This is me trying to improvise over a 1-4-5 vamp in A major. I'm improvising using, or trying to use, A major arpeggios and pentatonics. I'm calling it "arrrrrghhhhhpeggios" because every time I try to improvise I think "arrrrrghhhhh!"

1-4-5 in A major. This is not clean, but good enough for government work ;-). In all seriousness, I don't know what it is about turning on the camera. I can do it so much better when I don't have to explain what I'm doing and the camera is not on. It's like a I get distracted. I don't know.

Anyway, I'm not only playing the octave of the root, but the octave of the 3rd and 5th too. I think this adds a nice sound and it is a cool way to turn around too.

Michael! Had the opportunity to see these guys in concert last week at a small venue much like this. It was unreal. The quality of the music combined with the chill factor from these four is not to be believed (Mark even signed my pick after the show). I'm sure you've reacted to Mark Lettieri before, but I urge you to give it another go. These guys are great!

For this lesson I have a four chord progression in D major (D Major, B minor, G Major, A major) and I arpeggiate those chords in major and minor positions 2 and 4, then 5 and 4. This all connected for me when I was listening to Ryland by Julian Lage. I am NOT Julian Lage.

Also, the song that I forgot the name of is Unchained Melody. Why did I forget the name? I have no idea. It's not like that song is super famous and well known or anything ;-)

Just trying to learn Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is" as played by Cory Wong and Cody Fry. It's coming along, but I do have a ways to go.

I know you have reacted to videos with Cory Wong before, but I can't resist. Cory, Mark, Joe, and Nate are at the top of their game with this new album. It is astounding! If you end up reacting to this, please go for the third song (Patrouille de France). I promise you will not be disappointed!

Music should make us feel something! I know there is no guitar in this song, but please give it a chance. I promise it will hit you right in the feels. This is one of the most beautiful songs in the world. Listening to this song helps me remember the what's important in life. Cheers!

OK - I recorded some version of this video at least a few dozen times. I tried multiple jam tracks from multiple sources and I couldn't seem to produce anything that sounded musical. Eventually I just recorded my own little I-IV-V progression in A. My improvisation is not what I want it to be. I feel like I'm just kind of plucking along and not doing anything super musical. I do feel like I have done a good job of selling the changes, but I feel very stuck in the box, or boxes. My goal is to play with the chill of Phil Marleau. His video is one of my favorites with the bends, slide, and arpeggios. Goals.

Michael - Not sure if you've ever watched any of Antoine's videos. He is an incredible musician and teacher (much like yourself ;-)! I find his methods, chords, and melodies particularly inspiring and epic, as his focus is largely ambient. This particular video is an extremely impressive cover of "Arrival of The Birds," and while it's a little long, it is worth a watch!

Cheers!

Ian

In this video I have a few examples of how I've been practicing and thinking about triplets and the shuffle. I'm not sure if I'm speaking about everything accurately so if you notice something inaccurate please tell me about it!

This is an original of mine in C major. It's a progression that generally goes C, G, A over C (I'm not totally sure what this is called), then F major. It's pretty simple with plenty of reverb and delay. I'm improvising over it mostly in major patterns 3, 4, and 5. I continue to work on phrasing and musicality.

Pedals in this video are the Wampler Ego compressor, Boss OD-3, Earthquaker Devices Dispatch Master, Boss RC-1 looper.

Bruce Hornsby is, in my mind, one of the most talented popular musicians of the last 40 years. I've loved this song since I was a kid, and never heard a version quite like this. Plus, Bruce doesn't even play piano in this, he plays an Appalachian Dulcimer!

I put together a little chord progression in E major with a bunch of reverb and some delay. The progression is on a loop while I attempt to improvise over it.

In this video I am attempting to improvise more "musically" by bending, sliding, and riffing around the root note. I have created a loop of a song called "We Carry On" by The Phantoms. I'm playing over that. I'm mostly working in minor patterns 3, 4, 5, and 1. This improvising is not fast, not that I am ever really am fast. Again, trying to be more purposeful.

I feel like I do a lot of yammering in this one. Sorry 😬. Bending and sliding isn't too tough, but knowing what to do with it is not coming easily to me. Though I do feel like I came up with a cool little exercise there!

In this video I create my own loop in a "Watchtower" style and riff over it in A minor. Still working on playing all the shapes clean!

In this video I discuss three different ways I've been practicing hammers and pulls.

In this video I play all five shapes in C major and G major. I feel like with this I take two steps forwards and one step back, but progress is progress even if it's slow. I'll find myself rushing in the areas where I'm very comfortable, then slowing down where I'm less comfortable. The metronome helps and I need to put more time into this.

In this video I play all pentatonic shapes in B major up the neck in sequences of 4. Then I string skip in all pentatonic shapes in C major up the neck. I then throw in a bit about double stops at the end (thank you Cory Wong).

Hey Michael,

I discovered Julian Lage a few months ago. His sound is amazing and I’m in awe of the sounds he can get with just his fingers. Impressive for sure. He inspires me to slow down and be more purposeful with my playing. Check this one out!

Ian

Pentatonic riffing in Am over backing track

I play major pentatonic scales in B than minor pentatonic scales in A. Still having a tough time with scales that involve open strings (see at the end).

I did this in G Major and A Minor. Minor position 1 is brutal, and I continue to work on it. I'll haven't attempted I, VI, II, V yet. That's this week's project. Let me know if you have any tips or tricks!

All five major chord shapes in E major starting on position 5, then all five minor chord shapes in F minor starting on position 4.