How Do You Learn To Play Fluently? Options

[ChocolateThunda]

Hi all,

I am new here as of today! I heard a lot of good things about your website, and I've decided to come along for the ride and see if you guys can help me develop my playing!

I'm a 21 year old guy from Edinburgh in Scotland, been playing guitar now for about 6 months, and in that time I've learned the basics, and I now feel like I'm ready to start getting into the nitty-gritty rigmarole that is learning the geetar!

So, I've had a wee look around the website already, but I've been unable to find a good topic on my question up the top (If I'm doing it wrong and there already are loads of threads, feel free to shout at me and point me in the right direction )..

My friend suggest I learn the ''modes'', so I took his advice, and learned all the modes. I understand the concept that each mode is just a different degree of the major scale, but when I play with a backing track in the key G, I can play through all the modes individually, but when it comes to actually MOVING up and down the fretboard independently, I struggle and lose my place and.. I suppose I can't SEE the notes that I should be playing. Is there a way to learn how to play more fluently? I mean, if this is only in the key of G, there are 11 other keys that I'd need to learn as well!

Anyway, sorry for the wall of text, and tips, hints, links, advice would be greatly appreciated, and I look forward to learning a lot more thanks to you guys!!

Cheers,
D

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[Bogdan Radovic]

Very good question!

Besides the tips guys posted, I would like to add that learning how to follow chord changes would be a good place to start in order to be able to play fluently. Now what is the first step here? Playing chord tones (=arpeggios). Those are your strong notes and the first step in playing fluently is to always be able to land on them per need. They give the melody definition and makes it feel "at home". Once you can master going through changes using chord tones only (notes from the chords that are playing in the backing track), you'll be ready to add the "extra notes". Once you can follow chord changes with chord tones, you should be able to feel like the playing is more defined and fluent. Take one progression at a time and practice the changes and really digging into what is played in the backing track (which chords and where the chord changes occur).

Here are some lessons I would suggest along these lines :

- Jazz Guitar Basics

Even if your ultimate goal is not jazz soloing, you should go through this guide as it covers a lot of essentials when it comes to arpeggios utilization and following changes.

- Targeting Chord Tones Video Lesson

- Major Arpeggios Exercise

- Minor Arpeggios Exercise

- Chord Tone Solo In Am Video Lesson

- Arpeggio/Chord Tone Solo

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