Lesson series

How To Play Melodic Solos

Melodic Soloing shows guitarist how to play complete, melodic guitar solos using arpeggios, chord chasing, pentatonic and diatonic scales. So solos sound exciting and musical.

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Online guitar course · Melodic soloing

How To Play Melodic Solos

Build melodic guitar solos that follow the chords

How To Play Melodic Solos is an online guitar soloing course taught by Steve Stine. You build solos over three chord progressions in C, E and B major, step by step: simple arpeggios, chord-chasing arpeggios, pentatonic, then full diatonic solos. Later lessons add chromatic runs, color notes in pentatonic solos, tools for writing a melody and CAGED chord soloing. The course has 22 video lessons in five sections with a 77-page PDF book, and is included in GuitarZoom Premium.

22video lessons

2+ hoursof step-by-step teaching

5 modulesin a clear order

Intermediate to advancedlevel

77-page PDF bookincluded

In Premiumwith 15 more core courses

Excellent · 4.8 out of 5 on TrustpilotRead our reviews

START FREE 14-DAY TRIAL BUY THIS COURSE · $77

Included in GuitarZoom Premium · course 15 of 16 in the path (Stage 4: Advanced Soloing and Improvising)

Free preview

What How To Play Melodic Solos is about

Steve breaks every skill into simple steps you can follow. In these videos, he introduces the course, plays a rhythm example, and teaches a complete diatonic solo.

Course intro: Introduction · 2:35

Free preview lesson: Rhythm Example · 2:32

Free preview lesson: Solo 1 - Diatonic_Complete · 7:26

Who it's for

Is How To Play Melodic Solos right for you?

Players whose solos sound like scale runs. You'll learn to target the chords so lines sound like melodies.
Guitarists who know pentatonic and major scales. The course shows how to turn those scales into complete solos.
Players who know the CAGED shapes. A long lesson uses CAGED to follow the melody across the neck.

What you'll be able to do

Skills you'll walk away with

Solo with simple arpeggios over a progression
Use chord-chasing arpeggios to follow chord changes
Build pentatonic and full diatonic solos over C, E and B major progressions
Add chromatic notes to create runs
Add color notes to pentatonic solos across the fretboard
Use tools for creating a melody
Use CAGED chord shapes to solo

What's inside

The course, module by module

Every module and every lesson, in the order you learn them.

Module 1

Progression 1: C major

A rhythm example, then four solos over the same progression: simple arpeggio, chord-chasing arpeggios, pentatonic and complete diatonic.

6 lessons · 25 min

See all 6 lessons

Introduction 2:35
Rhythm Example 2:32
Solo 1 - Simple Arpeggio 3:31
Solo 2 - Chord Chasing Arpeggios 7:21
Solo 3 - Pentatonic 4:06
Solo 4 - Diatonic/Complete 5:05

Module 2

Progression 2: E major

A rhythm example and the same four solo approaches in E major: simple arpeggio, chord-chasing arpeggios, pentatonic and complete diatonic.

5 lessons · 22 min

See all 5 lessons

Rhythm Example 4:40
Solo 1 - Simple Arpeggio 3:13
Solo 2 - Chord Chasing Arpeggios 5:34
Solo 3 - Pentatonic 2:53
Solo 4 - Diatonic/Complete 5:16

Module 3

Progression 3: B major

A rhythm example and a complete diatonic solo in B major.

3 lessons · 13 min

See all 3 lessons

Rhythm Example 4:22
Solo 1 - Diatonic/Complete 7:26
Conclusion 1:10

Module 4

Melodic soloing techniques

Elements that make a solo powerful, chromatics for runs, color notes in pentatonic solos, tools for creating a melody and CAGED chord soloing.

5 lessons · 78 min

See all 5 lessons

Learning to Add those Crucial Elements that Make Soloing Powerful 11:37
Adding Chromatics for Killer Runs 13:15
Adding Color Notes into Your Pentatonic Solos Across the Fretboard 14:22
The Tools for Creating a Beautiful Melody 9:11
CAGED Chord Soloing - Follow the Melody 29:52

Module 5

Bonus lessons

Soloing with arpeggios, notes to color your solos and next-level pentatonic solos.

3 lessons · 16 min

See all 3 lessons

Soloing With Arpeggios 5:39
Cool Notes to Color Your Solos 5:44
Next Level Pentatonic Solos 4:48

START FREE 14-DAY TRIAL BUY THIS COURSE · $77

How it works

Learn at your own pace

Clear video lessons

Every move is shown up close. Pause, rewind and repeat each lesson as often as you need.

Practice materials

Includes 77-page PDF book. Use them to practice what you learn in each lesson.

Part of a clear path

This is course 15 of 16 in the Premium path, so you always know what to learn next.

Your instructor

Steve Stine

GuitarZoom Master Instructor

Steve has taught guitar for more than 30 years and has helped millions of players in over 100 countries. He has a Music Education degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead and taught guitar at North Dakota State University. He's known for breaking hard things into simple steps you can follow. Read Steve's full story

Student reviews

What students say about Steve's teaching

Excellent · 4.8 out of 5 on TrustpilotRead our reviews

"It's clear, precise and I can follow along really well."
Jim C.United States

"This is top class. Thank you very much. This is really good, gold standard."
Brian H.United Kingdom

"I really like Steve's systematic approach to practicing."
Kevin M.United States

"The lessons are easy to learn. You'll progress quite well. Do it."
David P.United States

"You're gonna be surprised. You're gonna learn a lot very quickly."
Timothy C.Canada

"I think the really positive thing about GuitarZoom is the structure of the lessons."
David C.United States

Read 100+ more student reviews

FAQ

How To Play Melodic Solos questions

What does melodic soloing mean?

It means building solos that follow the chords and sound like a melody. The course does this with arpeggios, chord chasing and scales over set progressions.

Do I need to know scales and arpeggios first?

You should know the pentatonic and major scale shapes. Simple arpeggio solos come first, and later lessons build on them.

Which keys are the solos in?

The three progressions are in C major, E major and B major.

Does the course use the CAGED system?

Yes. One of the longest lessons is CAGED Chord Soloing - Follow the Melody.

How long is the course?

There are 22 video lessons, about 2 hours and 34 minutes in total.

How do I get How To Play Melodic Solos?

How To Play Melodic Solos is one of the 16 core courses in GuitarZoom Premium. Premium costs $39 a month or $299 a year and starts with a 14-day free trial. You can also buy How To Play Melodic Solos on its own for a one-time $77.

What else is included in GuitarZoom Premium?

Premium gives you Steve Stine's 16 core courses in a clear, step-by-step path, from your first chords to improvising your own solos, plus a Jam Tracks library. You get every course from day one.

Can I cancel GuitarZoom Premium?

Yes. You can cancel any time. If you cancel before your 14-day trial ends, you won't be charged.

Can I watch on my phone or tablet?

Yes. You can watch on any computer, tablet or phone with an internet connection, as often as you like.

Next in the Premium path