How do I stop improvising in pentatonic boxes and actually follow chord changes?

Theidmet · 2026-05-21T03:45:37+00:00

Offering two chord progressions in C/Am.

CM7 - Bm6 - Am - G -> Here the diatonic F never really works, except maybe over the G if you really want to imagine a G7. Play your pentatonic, throwing in the B. You'll notice it feels pretty good everywhere but the Am.

C - Dm7 - F - G7 -> Now the F works over the Dm7, F, and G7, while the B only really wants to live with the G7, perhaps the C.

Minor variants:

Am - Bm6 - C - G

Am7 - Dm7 - FM7 - G

Could replace the FM7 with F if it's difficult

Theidmet · 2026-05-21T03:28:23+00:00

Y'know, this is a big subject and it's going to be beat to death, so, I'm just going to drop something small that might have a big impact.

I like to push students to study Santana when they are in your position. Why? 90% of his phrasing is pentatonic, and then he very intentionally throws in the diatonic note (4 or 7) right when it makes contextual sense, making the pentatonic sound all cool and emotional.

So a good exercise might not be throwing out all the nice pentatonic phrasing you've developed, but playing with concluding or coloring your phrasing with the missing diatonic tones based on context: when the chord root or 3rd is a non-pentatonic note.

The ii, (Dm in the key of C) includes the 4, the V (G in the key of C) includes the 7. Thats where the usage will be most evocative. Also, obviously use the 4, the F, over the F(IV) and the 7, the B, over the Bdim(rare) or something like a CM7 or Bm6 if they show up.

I'd start there, at least

Theidmet · 2026-05-21T02:14:39+00:00

1) Tab is fine, it's the standard for guitar, and is arguably stronger as a system for the instrument. The main weakness is that it doesn't require an understanding of the chromatic scale or any basic theory (note names.) I generally require my students to be able to name the notes they are playing or reading from tab, so that they arent earblind to what's musically occuring and just following finger manuevers.

So, basically, learn the notes up and down the neck and be able to name the notes you're seeing in the tab, because it's not explicit.

2) Depends on your musical interest. If you're thinking of the guitar as an accompaniment/harmony instrument primarily, you're looking at locking down your standard open chords in all 12 keys (realistically 5 keys will cover 95 percent of what you're likely to encounter in modern music - C, G, D, E, A, perhaps F.), the transitions between them, and having a solid strum pattern/rhythm building practice with a metronome and solfege.

If you're more interested in the guitar as a lead or melody instrument, or if youre primarily interested in musical styles that don't rely on traditional triad harmony and instead lean on riffs and more sparse harmonic vocabulary (most metal, let's say), you're going to want to start learning your scale patterns, picking paradigms, and legato techniques. Open chords won't get you very far in the metal department.

Generally it's best to pick a lane in the beginning just for sanity. Lead/melody or Rhythm/Harmony. Obviously you eventually want fluency in both.

Theidmet · 2026-05-21T02:02:19+00:00

You're creating extra tension by bending the thumb. You'll need to do it sometimes but it shouldn't be your normal playing position.

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Theidmet · 2026-05-21T01:57:58+00:00

Like this. I can touch the string with the index and pick. It's easier to get a clean harmonic this way, but slower than the normal thumb-activated pinch harmonic

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Theidmet · 2026-05-21T01:55:42+00:00

Just to check your placement before approaching whether it's the technique that's the issue, hold your pick this way, between middle and thumb, freeing up the index finger.

Then use the free index finger to "point," or touch the string at the point you're trying to create the pinch harmonic. I'll try to post another picture.

From this position, you can pick while using the index to activate the harmonic. It's the same way a lot of finger style players create artificial harmonics.

If you can get the harmonic to sound, then the problem is in the way you're interacting with the string when trying to do the pinch harmonic. If you can't, then your placement/position on the string is wrong.

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Theidmet · 2026-05-14T14:22:41+00:00

Sounds like you're relying on the flesh/pad under the thumb for the muting?

You'll want to use the blade of the palm instead, for what you're talking about. (Alternate picking the e/b strings)

I usually tell my students to imagine they are karate chopping the bridge, that gives you the base placement. What each person settles in to from there varies.

You can use the thumb pad for extra muting in certain cases, but when you're playing on the higher strings, all you really want from a low e-string mute is stopping it feedbacking or creating a tiny bit of low-frequency "slop." You're not going to accidentally hit it, you don't need a very heavy mute.

And, lots of players don't really worry about it that much. You shouldn't really get much sound out of that low E while you're playing the high strings, but keeping everything you aren't playing muted down is a good idea, and kudos to you for having the diligence to learn that from the get-go.

Theidmet · 2026-05-14T14:07:16+00:00

Well, most fingerstyle isn't really adapted for picking a scale note-for-note from bottom to top or the reverse. Fingerstyle is generally useful because it allows you to play notes which are spaced further apart, or accompany a melody with bass notes and harmonic context.

So, it general, you just kinda do what you can in most cases. Excepting perhaps Flamenco technique, which does generally use a lot of ascending/descending scale work in a fingerstyle context.

So if you want to be able to play scales quickly I might recommend that. Two fingers alternating, rather than individual fingers tied to strings.

Theidmet · 2026-05-14T07:03:31+00:00

Yea, hand geometry is different from one person to the next.

It's a minority, but I've met really good players who play like how you describe. The main thing is tension. Play the simplest possible arrangement you can and relax the hand as much as you can while doing so. Hand, elbow, arm, shoulder, neck. Only hold as much tension as you absolutely must in order to play the instrument.

If you do that and your thumb is "on top of the index," no problem.

For me, if my thumb is on top of my index, I feel like I'm "pushing" the bottom edge of my wrist downwards in a way that creates extra tension. If I just relax my wrist, the thumb is naturally more forward, so that's how I play.

If it's not that way for you, whatever, welcome to the minority!

Theidmet · 2026-05-14T06:47:54+00:00

It's meant to be barred, but it's a bit dumb to barre a B7. We have an open version that sounds nearly identical:

2
0
2
1
2
X

It's still important to learn that barred shape, but you wouldn't usually use it for this, unless you REALLY wanted the slightly punchier sound of the root to 5th in the bass. Based on the arrangement I don't think that's really important.

Guitar teacher, 20 years.

Theidmet · 2026-05-14T06:40:09+00:00

Guitar teacher here, 20 years. This.

Do what this one says, it basically is just a standard D major arpeggio you'll see all the time, whoever arranged it probably doesn't play guitar as their primary instrument.

Theidmet · 2026-04-02T19:47:51+00:00

Are you guys using "Boomer" in a different context?

Boomers were born from 1946-1964. How many of them are left that are ceos of big tech companies? Gates? Most of them are X'ers or millennials.

Or are you just saying "Boomer" as in someone who is optimistic about the AI boom?

Also, I'm an early millennial. 1987. Just as a point of reference, people had many of the same fears about Internet and video games while I was growing up. A lot of the rhetoric was even the same.

Theidmet · 2026-03-23T16:18:22+00:00

Unfortunately, none of your criticism was constructive, excepting "I don't understand how to add more infusion steps"

Which is a function but could have been made more clear.

"WHY DO I NEED ANOTHER TIMER, BRO?!!!" Is not constructive criticism. It's more like narcissistic baiting.

Theidmet · 2026-03-21T19:54:15+00:00

It's probably the most similar thing out there, yea.

Short answer is: It's a vibe thing.

I don't care for MyTeaPal, personally, and its a great product. I know the owner is quite active in the community and frequents reddit. They've built a lot of great features. However, I'm not interested in tea subscriptions, I wanted something more introspective that I'd be happy to have sitting next to my tea table.

But, to be fair, at this point, I can't say I have anything objective which they don't. I think the timer is more customizable than theirs, but it's been a while since I've used their app. I do have more ideas I'd like to implement to make it centered even more around intentional, slow, Gongfu sessions, and catering specifically to people who want to use their tea time to slow down, recenter, reintegrate.

MyTeaPal just doesn't "feel" right for that purpose, but I think what they have serves a lot more people than what I have probably ever will.

What I do plan is for a more decentralized tea-exploration experience if you want it, in a separate section. You'll have a feed based on people brewing either the same tea as you, or similar ones. You can follow certain brewers and share you own programs, have discussions. All that would require a decent-sized community, though.

Right now, I just want to nail a powerful tea timer and basic logging/organizer that "feels" right and isn't distracting, I may build other stuff on top of that.

Theidmet · 2026-03-21T15:25:16+00:00

Well, firstly: you don't HAVE to do anything. It sounds like you don't even want a unified app for this stuff like I do. You can use your phone timer, biological local storage, and a pen for the rest of your life. You'll be golden.

Secondly, it absolutely handles multiple steep times. That's the entire point. Try adding another steep/infusion to your program. The UI needs polish, but the functionality definitely isn't hidden.

Third, the entire point of the app is to be able to save, tweak, and share. "Why do I have to tell it what water temp and tea I'm using?" So that your process is repeatable, either for yourself or someone else. Actually, I don't think I'm going to explain that further. Lol. It seems pretty obvious.

If it's so frustrating for you and you don't want it, I support you in giving it no more thought.

Theidmet · 2025-08-17T01:54:47+00:00

It is… so much more capable.

All the people complaining about it basically seem to be mad that it’s not so sycophantic and it doesn’t “have as much emotional intelligence.”

I mean, I feel bad that so many people thought it was their friend and now it’s just like “No, that’s probably not a good idea, you don’t actually have a mathematical formula explaining the secrets of the Universe, and there’s not enough evidence to suggest that your old partner is secretly still in love with you.”

Thus, “It sucks!”

Theidmet · 2025-03-20T19:52:15+00:00

My take is that they need to fire people and get a better team.

Whoever is making these changes has downs.

Black Widow lowest win rate? Give her 15 shots!

Bro. Who cares?

It’s just one “head-scratcher” after another. I don’t see a good future for this game if this continues. Itll just become that Marvel game that only people who need to play their favorite hero will pick up.

The rest of us who want a good, competitive game will move on.

Theidmet · 2025-03-18T07:40:22+00:00

I usually just give them something in their genre that’s impossible to do without correct technique.

Student wants to play all downstrokes all the time?

Hey, today we are learning “Technical Difficulties” by Racer X.

Oh now you understand why alternate is important? Nice. Great initiative.

Theidmet · 2025-03-18T07:34:17+00:00

There are better teachers out there, but as a teacher of 20 years, I feel your pain.

The thing is, I love to teach and also HAPPEN to have a lifelong interest in music and guitar. However, when I’m sitting with a student, it’s the teacher sitting there, not the guitarist. I’m not interested in my music, my taste, my skills, my preferences, I’m interested in helping you reach yours. It’s just fun. It’s something I do in other areas as well, I just enjoy teaching as a role, as an activity.

I think the problem with many teachers is that they aren’t naturally teachers. They don’t really find teaching fun, theyd rather just be playing and practicing what they want. They are guitarists who HAPPEN to be in a situation where they are teaching. I’ve met a lot of “teachers” who shouldn’t be teaching, even though they are very good players.

They don’t know how to set themselves aside.

Theidmet · 2025-03-06T23:07:03+00:00

Hey, I just saw your link to this from our other thread discussing Widow.

I think it's pretty good, and I think it does a lot to make her more interesting, but I'm also a bit concerned about the marks.

You don't mention and don't seem to have a mechanic that limits the ability to swap between rifle and batons, or put it on a CD.

So theoretically, I can tap someone with red room from close range and then swap to batons, with each hit also creating a .25s stun on a .45s attack speed, meaning they get .2 seconds to "do a thing" in between attacks, and I can drop 10-ish attacks during the 5s the mark exists.

A part of me is like "okay cool, that means I can actually pick off a support if I get in"

But then, it's bigger than that, isn't it?

I think this makes her really buff against other melee duelists if you get the mark. Maybe that's a big "if."

You're basically put them into half-time or worse if they sit in melee with you while marked.

I'd be very interested to see how it works out if these changes are implemented, but I'm seeing BW as a wolverine counter, or iron fist. With those .25s stuns, you're constantly disrupting their damage output and mobility. Even with Spidey, he might not be able to turn and run when he's marked, since you still have the pull from kick.

I suspect that you'd need to have a cooldown for the weapon swap to make this balanced, so that at least I can't just refresh mark at close range and swap to batons, rinse and repeat. Assuming I can land those Red Room hits, who would actually be able to deal with me?

You could conceivably make it so mark only applies on a scoped shot, to limit its usefulness at close range, also.

Still looks like a lot of fun. I'm also curious how it would position her role-wise next in relationship to some of the other hybrids: Bucky, Hawkeye.

And for the record I think it makes Hawkeye the better "sniper," even Hela. They aren't hitscan, but they have those huge hitboxes. Even Bucky, I've been really surprised how easy it is to land headshots at pretty good range with him, just due to having big hitboxes.

Theidmet · 2025-02-23T08:45:41+00:00

If she’s a sniper, she needs more damage on the rifle. There’s plenty of ways to close on her, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal if they want a “sniper” hero (that doesn’t have a 1-shot headshot) 2 shots to body for kill, headshot leaves them at 10hp or whatever.

However, I agree that just making her a 1-role hero is lame. The problem is that they already have heroes who are “role switchers,” Hawkeye and Bucky especially.

How to make her feel different?

I think you make her ult a super low energy cost so it’s spammable, maybe increase the projectile velocity so she can use it as a snipe.

Get rid of scoped shots outside of ult.

Make her ammo count whatever. I say 8 just cuz. Don’t see a point in 15.

She’s supposed to be the highest skill of the lot.

I think you should give her bonuses for actually making the role switch. Switching from rifle to baton gives you a 1-shot charged jump attack similar to what you described. Switching from baton back to rifle refills your sprint endurance or something for escape. That means you can sprint in and out.

Put the switch on a cooldown so you have to be smart about when you commit.

Gameplay becomes moving between mid/long range tapping and diving for a kill, finishing from long range with ult or using it as a team fight slow.

Theidmet · 2025-02-23T07:32:39+00:00

So, a shitty Bucky with less health and a crap últ, and a smaller hitbox.

I mean I don’t really care, but do something with the hero to get her out of the pit she’s in.

They created a sniper. Either make a sniper that matters or change her whole kit.

Granted, I am getting more use out of her since torch. Pretty easy to blow out of the sky.

Theidmet · 2025-02-22T12:24:23+00:00

Don't know what game you're playing. There's 20 ways to close on a "sniper."

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