I’ll never forget my first guitar lesson.
My teacher taught me the C Major scale on one string. Just one string. I thought, “Okay, cool, a scale.” Then he said something I’ll never forget:
“Now I’m going to play some chords, and you’re going to improvise. Don’t think about it. Don’t worry if you make a mistake. Just have fun.”
And that’s exactly what I did. I played nonsense. I hit wrong notes. But I had fun.
That was the start of my journey as an improviser.
Improvising Is A Language
Here’s the truth that took me years to fully understand: improvisation is a language.
- Scales are the alphabet. Useful, but you can’t have a conversation with just the alphabet.
- Licks are vocabulary. Words and phrases that actually mean something.
- Backing tracks are conversations. The place where you practice using your vocabulary in real time.
And just like learning a language, you need to practice using that vocabulary in different contexts, different keys, and different orders—until it becomes your voice.
My 3-Step Process
Here’s the exact process I went through—the same process my teacher used with me—to go from scale-running beginner to confident improviser.
Step 1: Have Fun First
This is exactly what my teacher told me: just have fun.
Find a backing track in a key you know, and just play. Don’t think. Don’t judge. Just have fun.
This step removes the pressure. You’re not trying to impress anyone. You’re just getting comfortable making sounds. You’re learning the geography of the fretboard. You’re training your ear.
Step 2: Learn Real Vocabulary
Okay, so you’ve had some fun. Now it’s time to build your vocabulary.
Here’s the key: learn actual solos from real guitarists. Not just isolated licks. Not just exercises. Learn entire solos.
Why? Because solos are real-world musical examples. They’re complete sentences, not just random words.
And here’s a tip that will change everything: try to learn these solos by ear. Don’t look at tab straight away. Put on the recording and try to figure it out yourself. When you figure it out by ear, the lick sticks in your brain so much better. You own it.
If you can write it down—even rough tab on a piece of paper—even better. You don’t need to be a music theory expert. Just scribble it down.
Step 2.5: Play Your Favourite Licks In Different Keys
Take a lick you’ve learned and practice it against backing tracks in different keys. This makes your licks universal, not tied to one specific song.
Same lick. Different key. It still works.
Step 3: Rinse, Lather, Repeat
So you’ve learned a Gilmour lick. You’ve learned a Clapton lick. You’ve practiced them both against backing tracks. Now what?
Now you do what I call “rinse, lather, repeat.”
You take those licks and you try to stick them together in a solo. You play the Gilmour lick, then the Clapton lick. Then you play them the other way around. Then you try them in a different key. Then you try them with a different rhythm.
At first, it sounds contrived. Forced. You can hear the joins. That’s fine – that’s the process.
But over time, something magical happens. You start to subtly change the licks. You bend a note a little later. You add an extra pick stroke. You change the timing.
And eventually, those licks stop being “the Gilmour lick” and “the Clapton lick.” They become your licks.
In fact, if someone asked me where I got this lick from now… I honestly couldn’t tell you. It’s just part of my vocabulary.
The Takeaway
If you’ve ever felt like you can’t improvise—like it’s some magical gift that other people have and you don’t—I want you to know: you can learn this.
It’s a language. And like any language, it takes practice, patience, and a willingness to sound bad before you sound good.
But if you follow this process—if you have fun, if you learn from the players you love, and if you stick with it—you will get there.
And when you do, it’s one of the most satisfying things in the world.
Watch the full lesson here:
What’s the ONE solo you’ve always wanted to learn? Let me know in the comments—I might feature it in a future lesson!