Beautiful Solo on Acoustic Guitar

target notes vs. scale noodling

Hey guys, let’s talk about the difference between playing a solo using target notes or scale noodling. I consider the first one to be professional and researched while the second one is perfect for beginners and to “play something.” I love both approaches, so I hope I can help you understand the difference.

Target notes are the notes of the chords we are using to improvise or write solos and melodies. If I am playing over an A minor chord, my target notes will be A C E (I – III – V). Once you memorize the notes of the chords, you should then add the scale around the chord shape so that you can access additional notes for your solos/melody.

Scale noodling is different as we learn the scale relative to the key an improvise a solo or melody without considering the chords.

In this video, I am going to show you both approaches. Remember that this exercise can be done at any level, so if you are a beginner, play a few notes.

Tab and backing track available on my Patreon page.