TIPS FOR TODAY
If the word “solo” makes you want to hide behind the couch, you’re in the right place.
Improvisation isn’t some advanced skill reserved for guitar wizards — it’s just playing a few good-sounding notes in your own order. Today’s scale is designed so that every note works. There are no “wrong” ones to find.
Your first solos are supposed to feel simple. Simple is how your ear learns what it likes. Simple is how confidence is built. Simple is what unlocks real creativity later.
If your brain taps out on the second pattern, that’s okay — camp out on the first, easy version and just make little phrases you enjoy. That still counts as soloing.
By the end of this session, you didn’t just “try” a solo — you played one.
And that feeling? That’s the spark that keeps people going.
YOUR SAMPLE WEEK OF TONY'S ACOUSTIC CHALLENGE
5-Day "Stop Dabbling, Start Playing Guitar" Challenge
- WED: Improv
- THU: Rhythm
- FRI: Transitions
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At the beginning of the week I was a basic strummer, working round songs that used the same seven or eight chords. Tony’s description of the dabbler and his journey through a couple of guitar teachers that either started with ‘What shall we work on?’ or ‘We must learn music theory before we can play’; the chord books, the You-tube videos and the online course that never quite inspired, were all me.
I’ve never successfully played a scale, hammering-on and pulling-off were, ‘Too complicated for this level’, and I’ve never successfully picked before this.
I wouldn’t say the last three days have been a massive breakthrough in my playing, and I feel that my brain and my slightly arthritic thumbs are constantly playing catch-up, but this is the most challenging thing I feel I’ve done with a guitar in years and I’m beginning to enjoy it.
On day one I thought this was going to be too difficult, I’ve sat in my comfort zone for too long, going round and round strumming the same chords.
So if there’s anyone else out there like me, struggling, but beginning to feel something might be clicking into place, I would say this:
If, like me, your still here and you’re bothering to check the comments to see how others are doing, maybe it’s clicking for you too.
I maybe getting over excited at the tiny bit of progress I’ve made, but today’s ‘Win’, is the feeling that I’ve connected with my guitar for the first time in years.
Lets see what the next two days bring.
I’m having trouble today with fat fingers and fretting. Like others do you have a beginner beginner course.
Fantastic. Small win is playing the two strings together during the scale. One open and the other on the scale.
I could play the scale but not very fluent in improvisation
I played the first scale without looking at the frets
Did not comment on the other days but had a breakthrough today. Was able to do something with scales I’ve not been able to do before. Wasn’t necessarily pretty, but I am calling it progress worth celebrating.
Moving along slowly. Actually enjoyed playing with the backing track trying to play some music. Since I’m new to the guitar I sure this will move along better when I have some calluses built up on my finger tips. Right now very sore fingers making the hammer on hard.
Going very slowly and trying to piece it together. After many rewinds and slowing the speed down, I was able to sort getting it. So, today was more fun. Progress is quite slow, but alas it is still progress!
Whoa! I got a buzz. I started stumbling through the lead exercise: playing it over and over and then it started to get a bit easier and then___ it started to morph into something pretty cool. Yikes
Now today was a bit better
I enjoyed that.
I play an Epiphone Pro-1 Plus VS. Having trouble stifling a string with the finger fretting the string above. Fat finger syndrome?
I like the teaching method. Just enough to not be overwhelmed. i liked todays lesson. Simple but sounds good.
Iam struggling on the notes
Managed to get the scales down but struggled slightly with the solo at the end, but was good fun…
Book day one took me three days to do Idid not know the names of the strings or what a hammeron was day 2 was a complete wreck trying day 3 at this rate 5 day challenge is going to take me 2 weeks do you have a beginner beginner corse
Today was much better, up until now I’ve been able to get through the lesson but have no stamina left for the loop so I play the loop the next day before the next lesson and on and on… today I was able to get through yesterday’s loop, the lesson and the backing track. My brain-to-fingers connection was better today. Going through cancer treatment fogs everything up and some days are better than others. Thanks Tony, see ya tomorrow.
the song on all 5 lessons skips real bad on Friend of The Devil
Okay, i took a day of rest to reflect. I went through day 3 exercise again, WOW.
My win: it was much easier today and although slow… I did very good.
So, 1 day behind, but I will do Thursday today, which is friday.
this was fun went well for me no problem.
Getting used to this pick–always finger picked before
Thanks for the backing track. Playing and practicing alone leaves out the skill of playing with others and keeping time; and then hearing what notes work better with certain chords.
It is already ringing a bell in memory the pentatonic scale just sounds good to the ear. The big fingers and flat pick are still fighting to get along but muscle memory will conquer, correct??? Breaking the rules today after missing yesterday, gonna do two lessons today, reward myself on day off birthday.
Hi Tony
As a frustrated 50-year self-taught dabbler it is great to finally have some fun with my guitars.
I have been a life long collector but never admitted to being a player, always aspired but never attained. Teachers or jamming partners are few and far between where I live out the back of whoop whoop in Australia.
Thanks heaps
Happy I was able to play the scale and read the tab that went with it.
Same notes as I have played over and over sounded different today. Sounded better. Wouldn’t say I sounded good but did manage to find a few of the scale notes that actually sounded like I was making music. Got a small glimpse of what it is like to solo. And how I can build off of it. 30 minutes flew by.
After lots of effort, I got thru most of the scale going .75x. Definitely not perfect. I ended up playing it with the backing track and noticed how it helped. You could hear how the two sound right together. Like harmonizing.
Watched 17 min video, then I made myself play the scale for 10 min, literally watching the clock, and the on tenth minute, it felt like it started clicking … I’ll try the third part of the lesson tomorrow! Thank you!
Day 3 i showed up. sore fingers but i got through it! I couldn’t get through the 2nd part of the scale until I opened the tabs page and figured out the pattern. Happy with my small win.
My small win was I was able to play the scale in the same tempo as you. I felt like I have never been able to play a scale ever. It was actually a good feeling. I still suck at making it fit in the music.
Can’t wait to have as positive of a feedback as some of the folks. I finally began to make a little progress with the scale and solo. However the time it took was way more than 10 minutes. Being computer challenged is part of the frustration, but I’m hanging in there.
Small win: Actually making a G major pentatonic scale sound like music.
Found I already knew this. Have done pentatonic scales up and down the neck for a long time, although usually on electric guitar. This was a review of the first position.
But I’m still having difficulty with one of the pulloffs from the 2nd day.
Small wins. I showed up. Struggling making the time but a am carving a few minutes.
Felt good on the scale super fun. Working with my pick which I have not done well with in the past. My fingering on the strings is improving
I was getting frustated during the first 2 days with my wins being that I showed up and could only play some parts very slowly. I felt I was in way over my head. But today things sky rocketed and I was able to keep up and actually sound good over the backing track. I had to start out slowly and then was able to build up to full speed.
My wins for today are:
1: I showed up
2: I played this lesson very slowly
But its becoming obvious that this lesson WAS NOT for new platers
My small win is using a pentatonic scale horizontally. I’ve always just used them vertically.
i can do this. Tabs are what I can play better than the other stuff.
I now understand what you mean by “small wins”. Today’s lesson was fun.
Had a blast soloing over the backing track. Pretty cool to learn the single string scale — sounds great, and allows one to climb the neck and find appropriate/associated notes. Have really enjoyed this series of videos. Looking forwad to tomorrow.
Celebrating a couple of wins today, Tony! I showed up (!), and I played a solo for the first time in 40+ years!!!! You and I sound great together! Thanks!
Baby beginner here, at 71. Other than the pain in my fingertips from playing more in these few days, than I’ve played in a while, my small win is “SLOW DOWN”. I want to play Eddie Van Halen guitar picking, today. Slow Down. It’s PAINFUL, but it WORKS. Start out slower than the 0.5 speed you have on the window and work my way up to a 0.2, then 0.3, then 0.5. Finally I get to regular speed. So much better than getting frustrated at warp speed. It’s not an “overnight process”. That’s my win for me. Thanks Tony, I think it’s sinking in.
OK, day 3… I am flat out lovin’ this.
Very nice. I added some things like slides, hammer on or pull offs to give a more personal feel.
Small win was playing the scale with your rythm backing. Loved it.
WOW! That was fun! Never thought I could do that! I actually felt that I was playing. BIG win!
Small win for me was to follow along at full speed and experiment with slides and pull ups as I was improvising. It was fun!
I’m eager to do “Day 4” of my 5 day challenge. It hasn’t arrived in my email yet. Please send. Thanks.
Hi Tony,
Today was a little challenging for me, but I am going to keep working on it. What was enlightening for me was using more of the neck, even if it was just single note progression. I typically don’t play anything beyond the 4th fret…not anymore! Also, I have never use the tab until I started with you. I got to use it for each of the lessons now and I love it!
My Big thing I learned was that I tried the tablature and I found it was easier for me to follow your instructions using the tab awhile listening to your voice. Now I’ve got to go back to the previous day challenges and try them again using the table.
small win, playing three days in a row.