Do you feel like your solos lack focus or that there isn’t any underlying structure to your lines? Does it seem that you are wandering around the neck, hoping that what you are playing “looks like it sounds cool”? Would pushing peas around a dinner plate with a knife be more riveting than the last lick you played? If any of these statements are true, then you need some guide tones, my friend.
Guide tones, also known as target notes, are commonly used in jazz improvisation and usually refer to only the 3rd and 7th of a chord. But, for our purposes, we’re going to apply a more generous definition where all notes of a chord can be used. There are two benefits to using guide tones: They create a predetermined melodic structure that serves as a framework for your solo, and they provide an inner melody to your lines that carry the sound of the chord changes.
The first two examples show a couple of possibilities when building a guide tone melody over a ii-V-I chord progression in the key of C major. The only requirement is that the guide tones should be played on the strong beats of the measure (beats 1 and 3). Next, spell each chord to see what notes you have to work with. For our progression, our choices will come from Dm7 (D-F-A-C), G7 (G-B-D-F), and Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B). Since these examples have one chord per measure, I have chosen to use only one guide tone in each measure. But, I could have used two guide tones in a measure, one on beat 1 and the other on the beat 3. Other than what has already been discussed, there is no right or wrong way to do this. Basically, pick some chord tones, put them on the strong beat(s), and see how it sounds. Change or edit as you see fit!
Take a listen to Ex. 1. The guide tones create a descending melody that leaps up at the end. Using one note per measure, the line starts with C (the 7th of Dm7), then to B (the 3rd of G7), to G (the 5th of Cmaj7) and finally E (the 3rd of Cmaj7). Ex. 2 has a guide tone line similar to the first example, descending for the first three measures and a leap up at the end. It begins with F (the 3rd of Dm7), to D (the 5th of G7), to B (the 7th of Cmaj7), and then to E (the 7th of Cmaj7).
Ex. 3 is an eight measure progression, similar in structure to a popular jazz standard. Harmonically, the first half is a ii-V-I-IV in C major and the second half is a ii-V-i in the key of A minor. In the first six bars, there is one guide tone per measure, and then concludes with two guide tones in each of the last two bars.
Once you have decided on a framework for your solo, use scales and arpeggios to add notes before each guide tone. By doing so, you create motion in your line that sounds musical, and not like you’re choosing notes at random. Listen to Ex. 4 where each guide tone is approached from above by a scale step. Since all the chords are in the key of C, my approach notes are from the C major scale. I can also think in modal terms, where I would use D Dorian in bar 1 to approach the G7 in bar 2. Then, I can use G Mixolydian in bar 2 to approach the Cmaj7 in bar 3, and C Ionian to approach the next Cmaj7 in bar 4. Ex. 5 is the same scalar concept, this time approaching the guide tones from below.
Ex. 6 and Ex. 7 use arpeggios to approach the guide tones from above and below, respectively. I prefer to do this by using the arpeggio of the chord I am going to, not the one I am playing over. So, when I am playing over the Dm7 in the first measure, I will use the G7 arpeggio to approach the guide tone in bar 2. Then, when playing over G7 in the second measure, use the Cmaj7 arpeggio to approach the guide tone in bar 3. This concept is a little easier to see in Ex.7. Dm7 is the chord in bar 1. You approach the guide tone in bar 2 with a G, which is not in a Dm7 chord, but it is in G7.
To get longer lines, use two, three, or more notes from the scale or arpeggio when approaching the guide tones. Ex. 8 approaches the guide tone from above and below, using two and three notes from the scale. Ex. 9 shows the same approach methods, but with notes from the arpeggio.
After you get a handle on the guide tone concepts, experiment with rhythms, rests, and an ever-increasing number of approach notes. Check out Ex. 10 as an example of what is possible. It’s the guide tone line from Ex. 2 fleshed out with a mixture of scale and arpeggio approach notes of various lengths. Ex. 11 is an expansion of the guide tone line from Ex. 3. I used an increasing number of approach notes in the first half of the line. The second half is more rhythmically complex, ending with the triplet figures in the last two measures.
Applying these concepts to something more familiar, Ex. 12 is one possible guide tone melody over an A minor blues. Give it a listen to hear how the first two phrases are relatively scalar, but the last phrase has more of a “sawtooth” vibe. Ex. 13 is the completed solo, using the ideas discussed previously. Throwing everything into the guide-tone blender yielded different types of approaches combined with a variety of rhythms and rests.
Once you get a foothold, substitute different modes, scales, arpeggios, chords, and time signatures to achieve some different sonic flavors. Remember that you are restricting yourself to these few concepts in order to get a more melodic and meaningful solo. If you practice it enough, your brain will start working this way on its own!
Universal Audio Inc. (UA), a worldwide leader in audio production tools, is proud to announce Volt 876 USB Recording Studio, a 24‑in / 28-out rackmount USB audio interface for Mac and Windows with eight Vintage preamps and classic 1176‑style compressors on every channel.
Delivering next‑generation 32-bit / 192 kHz audio quality, Volt 876 is designed for serious music producers and bands who want legendary UA analog sound, a curated suite of UAD plug‑ins, and powerful integration with UA's groundbreaking LUNA Digital Audio Workstation.
“Volt 876 is all about giving musicians and producers a classic UA analog studio sound, with more power to create together,” says Bill Putnam Jr., CEO of Universal Audio. "Beyond its fast, push-button tone shaping, it offers a level of digital integration with UAD plug‑ins and LUNA that we believe is the fastest path to creating great‑sounding music."
Volt 876 USB Recording Studio - $999 MAP USD
Built by the same team behind the award-winning Apollo interfaces, Volt 876 is a complete recording system with powerful hardware‑software integration, including instant session recall, AI‑powered tools in UA’s LUNA DAW, software remote control, and the premium UAD Producer Suite plug‑in bundle — giving musicians and creators everything they need to capture and shape music with authentic analog tone.
Key Features:
24‑in / 28‑out rackmount USB audio interface with eight onboard Vintage preamps and classic compressors — inspired by UA’s iconic 610 console and 1176 limiter
Next‑generation 32‑bit / 192 kHz audio conversion on Mac, PC, iPad, and iPhone
Includes LUNA Digital Audio Workstation with unlimited track count and smart AI-powered tools like Voice Control, Instrument Detection, and Tempo Listen
Features UAD Producer Suite plug‑in bundle with Teletronix LA‑2A and UA 1176 compressors, Pultec EQs, PolyMAX Synth, Showtime ’64 Guitar Amp, and more
Assistive Auto‑Gain, full session recall of front‑panel settings, and two low‑latency cue mixes with talkback using UAD Console app
ADAT connection allows aggregation of up to 3 Volt 876 interfaces, as well as integration with Apollo and other digital audio equipment
Volt 876 USB Recording Studio is now available for purchase from retailers worldwide.
Reverend Guitars has launched a new generation of the company’s Kyle Shutt Signature solid body electric: the Reverend Kyle Shutt Mark 2 covers an extraordinarily broad range of sonic ground…just like its namesake artist.
Reverend Introduces New Kyle Shutt Mark 2 Signature Electric
As a founding member of The Sword – a band that has toured worldwide with acts such as Metallica, Lamb of God, Clutch, and Opeth – Shutt’s playing deftly shifts between heavy fuzz, classic crunch, and open cleans. Since the band’s 2003 inception in Austin, TX, The Sword has blown away audiences with their unique brand of stoner rock-meets-doom metal-meets-70s riff rock.
Shutt’s new Reverend model includes a pair of Railhammer Kyle Shutt Signature pickups that deliver a plethora of tones with ease. Outfitted with custom Diver Flag fret marker inlays and gold hardware, this guitar looks as good as it sounds.
It also includes a special Reverend feature for shaping your tone: the guitar’s Bass Contour control knob is a passive bass roll-off that’s perfect for tightening up the low end, or re-voicing the pickups. It can make a humbucker sound like a single-coil, or give a P-90 that classic twang. With this Bass Contour control you’ve got variable pickup voicing at your fingertips.
Other features include:
Solid Korina body available in Ice White or Midnight Black finish
Railhammer Kyle Shutt Signature bridge and neck pickups
Electronic controls for bridge pickup volume, neck pickup volume, tone, bass contour control, and 3-way pickup selector
Three-piece Korina neck with 22 frets, 24 3/4" scale length, medium oval neck profile and rosewood fingerboard with 12” radius
Hardware includes Reverend Pin-Lock tuners and a tune-o-matic style bridge with stop tail piece
The Reverend Kyle Shutt Mark 2 electric carries a street price of $1499 and is available through any Reverend authorized dealer. For more information visit reverendguitars.com.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a punk or garage rocker who was not influenced by the raw tones that Wayne Kramer pitched into the guitar universe through MC5’s iconic recordings in the early 1970s. MXR teamed up with lifelong MC5 fan Johnny Wator of Daredevil Pedals to capture that gritty, groundbreaking sound in a compact, straightforward stompbox. The result is a pedal that delivers a huge rock ’n’ roll kick in the pants—just like Wayne’s music.
The MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive cranks out powerfully rich tones reminiscent of two dimed-out 100-watt amp stacks. Johnny combined his Drive-Bi Dual Gain Distortion with the MXR Micro Amp to create two separate gain stages, one cascading into the other. A single knob controls the outputs of both circuits, and as the volume is raised, more gain is fed from the first stage into the second. The EQ range is wide and balanced with all the definition you need to cut through a loud live mix with an unrestrained roar thick with harmonics. And it’s all passed the ultimate test—an early prototype of this pedal, delivered to an MC5 recording session, made it onto the album.
We figured this pedal should look as great as it sounds, so we enlisted street art pioneer Shepard Fairey to create a visual representation of the pedal’s rebellious tones.
A limited run, a majority of the proceeds from the sale of each pedal will be donated to Jail Guitar Doors USA, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Mr. Kramer, his wife Margaret, and Billy Bragg. For over fifteen years, JGD's efforts have included programs to help incarcerated individuals heal and grow through music in over two hundred facilities nationwide. In 2021, JGD opened the doors to their youth-driven C.A.P.O Center (Community, Arts, Programming & Outreach) in the heart of Los Angeles to aidsystem-impacted young men and women in the exploration of personal healing through the art of self-expression. To make a further donation, please visit jailguitardoors.org.
MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive highlights:
Special limited edition
Includes numbered certificate of authenticity
Recreates the raw tones that Wayne Kramer used in MC5
Reminiscent of two dimed-out 100-watt stacks
Two cascading gain stages—Daredevil Drive-Bi Dual Gain and MXR Micro Amp
Single knob increases both gain and volume for a thick, unrestrained roar
Custom artwork from Shepard Fairey
Co-designed with Daredevil Pedals proprietor Johnny Wator
Majority of proceeds go to nonprofit Jail Guitar Doors USA
Availability
The MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive is available now at $199.99 street/$285.70 MSRP from your favorite retailer.
Reverend Introduces New Kyle Shutt Mark 2 Signature Electric
