Now you have dabbled with the G Mixolydian mode. Let's use it to construct a solo over our original 2-5-1 chord progression. We already know why it will work (the scale and chords all share the same notes). But we can't just play scales all day.
We have to learn to make music from those scales. Here we will start with a simple improvised jazz solo. Nothing too flashy to start with. By now your fingers should be comfortable with the G mixolydian scale pattern, and we are going to stick strictly to that particular pattern for our melody here.
Improvisation
A vital skill for any guitarist - particularly the Jazz guitarist is improvising solos. That means knowing the backing music, and making melodies on the spot. A few people can do it all just 'playing by ear', but the rest of us need to train ourselves using scales and then making solos from those scales. Over time, you get more familiar with scales, how they work, and how to make melodies on the fly. This ultimately means you will be playing by ear too, and with much more understanding of music.
There is a simple science to this, which we can turn into a fun game:
- Make / Find a Chord Progression you like
- Find scales that work with that progression and practice them
- Make melodies from those scales (play a game with them)
We've already showed you this process in our
Scale Game tutorials (also
here and
here). It really is a very useful method, make sure to read through those articles!
Make or Find a simple chord progression like our 2-5-1 backing ActionTab. For example, here we already know that the C major scale and G mixolydian scale work with it. Now practice the scales in the way we've shown until you know it. Now, loop the backing audio and start constructing your own melodic licks over it. Use the scales you've practiced. Some of your licks will be good, others won't. That's normal. It takes time to get into the swing of things. Just get a few little phrases together that you like, and then start applying techniques like slides, muting, palm muting etc to spice up your melodies. These things really bring a lot to your solos! Use our examples for ideas, and learn the licks you enjoy. It all goes to the greater good!
This simple process gives you vital skills. It helps you learn your scales more intimately. Moreover it helps your ear understand the feel of each scale and at the same time helps you attune to the backing music. This is very important when it comes to improvising solos. Also, you learn how to crack scales to make melodies from them in a fun, musical way. With enough practice, you will begin to find that you can make a solo on the spot for all kinds of music! Most importantly, by playing a game with it, you will be having fun throughout!
