How to Stop BS-ing Your Way Through Your Solos (Swallows Part I)

There is a family of swallows living just outside our backdoor.

First, there were two. Then they had babies, and now there are five.

I admit, they're kind of cute.

But they also make a mess and are likely a health hazard – constantly pooping on our steps, attracting insects, and of course there's the mud nest stuck to the side of our house.

So yeah, once these feathered friends fly south, I'm taking down the nest.

But from what I understand, swallows return to the same nest season after season. I'm going to have to play hardball and put up a scary owl decoy or build a barrier to get them to change sites.

I'll keep you posted.

Anyway, I'm amazed how these birds can fly thousands of miles from home and still find their way back six months later. And here I am driving around plugged into Waze just to get to the grocery store.

It's sad.

There's something to be said for knowing where you are without relying on modern technology.

It's like improvising a solo and knowing where you are in the form without needing to keep your eyes glued to the chord changes on iReal Pro like it's Google Maps or something.

Truth is, the more you use your eyes to read sheet music, the less you use your ears to hear what you and the band are playing.

What's the solution?

Memorize the chord changes.

This can feel daunting at first. But the good news is that the more you memorize changes, the easier it gets, especially if you take the time to learn some music theory and analyze the progression.

That's because 80% of chord progressions are made up of 20% of the same harmonic patterns, e.g., ii V I's, modulations to the IV chord during the bridge, etc.

Sure, there are a handful of outliers, but you'll be able to handle those oddball chords if the more common ones aren't taking up your mental space.

Also, ever notice how bass players tend to know a ton of tunes by heart? It's because they're playing basslines chorus after chorus – accounting for each chord every time it comes around.

Compare that experience to horn players who get away with "skating" over the changes because the rest of the band isn't relying on them to hold down the chords and the tempo like a bassist.

Now, it ain't a bad idea for everyone to learn how to play basslines regardless of your instrument. But that's a lesson for another day.

What you can start doing right now to help you learn and memorize the chords to any song is practice improvising with chord tones only. This will force you to play specific notes over the chords and keep you from BS-ing your way through a solo.

Here's an example of a chord tone solo from my chord tone etude pack, Chord Tone Magic:

See how every note is a chord tone? That's all there is to it!

Well, almost…

A common issue that comes up when people start improvising with chord tones is that their solos sound wonky and lame.

But I promise, it is possible to play great sounding solos using just chord tones. You just have to put a little more effort into sounding melodic within the confines of a limited note selection.

When in doubt, the etudes and tutorial videos in Chord Tone Magic will show you how it's done.

So, if you want to start memorizing more tunes and/or feel less overwhelmed by the boatload of jazz scales out there, grab your copy of Chord Tone Magic today:

Click here to get Chord Tone Magic.

Happy shedding,

Jeff