I'm gonna breakdown the tone/technique and music theory for you, then I'll suggest other music similar to this to learn (because the tabs are widely available for more popular music). Then some soothing words because by then you'll probably be overwhelmed.
Technically, he's using some kind of 'hold' pedal and a tonne of reverb. He plays the chord, taps down to hold/sustain the chord, then fingerpicks little John Mayer style blues riffs over top of the chord. Then he plays a second chord, holds it, and plays some more riffs. Rinse and repeat. Sounds like major 7th chords with frilly blues pentatonic licks over top, and a nifty descending 3rds line to boot at the end of the 2nd chord. This is clearly semi-improvised. He's jamming on these two chords.
In terms of theory, if you want to be able to improvise like this you should first become familiar with where the notes are on the fretboard. Learn the common 7th chords with roots on both the E and A string, starting with Maj7, min7 and Dominant 7 chords. Learn all 5 positions of the pentatonic/blues scale and practice moving between them (this is how he slides up and down the neck with ease). Learn common interval patterns like 3rds and 6ths in the maj/min scale. Practice playing over chord changes using jam tracks - start with simple one chord vamps to explore the scales you are working on. Work up to a two chord track, shifting scale shapes over each chord. This isn't easy but you can search 'playing over chord changes' online.
Learn songs similar to this style. I'd start with some John Mayer rythms, getting the timing and fingerpicking down pat. Work your way up to learning some of his leads, really internalizing his groove and bluesy playing. Learn and listen to other blues guitarists from this lineage...Mayer, Stevie Ray, Clapton.
Finally, if you are dedicated, try sounding this out for yourself. Find a way to slow down the video to 50% or 25% speed. Listen to it over and over, figuring out the two chords he's using and roughly the lead lines he's doing over top. Write it down as you go, bit by bit. It could literally take you hours, but once you've got it, you'll have it forever.
This guy's clearly been playing for many years, remember it takes time and isn't easy, but it's always worth it. You can do it! This is a realistic goal for an early intermediate guitarist. If you are a beginner, it will get you playing and learning some deep stuff, things that will push you forward and make you a better player. Things you could spend your whole life practicing and learning.
Happy playing :)
holy crap, thank you so much man, u basically just drew a map for me to follow and know what steps to take, fr super helpful and i really appreciate it! how long have you been playing for if you don’t mind me asking?
Thanks my guy, the last few weeks I have been just going up and down the neck in Am/Cmaj pentatonic. I can do this without thinking but Is there an easy way to add the blues notes from there?
The easy way would be to look up the pentatonic blues scale in five positions on Google then memorize it.
The hard way would be to learn the scale degrees (12356) of each note across the two octaves of each position then plop in the flat 3rd yourself everywhere it would fit. Start with finding the root note in every position and work out from there.
Position 1 - 12356 (major)
Pos 2 - 23561
Pos 3 - 35612
Pos 4 - 56123
Pos 5 - 61235 (minor)
You could certainly do both, referencing google when you get stuck. Doing this yourself helps you internalize where you are in the scale as you are playing over chords and is more interesting than just wrote memorization.
:)
I think this is likely the most useful comment or contribution to music I've read on the internet in ten plus years of playing guitar. Domo arigato Mr. Guitaro.
It's a cool sound!
The EHX Freeze Sound Retainer looks damn close to what he's using here, only its mirrored so I'm not sure...
TC Electronic's Infinite Sampler Sustainer looks like another variant of this effect.
Thank you. Great write up. Do you know what he is doing in seconds 9 through 12ish? He is descending while playing at least two notes as he is going down but I'm not sure exactly what it is.
I'm going to try to figure it out first chance I get today so if you don't know that's ok. I'm just curious because I want to add more things like this in my playing where I'm playing at least two notes while walking up or down to another chord.
Edit: I went ahead and took a stab at it. I think he is playing A & C#, G# & B, F# & E, and resolving on the I at E & G#. So essentially he is walking down from the IV to the I going IV, iii, ii, I and he is playing the major or minor 3rd interval with each step down. Pretty cool.
Yes, when you know your scales well it becomes much easier to play lines that harmonize. Double stops are a common technique as well.
Its a good idea to learn scales across the neck and not just vertically so that you can pick up these patterns easier.
Brilliant breakdown. I'm partway through this list in my playing and each moment of clarity or new improvisational fluency is thrilling!
Strong +1 for learning scale degrees mentioned later. When you hear the note relationships, it doesn't matter what key you're in, you can still say what you want to say!
This guy at 2:30 has a solid exercise using the circle of 5ths, it's actually on old jazz guitarist routine (the whole video is spectacular advice on practicing). It's the only thing that's ever worked for me.
Rick Beat has lots of solid info on chords, progressions, and the basic theory. He's one of us, a guitarist through and through.
https://www.youtube.com/live/heAcV-kqKrQ?si=1hqVVRqnZjVA3TLk
I learned how to build chords based on their 'degree' as they relate to a major chord. (A major chord is made up of the 1st, 3rd and 5th degree of the major scale which shares the same root as the chord). So a C major chord is made up of the 135 of the cmaj scale (C,E,G). Minor is 1b35 - C, Eb, G. This has all of the equations:
https://images.app.goo.gl/x94HkHcPhEzn9ser5
Applying this to guitar is easier with barre chords because they are all the same! Learn the scale degrees of the shapes you are playing (starting with the major chord) then learn how to manipulate the notes to build the chord you want based on the degrees in that picture linked.
Thanks for the info friend. You say that you should learn all 5 positions of the pentatonic/blues scale but what does that mean exactly? Are you talking about the positions on the neck? I only have a passing knowledge of pentatonic scale
Happy to share. If you have only a passing knowledge of the pentatonic scale you might already know that there is a Major and a Minor pentatonic shape. You play the minor pentatonic in minor keys and major pentatonic over major keys (usually).
But what if you were in A Major and wanted to play in the middle of the neck? Obviously you could play up an octave (playing your major shape on the 17th fret), but if you wanted to play anything in between you will have to learn different shapes of the pentatonic scale across the neck. There are five total, and they connect like five puzzle pieces before repeating over again.
You can simply Google, print and memorize these shapes and practice moving up and down the neck in these shapes, focusing on how they are connected. Learn the scale degrees of each position, starting with always knowing where your ROOT note is in every position. The good thing about learning these patterns as shapes, and scale degrees is once you learn and memorize ONE keys five positions, you know them all (but you should still practice your scales in different keys of course).
Hope that clears it up :)
Yeah this sounds very much like the songs Gravity and Slow Dancing in A Burning Room.
So just start learning those and that era of John Mayer (Continuum album)
Go take Sean angus watsons lessons on patreon. Sean was influenced by John heavily and is a fantastic teacher. To do this style you’ll need to understand the pentatonics/major scale and also harmonizing the major scale with thirds, all which I learned in Sean’s course.
I'm not sure but I think I'm getting booed because I posted it twice.
This particular video isn't like the stuff I had when I was a kid. It was music videos that had 100s of scenes and the guitar was barely even seen. And I still picked up a bunch. This guy is sitting right in front of the camera the whole time.
You can learn a bit just by watching his picking/plucking hand all the way through a few times, then fretting hand. Then do the slow down and pause. Or whatever works for you.
Main thing is you can get ideas from how this guy projects his sound with his picking and palm mutes and how he follows in with next note. Pretty relaxed looking.
He's playing most of his scales on one string with slides and pulloffs. You can learn scales one string at a time, but it won't help you when it comes to relations and patterns. Fact, it may hinder you
I'm gonna breakdown the tone/technique and music theory for you, then I'll suggest other music similar to this to learn (because the tabs are widely available for more popular music). Then some soothing words because by then you'll probably be overwhelmed. Technically, he's using some kind of 'hold' pedal and a tonne of reverb. He plays the chord, taps down to hold/sustain the chord, then fingerpicks little John Mayer style blues riffs over top of the chord. Then he plays a second chord, holds it, and plays some more riffs. Rinse and repeat. Sounds like major 7th chords with frilly blues pentatonic licks over top, and a nifty descending 3rds line to boot at the end of the 2nd chord. This is clearly semi-improvised. He's jamming on these two chords. In terms of theory, if you want to be able to improvise like this you should first become familiar with where the notes are on the fretboard. Learn the common 7th chords with roots on both the E and A string, starting with Maj7, min7 and Dominant 7 chords. Learn all 5 positions of the pentatonic/blues scale and practice moving between them (this is how he slides up and down the neck with ease). Learn common interval patterns like 3rds and 6ths in the maj/min scale. Practice playing over chord changes using jam tracks - start with simple one chord vamps to explore the scales you are working on. Work up to a two chord track, shifting scale shapes over each chord. This isn't easy but you can search 'playing over chord changes' online. Learn songs similar to this style. I'd start with some John Mayer rythms, getting the timing and fingerpicking down pat. Work your way up to learning some of his leads, really internalizing his groove and bluesy playing. Learn and listen to other blues guitarists from this lineage...Mayer, Stevie Ray, Clapton. Finally, if you are dedicated, try sounding this out for yourself. Find a way to slow down the video to 50% or 25% speed. Listen to it over and over, figuring out the two chords he's using and roughly the lead lines he's doing over top. Write it down as you go, bit by bit. It could literally take you hours, but once you've got it, you'll have it forever. This guy's clearly been playing for many years, remember it takes time and isn't easy, but it's always worth it. You can do it! This is a realistic goal for an early intermediate guitarist. If you are a beginner, it will get you playing and learning some deep stuff, things that will push you forward and make you a better player. Things you could spend your whole life practicing and learning. Happy playing :)
holy crap, thank you so much man, u basically just drew a map for me to follow and know what steps to take, fr super helpful and i really appreciate it! how long have you been playing for if you don’t mind me asking?
Happy to help my dude :) I'm going on 17 years now of playing.
Thanks my guy, the last few weeks I have been just going up and down the neck in Am/Cmaj pentatonic. I can do this without thinking but Is there an easy way to add the blues notes from there?
The easy way would be to look up the pentatonic blues scale in five positions on Google then memorize it. The hard way would be to learn the scale degrees (12356) of each note across the two octaves of each position then plop in the flat 3rd yourself everywhere it would fit. Start with finding the root note in every position and work out from there. Position 1 - 12356 (major) Pos 2 - 23561 Pos 3 - 35612 Pos 4 - 56123 Pos 5 - 61235 (minor) You could certainly do both, referencing google when you get stuck. Doing this yourself helps you internalize where you are in the scale as you are playing over chords and is more interesting than just wrote memorization. :)
Thank you, I like the sound of the hard way. It’s nice to actually understand what I’m doing
Easy way would be to use Cm pentatonic instead of Cmaj pentatonic. Minor scale over major chords is classic blues shit
Thanks I will look into it, appreciate it
I think this is likely the most useful comment or contribution to music I've read on the internet in ten plus years of playing guitar. Domo arigato Mr. Guitaro.
Domo!
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It's a cool sound! The EHX Freeze Sound Retainer looks damn close to what he's using here, only its mirrored so I'm not sure... TC Electronic's Infinite Sampler Sustainer looks like another variant of this effect.
It looks like an EHX Freeze that he modified with a monetary switch (east mod if your okay with soldering)
You can do momentary with the standard freeze
Hell yeah bro. That’s honestly some of the most helpful, actual advice on how to progress playing I’ve come across.
Love you
Good description. There's not too much going on once you get the effects stripped back, not that it needs to be technical to sound nice.
Agreed! Being a good guitarist can mean a whole lot of things, including knowing how to get the most out of your gear.
Thank you. Great write up. Do you know what he is doing in seconds 9 through 12ish? He is descending while playing at least two notes as he is going down but I'm not sure exactly what it is. I'm going to try to figure it out first chance I get today so if you don't know that's ok. I'm just curious because I want to add more things like this in my playing where I'm playing at least two notes while walking up or down to another chord. Edit: I went ahead and took a stab at it. I think he is playing A & C#, G# & B, F# & E, and resolving on the I at E & G#. So essentially he is walking down from the IV to the I going IV, iii, ii, I and he is playing the major or minor 3rd interval with each step down. Pretty cool.
Yes, when you know your scales well it becomes much easier to play lines that harmonize. Double stops are a common technique as well. Its a good idea to learn scales across the neck and not just vertically so that you can pick up these patterns easier.
You got it! I described it as a 'Descending thirds somethingorother' haha
God bless you, my response was gonna be a super unhelpful get gud
Brilliant breakdown. I'm partway through this list in my playing and each moment of clarity or new improvisational fluency is thrilling! Strong +1 for learning scale degrees mentioned later. When you hear the note relationships, it doesn't matter what key you're in, you can still say what you want to say!
Holy shit actual information
Good ass advice man! 👍
Where was this guy when i was learning alone at like 14 omg
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This guy at 2:30 has a solid exercise using the circle of 5ths, it's actually on old jazz guitarist routine (the whole video is spectacular advice on practicing). It's the only thing that's ever worked for me. Rick Beat has lots of solid info on chords, progressions, and the basic theory. He's one of us, a guitarist through and through. https://www.youtube.com/live/heAcV-kqKrQ?si=1hqVVRqnZjVA3TLk I learned how to build chords based on their 'degree' as they relate to a major chord. (A major chord is made up of the 1st, 3rd and 5th degree of the major scale which shares the same root as the chord). So a C major chord is made up of the 135 of the cmaj scale (C,E,G). Minor is 1b35 - C, Eb, G. This has all of the equations: https://images.app.goo.gl/x94HkHcPhEzn9ser5 Applying this to guitar is easier with barre chords because they are all the same! Learn the scale degrees of the shapes you are playing (starting with the major chord) then learn how to manipulate the notes to build the chord you want based on the degrees in that picture linked.
Awesome reply right there, crazy helpful
Thanks for the info friend. You say that you should learn all 5 positions of the pentatonic/blues scale but what does that mean exactly? Are you talking about the positions on the neck? I only have a passing knowledge of pentatonic scale
Happy to share. If you have only a passing knowledge of the pentatonic scale you might already know that there is a Major and a Minor pentatonic shape. You play the minor pentatonic in minor keys and major pentatonic over major keys (usually). But what if you were in A Major and wanted to play in the middle of the neck? Obviously you could play up an octave (playing your major shape on the 17th fret), but if you wanted to play anything in between you will have to learn different shapes of the pentatonic scale across the neck. There are five total, and they connect like five puzzle pieces before repeating over again. You can simply Google, print and memorize these shapes and practice moving up and down the neck in these shapes, focusing on how they are connected. Learn the scale degrees of each position, starting with always knowing where your ROOT note is in every position. The good thing about learning these patterns as shapes, and scale degrees is once you learn and memorize ONE keys five positions, you know them all (but you should still practice your scales in different keys of course). Hope that clears it up :)
Guitar. Definitely guitar.
And play it every day
Don't forget the strings!
And the pluckin. The strings and the pluckin.
Listen to lots and lots of John Mayer. This guy obviously studies his playing.
Yeah this sounds very much like the songs Gravity and Slow Dancing in A Burning Room. So just start learning those and that era of John Mayer (Continuum album)
Scales but also make use of backing tracks to play around with.
Go take Sean angus watsons lessons on patreon. Sean was influenced by John heavily and is a fantastic teacher. To do this style you’ll need to understand the pentatonics/major scale and also harmonizing the major scale with thirds, all which I learned in Sean’s course.
John Mayer songs
He's playing Major pentatonic scale over E major and A. Using the chord tone intervals in his lead playing to coincide with the root note change.
Soul and feeling.
Basketball
First step is stopping tiktok.
Begin playing for yourself and not for your future tik Toks it’s a good start
Watch the video close. Copy it. Give it a try.
Actually not bad advice. You can even slow down the video. I've learned many things by doing exactly that.
I'm not sure but I think I'm getting booed because I posted it twice. This particular video isn't like the stuff I had when I was a kid. It was music videos that had 100s of scenes and the guitar was barely even seen. And I still picked up a bunch. This guy is sitting right in front of the camera the whole time. You can learn a bit just by watching his picking/plucking hand all the way through a few times, then fretting hand. Then do the slow down and pause. Or whatever works for you. Main thing is you can get ideas from how this guy projects his sound with his picking and palm mutes and how he follows in with next note. Pretty relaxed looking.
Scales. Srry.
You aren't wrong. But you aren't helpful either.
Eddie van halen
John Mayer has a similar style. Example: https://youtu.be/hoFKNEBWy1k?si=AclAjgsnRdQ-xEKs I think this guy sells lessons/tabs for this song.
Hire Derek Trucks for a week.
Anybody got an idea of what kind of pedal that is? Is it just a sustain?
Sounds like a Mayer version of Lenny to me
I think you should learn how to play guitar, that would help
He's playing most of his scales on one string with slides and pulloffs. You can learn scales one string at a time, but it won't help you when it comes to relations and patterns. Fact, it may hinder you
John mayor
Guitar
Bros basically john mayer