Playing the Changes
Learn to highlight the notes that match the chords underneath and bring a new level of depth and maturity to your solos.
- 🎸 29 Video Lessons
- 📄 PDFs & Jam Tracks Included
- ♾️ Lifetime Access
For most players, when they start to solo, they're using the scales they're taught without thinking about what note they're actually playing. You learn a set of notes, a pentatonic shape, a mode, the major scale, and you play them over the chords and hope for the best.
That's okay to start. But when you take that same set of notes and think about connecting them with the chord that's happening underneath, it creates a new level of depth and maturity. You highlight certain notes within your solo to best match the chords happening below, strategically shining musical spotlights in specific places.
This is playing the changes. It's an integral part of the way an advanced guitar player approaches the solo, and it makes all the difference.
How It Works
Learn It. Then Practice It Together.
- Concept Lessons Step-by-step lessons that walk you through the concepts behind playing the changes, one idea at a time.
- 13 Guided Practice Sessions Sessions that show you exactly what to practice and how to practice it. We even do a number of the exercises together.
What You'll Learn
Inside Playing the Changes
Note Targeting
Start with simple note targeting, then build up to targeting across two and three chord progressions.
Target Note Theory
Understand the theory behind target notes, including how to use upper and lower target notes in your lines.
Thinking in Phrases
Move beyond running scales and learn to shape your ideas into musical phrases.
Progression Soloing
Apply your targeting skills over two, three, and four chord progressions with dedicated jam tracks.
Transposition & New Positions
Take these ideas to other keys and other positions on the neck with lessons on transposition and alternate positions.
Putting It All Together
Bring every concept together into complete, mature soloing over the changes.
Course Curriculum
What's Inside Playing the Changes
29 video lessons with downloadable PDFs and jam tracks
- Introduction
- Simple Note TargetingPDF + 2 Jam Tracks
- Guided Practice 1
- Two Chord TargetingPDF + 3 Jam Tracks
- Guided Practice 2
- Three Chord TargetingPDF + 3 Jam Tracks
- Guided Practice 3
- Thinking in Phrases
- Guided Practice 4
- Target Note TheoryPDF
- Guided Practice 5
- Upper Target NotesPDF
- Guided Practice 6
- Lower Target NotesPDF
- Guided Practice 7
- Progression Two SoloingPDF + 2 Jam Tracks
- Guided Practice 8
- Progression Three SoloingPDF + 2 Jam Tracks
- Guided Practice 9
- Progression Four SoloingPDF + 2 Jam Tracks
- Guided Practice 10
- TranspositionPDF
- Guided Practice 11
- Alternate Position SimplePDF
- Guided Practice 12
- Alternate Position FullPDF
- Guided Practice 13
- Putting It All TogetherPDF + Jam Track
- Final ThoughtsBonus Resource
The Art of Playing
Playing the Changes
- ✓ Step-By-Step, Easy to Understand Video Lessons
- ✓ 13 Guided Practice Sessions
- ✓ Downloadable PDF Resources and Jam Tracks
- ✓ Full Lifetime Access
- ✓ Take it with you using the Teachable mobile app!