Chords for How to improve Phrasing | Limitation Exercises

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[Eb] What is up guys?
My name is Jack [D] Gardner and welcome back to another free lesson on a Friday.
This time we're going to be talking all about [G] limitation exercises,
something that I think is actually [Eb] really powerful if you want to get yourself out of your improvisations.
But before we go into the teaching aspect of the video, I just want to point out,
please make sure you [D] do like, comment, subscribe, click that little bell for notifications.
I make free lesson content every Friday on this channel and I also do other things like make music
and collaborate with other musicians, things like this.
It's not just lesson.
So yeah, let's dig into the [A] teaching part then. _ _ _
[G] Okay, so first let's [D] just have a little bit of a word on what [E] the backing track is doing.
This [Fm] is [E] a super straightforward chord structure.
It's totally diacolic.
We are on the key of G major.
First chord I'm actually playing is like, I guess, kind of like a [F] 6-9 chord,
but I'm [E] hammering on to the major third, so I'm getting this _
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_ really common.
[Eb] Now that is just going to a [G] straight C major chord.
I think the voice that I'm using is something like this. _ _ _
_ [A] That is super basic.
Now the way in which I [F] like to think of chords then, when we analyse what key it's in and whatnot,
I like to use a thing called the number system.
So we are in the key of G major.
If we harmonise our chords or [D] triad, basically chord one is going to be G major or G major seven.
If you did seventh chords here, we're not going that far.
And then chord four is that C major chord that we're playing.
So this is what we would call diatonic changes.
They are actually from the same key.
It's all from G major.
Super simple, right?
Now, in terms of what we would play over it [F] then, I mean, there are a few [E] options you could think of.
The basic thing to do would be to take a major pentatonic scale.
So in this case, it would be G major pentatonic.
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[F] that's all well and good, but if you're struggling to [E] create phrases with this, try out [A] this exercise.
This is what we call a limitation exercise.
So here, [D] all we need to do is think of our G major pentatonic.
All across the fretboard, [Eb] if you like.
You should know the five [E] positions, the cage thing.
_ However you want to do it.
But what we are going to do is take just [E] two strings at a [A] time first and see how that works.
[N] Now, what do I mean by that?
So you could choose, say, two strings next to each other if you want.
Say, like the G and the B string.
And try to improvise just using that scale over the back and forth.
Let's demonstrate that very quickly now.
So it's just the G string and the B string.
I can use the whole length of the neck, but only those two strings.
Let's hear that.
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So this actually forces [F] us to think of [E] melodies going up and down, which I think is something as a guitarist we don't necessarily do.
[A] When we learn a box shape, for example, something like this, _ _ _ _ _ _
the visualization to go up is across the strings [A] this way.
Whereas when we are forced to [F] limit ourselves to just, [E] say, those two strings, we are forced to think this way.
Which in reality is more thinking [D] up and down in terms of pitch.
Whereas [E] when we go this way, it's very easy to go up and down in pitch because you just go along the box shape, shall we say.
Now to take this to an extreme, what I might do is take a more full scale than this, maybe the [A] G major scale for now.
And I will limit [E] myself just to one string.
This is super sadistic, right?
You've never done this before.
But it forces you to be musical.
That's the whole point of a limitation exercise.
Trying to get as much musicality [C] out of as little information.
Let's give that a go now on just one string.
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_ _ [N] you can see there are points where maybe I got a little bit stuck, but all I am thinking of in my head is the way in which this melody forms.
Is it going up in pitch or down [A] in pitch?
[N] I mean, guys that you should listen to who are brilliant at this are people like John Mayer.
I'm sure that backing track sounds very similar to a very famous John [E] Mayer tune.
But again, it's just a simple one to four.
_ So yeah, make sure you listen to every little note when you do this.
It's really important to understand how we can manipulate these things to make it more musical.
[G] Especially when you limit yourself like this, it forces you to be more creative.
I hope [F] all of that makes sense, guys.
If you have [G] any suggestions for the lesson next week, please do let me know in the comments.
I'd love to hear them.
Or send me an email, [C] send me a message on Instagram, whatever you want to do.
I am totally open to suggestions.
_ [E] Thanks again, [G] guys.
Till next time.
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