Noodling Versus Soloing

I like to solo with improvisation on guitar, but I hate noodling. I have never heard of anyone who prefers noodling, except someone might use it to sleep by. By saying noodling I mean soloing without soul or to a more logical mind soloing with patterns, but just pushing notes without prior knowledge of the outcome.

It is very important to know that some musicians could be capable of soloing, but never will be out of fear of noodling, and that is unfortunate. If that is the case, for guitarists I recommend practicing without an amplifier because your mistakes won’t sound so loud.

Every musician who attempts to take a musical solo started as a noodler and may continue to noodle while practicing because noodling represents a transitional period where one must make mistakes first in order to be able to sound right. This is a process all jazz musicians go through, and jazz still often has too many noodlers in my opinion. To really sing on an instrument is a lifetime undertaking and it also means listening to music until you can know what the changes are and you can hear a line through them that is your voice, and only your voice.

Also, noodling can happen if one dives too deep into theory, such that the overall sonic landscape is lost in favor of complexity. However, I think a lot of potential soloers never try improvisation because they are afraid that the sound will not be good.

Noodle on boys and girls because through practice noodling eventually you will be able to sing a solo on your instrument. One does not first learn to run with the best before they crawl.

Patterns Within Patterns 1: Pentatonic Minor inside a Phrygian Pattern

	Open	7th Fret	8th Fret	9th Fret	10th Fret
Thickest String	E	3	4		5
	A	6		7	1
	D	2		3	4
	G	5		6
	B	7	1		2
Thinnest String	E	3	4		5
This Modal Scale is ideal because it is as the sweet spot of quality guitars.
	Open	7th Fret	8th Fret	9th Fret	10th Fret
Thinnest String	E	3	4		5
	B	7	1		2
	G	5		6
	D	2		3	4
	A	6		7	1
Thickest String	E	3	4		5
Minor Pentatonic Is a Pattern that often sounds great if it is mixed within the Phrygian mode.
This is the minor pentatonic scale pattern.
Thickest String	E	3			5
	A	6		7
	D	2		3
	G	5		6
	B	7			2
Thinnest String	E	3			5
This Larger Pattern Modal Scale which is ideal because it is as the sweet spot of quality guitars.
	Open	7th Fret	8th Fret	9th Fret	10th Fret
Thinnest String	E	3			5
	B	7			2
	G	5		6
	D	2		3
	A	6		7
Thickest String	E	3			5
See how these patters merge?
Because they fit, it is such that they can easily be used together, especially in improved solos.
	Open	7th Fret	8th Fret	9th Fret	10th Fret
Thickest String	E	3	4		5
	A	6		7	1
	D	2		3	4
	G	5		6
	B	7	1		2
Thinnest String	E	3	4		5
	Open	7th Fret	8th Fret	9th Fret	10th Fret
Thinnest String	E	3	4		5
	B	7	1		2
	G	5		6
	D	2		3	4
	A	6		7	1
Thickest String	E	3	4		5
Notes in red are common to both scales, making them especially good choices for soloing.