture in how to apply it.. just that small piece of the puzzle to connect it all together.. while it's now a bit too late to grab my guitar (and i'm watching this video in my bed and have to get up in the morning), i'm sure that exactly THIS advice is what i needed.. over the next days/weeks/months i will limit myself to a maximum of 4 or maybe 5 notes and stick to only those.. then move to the same notes in the next pattern, and if that works out as well, i'll start connecting them, so i'm still playing those few notes, but in both patterns. I have a feeling that will open up the whole fretboard quite quickly! thanks a lot!
Erich you are a life-saver. I’ve been blown away by the quality of your videos. So much experience and wisdom and all for free. I was really happy to discover this particular video as a relative newbie because I’ve actually been practicing scales the way you recommend as I found it really boring otherwise. I use a looper to create a 64 note segment using 3-4 chords in a particular key, then pick out phrases in a section of the scale. Actually it is also a really good way to write riffs and get the basics of a song going. I’m pretty sure that’s how a lot of contemporary songwriters compose. You’re an inspiration Erich.
Sage I'm am older player whom had gone back and took lessons while I lived in NJ in the late 90's fortunately a very young student at Jiliard became my teacher who encouraged me to do the very same things your suggesting he focused me on what he called them triplets you called it something else but he did break it up smaller sections instead of doing the full scale and had me improvising half my practice time then worked technic the other half of the time concentrating on form timing increasing my strength and stretch etc I'm glad I decided to wachj this Video I had forgotten about this technic I made huge progress this guy encouraged me not to play the songs I love by my favorite musicians he said that In have already developed my own style that I should improvise more to develop inside with the new things In was learning that by playing what felt good to me using the new things I was learning creating my own riffs my style would expand more quickly ams a fuller eivher sound started to happem and it was back in the late 90's got a divorce I had my own business during that period I put mubguitar down for yen years and focused on business I wish I hadnt put the guitar down with my chops just developing and I'm now 58 and don't remember half the scales I had down pat already its good I visited today to remind me and get back into it I have started playing again I really enjoy doing my own things and try a lot of diferent things then I would have had I not gotten away from repeating by the same struggles learning song playing by ear by like the Eagles or Clapton Tom Petty Allman Bros etc Thanks Great Job Doug that kid from Jiliard really understood encouraging me to find my style and technic really helped a bunch he said I had a back stroke that Clapton wish he had blew me away so I earnestly tried to do as he was instructing and creating my own music let's say was more solid and love the obvious improvement I've made since my teen years now that Im a senior and trying to get my chops back for like the 5th time in my life I am more mature and relaxed then in my younger years fear doesnt grip me the way it had exploring my boundaries even if a little slower hand is at work its got more class and style now I play the blues and working on slide for the first time fear prevented it before Im now asking myself why It has come to me pretty easy to make it sound great my neighbors come outside to listen to me they don't complain at least peace bro
Never...never has ANYONE explained the scales this way. I was feeling more confident the longer I watched. After a cigarette and double scotch I was ready. Started plying better immediately. In 10 minutes I was playing better than I had in 10 years. Thanks dude! Love ya forever, man!
You just verified my entire way I learned guitar. I wanted to learn not like a robot but with feel. I just jam thru it and practice technique on the way.
Hey there my friends! Thanks for stopping by and watching this video. What did you think about it? Let me hear your feedback below. More videos coming this week! Keep up the practice. e :)
I think the basic idea that you're suggesting here -- improving your playing by focusing on just sections of scales rather than playing the entire scale like a robot -- has some merit. But it's not enough. Moreover, it misses some of the value that one gets from working through scales. What value comes from straight up scale practice? 1) Practicing scales (pentatonic, diatonic, diminished, whole-note, etc.) should and can be done in such a way that you get to know the fretboard better, so that you can play in any key in any position. 2) Practicing scales correctly improves your physical coordination. Granted -- you won't learn good phrasing from practicing complete scales...but you also won't really learn good phrasing by simply doing what you're doing here either. IMO, you learn good phrasing by a) listening too good examples and analyzing what makes them good, b) thinking in terms of melodies rather than scales, c) attempting to employ the ideas you just picked up from (a) and (b) by playing over various chord patterns, over and over and over. My $1.00 worth...
A REVELATION! i'm guilty of doing too much; going to spend time working in smaller bits; i know all 5 shapes but not well enought to make it into a solo, which sucks. good vid!
I have been trying some type of improvising for several years now. i watched your MAP lesson and soloed over your Bm track again and again. Didn't know I had that much music in my. head Stayed on three strings but wound up all over the neck. Most fun I've had in years. What a simple approach to soloing. Thanks much!!!
Dude, thank you so much for showing me this technique. I'm sort of in the beginner stage of my playing and I have horrendous technique. But I took your advice and tried it out on the jam track at the end, and I couldn't believe what I was doing! I was making licks I didn't even know I could do! Thanks a lot, man.
I've been playing guitar as a hobby for over 40 years. I'm not a professional or have studied advanced music theory. I own a bunch of guitars and love the instrument. I really enjoyed this lesson. Thank you and keep em coming. I liked and subscribed just now.
Stumbled across this video again. Had given a thumbs up and saved it close to 5-6 months back. Subconsciously, I started following the advice and I am able to get so much juice out of my guitar by artificially restricting myself to a few sections and exploiting the noted. I've close to 6 absolutely new amazing riffs in my kitty and ability to write more - Thanks a ton :)
Dude, you have a mouse and the ability to fast forward. Some of us WANT the who, what, when, where and why. He was always on topic and not ramblin' about his girlfriend or the weather. Thank you yourguitarsage!
I appreciated how informative that short lesson was. I learned scales the old fashioned way without context. Your lesson teaches how to play the guitar as it should be played. Thanks.
listen to all the critics "teach and get it over with" you know how spoiled we are with youtube ? or the internet in general? you can pause, fast forward, rewind, watch in X2 speed, what a bunch of cry babies, great lessons man. enjoy all your stuff, this was a good lesson i have no time either but guess what if it seems like it's dragging i speed it up. don't change a thing, very Sage like.
He just spends so much time saying redundant things and he doesn't even get to the actual lesson until 10:20. That's more than half of the video that's basically pointless
Sophia Borderon I disagree. The point he was trying to make was that you have to really learn the scale and play it with more feel. Expand upon it. He was trying to get this point across the whole video, so I don’t understand what was redundant about it.
Just can't agree with that. I switched out to the comments after seconds. I say - Take all the advice you can and then take no notice whatever of any of it. I learned listening to records, all of my school chums played too and I was surprised to find that they couldn't do that - I'd borrow someone's album and rip all the guitar in about three days and my pals couldn't do it. That's how I learned, you do what you like but scales, maps, systems, nmemonics, sticky coloured paper, split-screen videos and slow-it-all-down recording devices - f*ck right off with that junk- the fingerboard and all its notes is in your head even if you're nowhere near a guitar. I learned to read, write, arrange later but that was the same, it's already there. If not, tough shit - sit through this or sell your guitar.
you posted this at the perfect time. I just started learning scales and found it boring just going back and forth. this is what I needed to know. thanks erich!
I think you must be a very good teacher, what you explain is what I've done my whole guitarist life: exploring the map, pieces by pieces... Great way of looking at learning improvisation, great way of teaching I think. But I couldn't say that it has been helping me since I've already done this. Nice to hear you put words on it I'll definitively use this metaphore to teach guitar to my hypothetic child.
when I first started playing guitar a lot of your lessons was very confusing but I learned so much from them now that I've done my own study and I'll come back and listen to you it makes so much more sense and helped improve my playing so much thank you
Instant Improvement. Like immediately. I was doing the all Miyagi Method, don't get ahead of the instructor we'll get those sweet riffs and solos in time...A map technique later and I can hear the guitar talking....dude thank you !!!
I learned this lesson from Paul Gilbert. He basically said what you said...no one plays a song with all notes of a scale..so practice licks with a few notes all over the fretboard.
Thank you so much for taking your time and money and effort to teach, film and produce these instructional videos. I love the info, thank you for the free help! Rock on
This is another GREAT lesson (how less can be soo much more!) I've been incorporating it into my solo's and it makes a big difference. For fun, I did an entire solo with only 6 notes- still focusing on 4. It works better in some songs than others. The bigger point as you pointed out is that it is often better to play all over the place with dozens of notes just because you know them. Music is very much like speaking- the best speakers are listeners- but when they do speak, it counts. THAT GREAT BEND @7:04...Can you please share what you are doing? I watched the video carefully but I'm not sure I have it completely figured out- yet. Are you only bending the thin E string at the 10th fret with your 3rd finger- or are multiple strings involved? Is your index finger also bending something on the 7th fret? I've heard some instructors say that you can bend with more power if you do not grip the neck tight with your thumb- leave more room in the back to generate more bending force- is there any truth to that in your opinion? I noticed your thumb is pretty tight- over the front of the fretboard- common for players like SRV- just not sure about the ideal grip when doing a full bend.
True tone starts with your HANDS. Great guitars and Amps just project the magic that happens with your pick/fingers and your fret hand. Start there and then work your phrases...it is really satisfying! Great work in this lesson!
I really like how you took time to play the whole scale for a while and show how predictable it sounds. After you were playing it I was like damn that's how I sound
I have been practicing guitar since December 2017. So roughly 8 months. I almost exclusively have been playing acoustic strumming to songs. I'm very green on playing scales starting 2weeks back. Thank You for taking the Time to explain your thoughts on how to practice them. Great video and subscribed. Look forward to more
Cool video, I've been doing that with my scales for a while now. I really appreciate how you broke the scale into 4 notes and then showed how the explore. Thank you!
Theory about practice is excellent. I’ll implement this into my practice today. I’ve been playing 14 years and this year has been a game changer. The reason for this is due entirely because I open my mind to new methods like this. I also swore I’d never play other people’s music or along side it; I have began to do that as well. The result is I’m coming up with my own songs faster and they are far more complex and well put together than any song previously. Again, these results are completely due to me opening my mind up to listening to others who have ideas and methods that work. I have never been able to read sheet music, but now I can listen to a song, learn it in a couple of hours, find new sounds from a song or get an idea, then write my own. Thanks for your video.
I recently joined 365 plan yet sadly haven't started it. Maybe I'm just procrastinating. Actually I'm letting my left hand heal, hoping a year off away from music will help. I stopped practicing and playing since November 2020, knowing Covid19 played a big part in that, not that I had it. I needed time for my tendons and muscles to relax and recover. Something we all suffer from, never knowing when to just quit and give our body a break. I'll be coming out of my shell soon and watching your phrasing lesson makes me want to play, yet a little more time is needed to heal and I'll be on 365. Thanks for your videos they are encouraging.
I was watching somewhere around 7:00 and I heard "I call this the map technique because...." Then I jumped ahead to 18:10 and I heard "I call this the map technique because...."
if you guys wanna come here watch useful informative tips and strategies just just complain maybe dont :) this guys knows what he is talking about and takes the time to put it all in a perspective almost anyone can understand dont be so entitled.
Thanks friend. Some folks are inherently unhappy. They have happiness within, but they chose not to foster it. Don't waste your time my friend. Focus on that guitar and being HAPPY! :)
It's like learning a language. You can be taught how to say words and say them all the time and convince someone you know how to speak the language. But you cant form sentences and have conversations if you dont know what your saying.
I'm teaching myself to play the guitar bc i am a songwriter. I find this video very helpful. I am one of those who practice scales up and down in its entirerity. I'll definitely try your ideas.
your mike is to soft or your guitar is too loud on a lot of your videos. I have to turn up the volume to hear you speak then the guitar comes on and blows my ears off. But the videos are great.
Hey Eric, Never to late they say so, here I go taking an online lesson from you to inprove my soloing for when I get back on my musical horse @ 75 in a local pub. Thanks for your insight .
I love the core of your point. I've been "kinda" doing this for years, but this video helped me codify the practice. Practice for phrasing, not for scales. Definitely subscribing now!
I've been playing guitar now for over 30 years and as a hobby I love checking out instructional videos to broaden my horizons in a effort to maybe enhance or take something away that might make me rethink my approach to my playing and honestly, your idea of just emphasizing smaller phrases within a scale makes sense but could have been summed up in half the time. I think for those starting out and wanting to improve their playing its a smart way of breaking it down but your still stuck in a box regardless. One of the things I learned years ago is if you want to break out of patterns, slide your way down the neck, literally and figuratively. Taking say 3 notes out of a scale and played in a triad then sliding up on the neck to get to another position for the 4th note gives you opportunity to add a bend or some vibrato and traverse into a more colorful phrase. Add a bit of palm muting, octaves and harmonics and that dreary scale has just found some new life.
Pro Member Brooke in Ohio.... I love this video👍👍👍 I used to have many many UA-cam exercise videos saved. Having turned Pro with the UGS, I realized that only watchin UA-cam videos for a few years, wasnt a good way to really learn. For example, just this one video can replace 100 of other exersize videos. It's not just one video with 2 or 3 not very useful exercizes. This video shows us how one great video, can translate to REALLY learn how to practice your guitar cause its USEFUL in 100 different ways!
I'm on the minor Pentatonic scale position 2. Please make a video suggesting how to loosen up my fingers so I can easily position them. My pinky especially gets stiff.
Played guitar for a decade but broke my pinky when I was young and it doesn't move very well so I just don't use it. I can stretch my ring finger an unbelievable amount now.
I feel so violated. For the fact that you have literally zoomed in on one of my personal weaknesses as a muzo & exploited it for your personal gain. U da devil, u evil man u!!!
Dude, I really dig your style. I've been playing almost 10 years but I feel my level is that of someone who has played for one. Your videos really help.
For a sound-guy this dude needs to learn about volume contrrol consistency across his videos. Speaking portion was low enough to have to crank up the volume then volume of the the guitar samples became excessive. Nobody wants to ahve to constantly adjust their volume while listening to a 20 minute video.
When I was a kid learning guitar, my dad was teaching my older brother how to play bass at the same time so he had us both doing our scales as funky as we could. We would play with an old school beat machine that had funk and blues beats that we ran scales on.
Ive been stuck for my solo’s techniques for years and this is it! map technique helps me a lot. Thank you so much for the lesson i appreciate it so much! Once again thanks!
Eric, I like your lessons but man you can ramble on forever about nothing and you talk waaaaaay too slow. Thank goodness we can speed these videos up. I watch them at 1.75 speed.
I’ve been pissing around accidentally doing this at the end of songs I play that don’t have a solo for about a week and a half now 😂😂. Been playing guitar just under 2 years and I’ve decided I need to improve my picking and knowledge of the fretboard and this video has massively helped me, thank you. I’ll definitely be practising this more in my spare time.
YourGuitarSage I am struggling with a song, The Needle and the Spoon, by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I can't get the wah wah solo down, and have tried for weeks now. Just doesn't seem like I'll ever get it. I can play the first half or so of it, but when I play along with it, I get lost in time in like the second or third measure. No idea what I'm doing. I try playing without the wah wah, listen over and over, etc... just feels like I can't get it.
shelska I'm starting to get it. I used a metronome to get my timing down better, worked on a couple of techniques over and over. Thank you for the encouragement
I haven't had the opportunity to play as much as I would like recently but thought I'd make the effort to get back into it. Yours are the first videos I sought out. I like the new dark background and that Les Paul, wow! Great video as always.
Some of your videos are pretty good, but you seriously need to learn to get to the point. I'm teaching myself guitar on the internet, and my practice time is precious, so when I take the time to look up new techniques I don't have 10 minutes to spend on you explaining why what you are about to teach is important. Teach the thing, then talk about why you think it's important, or better yet, just teach it and let me decide if I think it's important, but don't ramble so much about things that aren't the technique. You're overselling things.
Picked it back up here about a month ago from just playing tabs over the years. I decided to picked it and just try and feel it out over some jam tracks and "hyper focusing" on these small sections of scales. As of the last week I've been really trying to get my sound right changed up guitars changed out pedals and amps. Just got back and traded in a guitar for the carbon copy (first trial run was tonight, phenomal pedal). Just found this video and I think you reassured me I'm on the right track. Thank you for this great video!
“Less is more” is a quote conjured up by people who can’t do more and are insecure about it. It’s all about personal taste. More isn’t better, more is just different. If you can do more and you like the sound of it, do it. I’m a huge fan of Yngwie Malmsteen. But I’m also a big B.B King fan. One isn’t better than the other, it’s apples and oranges.
Thanks for the video. It is music to my ears (pun intended). I hate dryly running through my scales and always end up doing what you are teaching. I get more out of it and it feels more natural. Thanks again.
Ten minutes in and still no talk of a 'map' Sorry sir, I'm sure you're an awesome player but perhaps you could be slightly more economic with your words. Peace and love
Luke Smart 5 mins in he starts talking about the map method. 7 mins in and he demonstrates it. Maybe if you weren’t so fucking stupid you’d understand his words, lol.
@@shockjockey1493 Wow, what an asshole you are!! The original post was making a reasonable, respectful comment and ends with "peace and love" and along you come calling him fucking stupid. I played this video at 1.5x speed and he STILL took a while to get to the map explanation! So even at a faster speed he talks too much and takes too long. He needs to practice how to be concise with his words and explanations.
To much talk- not enough rock- I get it- you want people to pay for lessons- so- you really didnt answer the question all that much and just diverted us to go " check out" blah blah-
My gift to you! For free access to 30 plus of my BEST lessons ever, go to: www.yourguitarsage.com/30
I found out my exwife was a cheating skank!
Take a dating book to a date give a baby a dictionary aye 😂😂😂 I love how you make illustration relatable it makes a lot of sense I e learned a lot from you cuz thanks 🙏🏾🙏🏾
Sean Woods And were you also?
I've been playing guitar for almost 20 years. This is a priceless perspective/philosophy on how to approach the infinite variability of learning an instrument. Thanks man!
So kind! Thank you Anthony.
Been "playing"on and off for 15 yrs,been "really playing" for about 4-5 yrs, just learn your pentatonic major and minor and your blues notes, and all the different positions(boxes) then do a bunch of improvising over a backing tracks then check out the licks and styles of the greats and add in the different modes .Best way to practice cause it makes it fun and interesting.The above advice was the best advice ever given to me.
🙌love that my friend.
right on tap
That's all I've been doing for the past year
right on, ive been playing without any theory knowledge for 5 years. it becomes repetitive and almost uninspiring. now im doing what you mentioned and it really opens up the guitar and makes you want to practice
Sorry I’m such a guitar newb what is a “box” or different position you were referring to in your post ?? I’ve been “playing” for about 4 years now and want to breach through my plateau.
This is one of the best guitar lessons I've heard, thank you. I'm guilty of wasting years practicing whole scales with no great results. Maybe because I'm a self taught guitar player, this lesson rings true.
Thank you my friend 🙌
I think you just provided two lessons - 1. Scales and 2. Beginning improvisation. Very good lesson, thanks!
Fantastic! Thank you so much my friend.
3 lessons, There is also some dating advice lol
Moral of the story: you've been playing guitar like a baby with a dictionary going on a road trip like in a cartoon
jeremy adu 😂
Or going on date with a rehearsed skid - Lol
That really made me laugh dude, well played
😂😂❤️
ok?
Holy crap !! This morning I got board practicing my scales . I started taking apart 4 notes and moving them.. this afternoon I found this lesson and am super happy I did. Thanks for the lesson!!! I am 64 years old and after 15 years of not playing I decided to get back and understand more about music.. can't wait for more.
🙌
Really like the "narrow focus" idea. Its wild how you can make 4 notes sound interesting.
Thank you for the kind words Alex.
Alex M I second that! Have been struggling to improv using the entire scale over a 5 minutes backing track, this bite sized approach makes more sense.
yes this is an EXCELLENT idea, i will use it with my
students
Phrasing.
There's a lot of guitar tutors on line and they know about theory but you are one of the few who are actually showing people how to apply it practically on the fretboard ,that's the really important thing for most of us trying to break into how to play properly..thanks and keep it going ...subbed.
Thank you 🙏
6:00 Lesson begins
🙏
Thanks hahaha
Thanks
10:20 you get owned ☺
6:26 he's gone again
I'm 53 and you have put another burning ember in music for me to pick up my guitar and REALLY play IT now instead of just playing with it. Thanks a LOT for that and your passion to teach and get us to learn CORRECTLY is a great virtue as well. You rock and bless you for releasing my knowledge on how to scratch that music bug sting that I could not figure out how to reach to scratch.
Thank you 🙏
Oh snap. I just played something semi-listenable along with that jam track. Feels good man
👌
No better feeling because it's about feeling...:)
I just have to say that was one of the most RIGHT TO THE POINT lessons I've seen on youtube. No fatty filler, just the meat! I appreciate it and keep up the good work.
Thanks my friend!
i've been playing for around 10 years or so, and i know the pentatonic scales, the major, the different minors, the modes and so on, but when trying to improvise i always get stuck with either something that sounds like the scale (your first example), or the same few licks that i repeat over and over again and that gets boring and annoying.. i know the theory is all there, but i have the feeling that i'm missing the bigger picture in how to apply it.. just that small piece of the puzzle to connect it all together..
while it's now a bit too late to grab my guitar (and i'm watching this video in my bed and have to get up in the morning), i'm sure that exactly THIS advice is what i needed.. over the next days/weeks/months i will limit myself to a maximum of 4 or maybe 5 notes and stick to only those.. then move to the same notes in the next pattern, and if that works out as well, i'll start connecting them, so i'm still playing those few notes, but in both patterns. I have a feeling that will open up the whole fretboard quite quickly!
thanks a lot!
@@Tj22REMIXES thanks, i fully agree with that!
Erich you are a life-saver. I’ve been blown away by the quality of your videos. So much experience and wisdom and all for free.
I was really happy to discover this particular video as a relative newbie because I’ve actually been practicing scales the way you recommend as I found it really boring otherwise. I use a looper to create a 64 note segment using 3-4 chords in a particular key, then pick out phrases in a section of the scale.
Actually it is also a really good way to write riffs and get the basics of a song going. I’m pretty sure that’s how a lot of contemporary songwriters compose.
You’re an inspiration Erich.
That is so kind Andrew! Thank you so much my friend.🙏
Sage I'm am older player whom had gone back and took lessons while I lived in NJ in the late 90's fortunately a very young student at Jiliard became my teacher who encouraged me to do the very same things your suggesting he focused me on what he called them triplets you called it something else but he did break it up smaller sections instead of doing the full scale and had me improvising half my practice time then worked technic the other half of the time concentrating on form timing increasing my strength and stretch etc I'm glad I decided to wachj this Video I had forgotten about this technic I made huge progress this guy encouraged me not to play the songs I love by my favorite musicians he said that In have already developed my own style that I should improvise more to develop inside with the new things In was learning that by playing what felt good to me using the new things I was learning creating my own riffs my style would expand more quickly ams a fuller eivher sound started to happem and it was back in the late 90's got a divorce I had my own business during that period I put mubguitar down for yen years and focused on business I wish I hadnt put the guitar down with my chops just developing and I'm now 58 and don't remember half the scales I had down pat already its good I visited today to remind me and get back into it I have started playing again I really enjoy doing my own things and try a lot of diferent things then I would have had I not gotten away from repeating by the same struggles learning song playing by ear by like the Eagles or Clapton Tom Petty Allman Bros etc
Thanks Great Job Doug that kid from Jiliard really understood encouraging me to find my style and technic really helped a bunch he said I had a back stroke that Clapton wish he had blew me away so I earnestly tried to do as he was instructing and creating my own music let's say was more solid and love the obvious improvement I've made since my teen years now that Im a senior and trying to get my chops back for like the 5th time in my life I am more mature and relaxed then in my younger years fear doesnt grip me the way it had exploring my boundaries even if a little slower hand is at work its got more class and style now I play the blues and working on slide for the first time fear prevented it before Im now asking myself why It has come to me pretty easy to make it sound great my neighbors come outside to listen to me they don't complain at least peace bro
Love that! Great story Doug! 🙌
I’m 39 , a novice . Can I learn guitar at this age when I’ve never tried?
JimiJop Woodstock of course you can, make sure to have fun while doing it though!
Bob Bobertson cheers Bob
Never...never has ANYONE explained the scales this way. I was feeling more confident the longer I watched. After a cigarette and double scotch I was ready. Started plying better immediately. In 10 minutes I was playing better than I had in 10 years. Thanks dude! Love ya forever, man!
Thank you John 👍
You just verified my entire way I learned guitar. I wanted to learn not like a robot but with feel. I just jam thru it and practice technique on the way.
👍
Been playing for almost 18 years, and you just blew my mind by playing a 7 tone scale and then "soloing" in a 5 tone. just WOW
Hey there my friends! Thanks for stopping by and watching this video. What did you think about it? Let me hear your feedback below. More videos coming this week! Keep up the practice. e :)
I think the basic idea that you're suggesting here -- improving your playing by focusing on just sections of scales rather than playing the entire scale like a robot -- has some merit. But it's not enough. Moreover, it misses some of the value that one gets from working through scales.
What value comes from straight up scale practice? 1) Practicing scales (pentatonic, diatonic, diminished, whole-note, etc.) should and can be done in such a way that you get to know the fretboard better, so that you can play in any key in any position. 2) Practicing scales correctly improves your physical coordination. Granted -- you won't learn good phrasing from practicing complete scales...but you also won't really learn good phrasing by simply doing what you're doing here either.
IMO, you learn good phrasing by a) listening too good examples and analyzing what makes them good, b) thinking in terms of melodies rather than scales, c) attempting to employ the ideas you just picked up from (a) and (b) by playing over various chord patterns, over and over and over. My $1.00 worth...
Loved it, really gave me something to focus on! and loved the map analogy.
A REVELATION! i'm guilty of doing too much; going to spend time working in smaller bits; i know all 5 shapes but not well enought to make it into a solo, which sucks. good vid!
i count in 3's or 2's, with the notes, not counting time mind you, but frets, its a fun way to slide up and down on a string, and just follow your ear
Perfect! This gave me the next step I needed to learn improvisation from scales. Breaking it down to smaller parts is very useful.
I have been trying some type of improvising for several years now. i watched your MAP lesson and soloed over your Bm track again and again. Didn't know I had that much music in my. head Stayed on three strings but wound up all over the neck. Most fun I've had in years. What a simple approach to soloing. Thanks much!!!
Thank you my friend 🙌
Dude, thank you so much for showing me this technique. I'm sort of in the beginner stage of my playing and I have horrendous technique. But I took your advice and tried it out on the jam track at the end, and I couldn't believe what I was doing! I was making licks I didn't even know I could do! Thanks a lot, man.
Love it! Thanks Carlos.
I've been playing guitar as a hobby for over 40 years. I'm not a professional or have studied advanced music theory. I own a bunch of guitars and love the instrument. I really enjoyed this lesson. Thank you and keep em coming. I liked and subscribed just now.
Thank you Chip 🙌
I prefer the nap technique.
Stumbled across this video again. Had given a thumbs up and saved it close to 5-6 months back. Subconsciously, I started following the advice and I am able to get so much juice out of my guitar by artificially restricting myself to a few sections and exploiting the noted. I've close to 6 absolutely new amazing riffs in my kitty and ability to write more - Thanks a ton :)
Dude, you have a mouse and the ability to fast forward. Some of us WANT the who, what, when, where and why. He was always on topic and not ramblin' about his girlfriend or the weather. Thank you yourguitarsage!
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I appreciated how informative that short lesson was. I learned scales the old fashioned way without context. Your lesson teaches how to play the guitar as it should be played. Thanks.
listen to all the critics "teach and get it over with" you know how spoiled we are with youtube ? or the internet in general? you can pause, fast forward, rewind, watch in X2 speed, what a bunch of cry babies, great lessons man. enjoy all your stuff, this was a good lesson i have no time either but guess what if it seems like it's dragging i speed it up. don't change a thing, very Sage like.
He just spends so much time saying redundant things and he doesn't even get to the actual lesson until 10:20. That's more than half of the video that's basically pointless
Sophia Borderon I disagree. The point he was trying to make was that you have to really learn the scale and play it with more feel. Expand upon it. He was trying to get this point across the whole video, so I don’t understand what was redundant about it.
Just can't agree with that. I switched out to the comments after seconds. I say - Take all the advice you can and then take no notice whatever of any of it. I learned listening to records, all of my school chums played too and I was surprised to find that they couldn't do that - I'd borrow someone's album and rip all the guitar in about three days and my pals couldn't do it. That's how I learned, you do what you like but scales, maps, systems, nmemonics, sticky coloured paper, split-screen videos and slow-it-all-down recording devices - f*ck right off with that junk- the fingerboard and all its notes is in your head even if you're nowhere near a guitar. I learned to read, write, arrange later but that was the same, it's already there. If not, tough shit - sit through this or sell your guitar.
I really like that "break down the focus to one particular spot and learn it" thing! Thanks for sharing that technique!!!
🙌Frank!👍
you posted this at the perfect time. I just started learning scales and found it boring just going back and forth. this is what I needed to know. thanks erich!
You are so welcome my friend!
Cat Pollock Im learning scales too atm.
Same here
Same here
I think you must be a very good teacher, what you explain is what I've done my whole guitarist life: exploring the map, pieces by pieces... Great way of looking at learning improvisation, great way of teaching I think.
But I couldn't say that it has been helping me since I've already done this. Nice to hear you put words on it I'll definitively use this metaphore to teach guitar to my hypothetic child.
Thanks my friend!
Really enjoying your videos. Watching most of them while I don't have a guitar in my hand, so the explanation before execution is nice.
when I first started playing guitar a lot of your lessons was very confusing but I learned so much from them now that I've done my own study and I'll come back and listen to you it makes so much more sense and helped improve my playing so much thank you
Instant Improvement. Like immediately. I was doing the all Miyagi Method, don't get ahead of the instructor we'll get those sweet riffs and solos in time...A map technique later and I can hear the guitar talking....dude thank you !!!
Thank you my friend 🙌
I learned this lesson from Paul Gilbert. He basically said what you said...no one plays a song with all notes of a scale..so practice licks with a few notes all over the fretboard.
As a disabled vet, I am very grateful for your lessons. Thanks very much! I am hoping I can take your Guitar program soon!
Keep an eye for an announcement during Veterans Day my friend. You will NOT want to miss it 🙌. REALLY! Thanks my friend.
Thank you so much for taking your time and money and effort to teach, film and produce these instructional videos. I love the info, thank you for the free help! Rock on
So grateful!🙏thank you Ben.
Excellent video. Good consistency in content. Thank you.
Brilliant method sir. I'm 57 and have been at a plateau for about a decade. Now I think I may be able to move forward.
Nice my friend. Please let me know how I can help.
This is another GREAT lesson (how less can be soo much more!) I've been incorporating it into my solo's and it makes a big difference. For fun, I did an entire solo with only 6 notes- still focusing on 4. It works better in some songs than others. The bigger point as you pointed out is that it is often better to play all over the place with dozens of notes just because you know them. Music is very much like speaking- the best speakers are listeners- but when they do speak, it counts.
THAT GREAT BEND @7:04...Can you please share what you are doing? I watched the video carefully but I'm not sure I have it completely figured out- yet. Are you only bending the thin E string at the 10th fret with your 3rd finger- or are multiple strings involved? Is your index finger also bending something on the 7th fret?
I've heard some instructors say that you can bend with more power if you do not grip the neck tight with your thumb- leave more room in the back to generate more bending force- is there any truth to that in your opinion? I noticed your thumb is pretty tight- over the front of the fretboard- common for players like SRV- just not sure about the ideal grip when doing a full bend.
True tone starts with your HANDS. Great guitars and Amps just project the magic that happens with your pick/fingers and your fret hand. Start there and then work your phrases...it is really satisfying! Great work in this lesson!
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Keep up the dope work man. Your videos have helped me alot.
Thanks so much friend!
Hallelujah! I was going crazy wondering why they always tell you to practice your scales the way they do. Thank you Guitar Sage!
"Noodle with it" - I'll remember that fraze next time I'll have a student over :D
:)
Hi Erich; haven't tuned in for a while. Just wanted to say, you have gotten a LOT better at this online stuff. Excellent lesson, thanks!
Thank you Darren
I really like how you took time to play the whole scale for a while and show how predictable it sounds.
After you were playing it I was like damn that's how I sound
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Hey guy! We caught your show in Amarillo TX. Well done!
well thank you roger!
ill be back in october
play outside the box
I have been practicing guitar since December 2017. So roughly 8 months. I almost exclusively have been playing acoustic strumming to songs. I'm very green on playing scales starting 2weeks back. Thank You for taking the Time to explain your thoughts on how to practice them. Great video and subscribed. Look forward to more
So kind of you my friend! Please let me know how I can help. And you are so welcome.🙌
Aaaagh ,I see said the blind man this makes learning and practicing scales less of a task and repetitive and much more useful, thanks ole wise one.
Cool video, I've been doing that with my scales for a while now. I really appreciate how you broke the scale into 4 notes and then showed how the explore. Thank you!
Thank you 🙏
Feedback: when i watch this vid on my TV the guitar volume is at a 100%, while you talking is at like 10%. If raise your mic volume
Thanks friend. Noted.
Thanks for showing this technique,Sage and thanks for the Jam Tracks,I'll be playing them on my lap top A LOT. You truly are a great teacher.
Thank you so much William 🙌
Appreciate the video. Thought I'd mention that your guitar volume is way too loud compared to your voice. At least on my speakers.
Theory about practice is excellent. I’ll implement this into my practice today. I’ve been playing 14 years and this year has been a game changer. The reason for this is due entirely because I open my mind to new methods like this. I also swore I’d never play other people’s music or along side it; I have began to do that as well. The result is I’m coming up with my own songs faster and they are far more complex and well put together than any song previously. Again, these results are completely due to me opening my mind up to listening to others who have ideas and methods that work. I have never been able to read sheet music, but now I can listen to a song, learn it in a couple of hours, find new sounds from a song or get an idea, then write my own. Thanks for your video.
Thanks friend.
Love that guitar.
Thank you my friend! That is a Gibson Les Paul.
That's no ordinary Les Paul. Gorgeous color and figure! and it's aged? It's an R9 and what year?
Tone is beautiful. Original PU's? Amp?
One of the most beautiful LPs I've seen. Striking!
Def looks like an amazing R9 or R0.
I recently joined 365 plan yet sadly haven't started it. Maybe I'm just procrastinating. Actually I'm letting my left hand heal, hoping a year off away from music will help. I stopped practicing and playing since November 2020, knowing Covid19 played a big part in that, not that I had it. I needed time for my tendons and muscles to relax and recover. Something we all suffer from, never knowing when to just quit and give our body a break. I'll be coming out of my shell soon and watching your phrasing lesson makes me want to play, yet a little more time is needed to heal and I'll be on 365. Thanks for your videos they are encouraging.
I was watching somewhere around 7:00 and I heard "I call this the map technique because...." Then I jumped ahead to 18:10 and I heard "I call this the map technique because...."
Apparently someone is trying to get you to learn the map technique. :D
if you guys wanna come here watch useful informative tips and strategies just just complain maybe dont :) this guys knows what he is talking about and takes the time to put it all in a perspective almost anyone can understand dont be so entitled.
Thanks friend. Some folks are inherently unhappy. They have happiness within, but they chose not to foster it. Don't waste your time my friend. Focus on that guitar and being HAPPY! :)
It's like learning a language. You can be taught how to say words and say them all the time and convince someone you know how to speak the language. But you cant form sentences and have conversations if you dont know what your saying.
Thats really what it is
I'm teaching myself to play the guitar bc i am a songwriter. I find this video very helpful. I am one of those who practice scales up and down in its entirerity. I'll definitely try your ideas.
Thank you 🙏🏻
So we're not playing our scales wrong we're practicing our scales wrong.
Crap, now I have to do this video all over again. 😂
😜🎼😘
Potato Potahto
Practising*
Nobody wants to “practice” but everybody wants to “play” better. That’s a smart title to get clicks ✌️
Erich, ignore the trolls brother. If they can do it better they should go do it. I have learned a TON from your videos. Keep up the good work man.
Yourguitarsage. I really like your teacherin of this scale . Thanks TroyFrost.👍🎵🎵🎵
Thank you Troy!
This is great. I know scales, but I never had enough time to practice. This will keep me motivated enough to continue to learn, Thanks.
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your mike is to soft or your guitar is too loud on a lot of your videos. I have to turn up the volume to hear you speak then the guitar comes on and blows my ears off. But the videos are great.
Thank you for the comment my friend. Noted!
And you can really hear the dark, muffled Les Paul sound with to much reverb LOUDLY.
jim mitchell
'your mike is to soft'
Please man, at least read your comment once before you post it.
Softy Mike can probably be dealt neatly with a compressor/limiter
Hey Eric, Never to late they say so, here I go taking an online lesson from you to inprove my soloing for when I get back on my musical horse @ 75 in a local pub. Thanks for your insight .
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Improv from scales = motivation to learn
Chris Bramblett 🙌
I love the core of your point. I've been "kinda" doing this for years, but this video helped me codify the practice. Practice for phrasing, not for scales. Definitely subscribing now!
Thank you James. 🙌
Didn't hear a word he said because I couldn't take my eyes off of his guitar!
This is one of the best guitar videos I've seen and I've watched plenty. Valuable info in here and thank you
Thank you so much my friend. I truly appreciate that!🙌
I had to keep rewinding. I kept getting distracted by that Les Paul.
I've been playing guitar now for over 30 years and as a hobby I love checking out instructional videos to broaden my horizons in a effort to maybe enhance or take something away that might make me rethink my approach to my playing and honestly, your idea of just emphasizing smaller phrases within a scale makes sense but could have been summed up in half the time. I think for those starting out and wanting to improve their playing its a smart way of breaking it down but your still stuck in a box regardless. One of the things I learned years ago is if you want to break out of patterns, slide your way down the neck, literally and figuratively. Taking say 3 notes out of a scale and played in a triad then sliding up on the neck to get to another position for the 4th note gives you opportunity to add a bend or some vibrato and traverse into a more colorful phrase. Add a bit of palm muting, octaves and harmonics and that dreary scale has just found some new life.
Nice addition Penelope! Thank you for adding.
just play the scale in a random order every day.
Pro Member Brooke in Ohio....
I love this video👍👍👍
I used to have many many UA-cam exercise videos saved. Having turned Pro with the UGS, I realized that only watchin UA-cam videos for a few years, wasnt a good way to really learn. For example, just this one video can replace 100 of other exersize videos.
It's not just one video with 2 or 3 not very useful exercizes. This video shows us how one great video, can translate to REALLY learn how to practice your guitar cause its USEFUL in 100 different ways!
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I'm on the minor Pentatonic scale position 2. Please make a video suggesting how to loosen up my fingers so I can easily position them. My pinky especially gets stiff.
It all starts here my friend: www.yourguitarsage.com/30
Practice, that is what helps. It may take a while, but it will become natural
play more and stretch em
quit taking pinkie viagra
Played guitar for a decade but broke my pinky when I was young and it doesn't move very well so I just don't use it. I can stretch my ring finger an unbelievable amount now.
I feel so violated. For the fact that you have literally zoomed in on one of my personal weaknesses as a muzo & exploited it for your personal gain. U da devil, u evil man u!!!
😂🙌
Dude, I really dig your style. I've been playing almost 10 years but I feel my level is that of someone who has played for one. Your videos really help.
SO kind! Thank you Anthony. 👌
For a sound-guy this dude needs to learn about volume contrrol consistency across his videos. Speaking portion was low enough to have to crank up the volume then volume of the the guitar samples became excessive. Nobody wants to ahve to constantly adjust their volume while listening to a 20 minute video.
You are a spoiled butt hurt person looking for things to complain about .
When I was a kid learning guitar, my dad was teaching my older brother how to play bass at the same time so he had us both doing our scales as funky as we could. We would play with an old school beat machine that had funk and blues beats that we ran scales on.
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Hey Erich, I think you're missing a screw on your pick guard
7:02 melted my heart. Thank you sage!!!
Thank you so much my friend!
Frank Zappa - Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar
That would be playing, not teaching. I have vids with that too.
Right, this video could have been about 12 minutes shorter at least and covered more technique.
Ive been stuck for my solo’s techniques for years and this is it! map technique helps me a lot. Thank you so much for the lesson i appreciate it so much! Once again thanks!
Nice! Thanks my friend.
anyone interested in joining a class action law suit against YourGuitarSage for trying to help us?
I think this video teaches the perfect way to practice scales. I stumbled on this years ago when I started making up melodies with the scales.
Nice Michael! 🙌
Eric, I like your lessons but man you can ramble on forever about nothing and you talk waaaaaay too slow. Thank goodness we can speed these videos up. I watch them at 1.75 speed.
Thanks for the feedback
The tone of your guitar is mind blowing!
Hey kids! Do you have any idea how hard it was to learn guitar before UA-cam!!!
They have no idea! And here they are complaining about how long the guy took to get to the point of teaching what he calls "right".
i thought myself. guys like this just confused me.
OH my GOD...... we had to.....READ BOOKS!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!
Wow. I've been playin 30+ years and this lesson really opened my eyes. Thank you!
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Wordy.
I’ve been pissing around accidentally doing this at the end of songs I play that don’t have a solo for about a week and a half now 😂😂. Been playing guitar just under 2 years and I’ve decided I need to improve my picking and knowledge of the fretboard and this video has massively helped me, thank you. I’ll definitely be practising this more in my spare time.
I just suck.
Mr Ex B no, you don’t my friend. EVERYONE starts at the beginning. Just need to practice the tips and tricks. You can do it my friend!
YourGuitarSage I am struggling with a song, The Needle and the Spoon, by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I can't get the wah wah solo down, and have tried for weeks now. Just doesn't seem like I'll ever get it. I can play the first half or so of it, but when I play along with it, I get lost in time in like the second or third measure. No idea what I'm doing. I try playing without the wah wah, listen over and over, etc... just feels like I can't get it.
Mr Ex B Feel the music when you play🌊
shelska I'm starting to get it. I used a metronome to get my timing down better, worked on a couple of techniques over and over. Thank you for the encouragement
Sometimes your motivation will slip but don’t give up
I haven't had the opportunity to play as much as I would like recently but thought I'd make the effort to get back into it. Yours are the first videos I sought out. I like the new dark background and that Les Paul, wow! Great video as always.
Thank you Stevie! :)
Some of your videos are pretty good, but you seriously need to learn to get to the point. I'm teaching myself guitar on the internet, and my practice time is precious, so when I take the time to look up new techniques I don't have 10 minutes to spend on you explaining why what you are about to teach is important. Teach the thing, then talk about why you think it's important, or better yet, just teach it and let me decide if I think it's important, but don't ramble so much about things that aren't the technique. You're overselling things.
And another will say I need to explain more. Varying opinions on the internet? WHAT??? 😂
You had plenty of time to be critical of someone who is putting out FREE lessons.
This is odd: you asked for people to give feedback and got some. It was respectful and constructive.
Stuart Jones that’s right on point. I agree. He does yap too much.
+1
Picked it back up here about a month ago from just playing tabs over the years. I decided to picked it and just try and feel it out over some jam tracks and "hyper focusing" on these small sections of scales. As of the last week I've been really trying to get my sound right changed up guitars changed out pedals and amps. Just got back and traded in a guitar for the carbon copy (first trial run was tonight, phenomal pedal). Just found this video and I think you reassured me I'm on the right track. Thank you for this great video!
Less is more
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ua-cam.com/video/QHZ48AE3TOI/v-deo.html
Thats what i convinced the wife!
“Less is more” is a quote conjured up by people who can’t do more and are insecure about it. It’s all about personal taste.
More isn’t better, more is just different. If you can do more and you like the sound of it, do it.
I’m a huge fan of Yngwie Malmsteen. But I’m also a big B.B King fan. One isn’t better than the other, it’s apples and oranges.
Ahhh SalmonSkinRole in the blues less is more
Open your ears and listen
Thanks for the video. It is music to my ears (pun intended). I hate dryly running through my scales and always end up doing what you are teaching. I get more out of it and it feels more natural. Thanks again.
Thank you Bruce!
Ten minutes in and still no talk of a 'map' Sorry sir, I'm sure you're an awesome player but perhaps you could be slightly more economic with your words. Peace and love
Luke Smart 5 mins in he starts talking about the map method. 7 mins in and he demonstrates it. Maybe if you weren’t so fucking stupid you’d understand his words, lol.
@@shockjockey1493 Wow, what an asshole you are!! The original post was making a reasonable, respectful comment and ends with "peace and love" and along you come calling him fucking stupid. I played this video at 1.5x speed and he STILL took a while to get to the map explanation! So even at a faster speed he talks too much and takes too long. He needs to practice how to be concise with his words and explanations.
@@squatch570 It wasn't reasonable or respectful. It was wrong, though.
This is great insight! It is important to pay attention to the details. It builds focus and play.
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To much talk- not enough rock- I get it- you want people to pay for lessons- so- you really didnt answer the question all that much and just diverted us to go " check out" blah blah-
Erich! I just want you to know how MUCH I appreciate you and what you are doing to help all of us play guitar. Thank you so much. 😊❤️🎸
Thank you Kim 🙌
OMG, get to the freaking point!