Workshop Replay

How to Make the Pentatonic Scale Sound Melodic Over Chord Changes

Learn the 2-Chord Targeting Method I use to make my pentatonic solos follow the chords — without trying to target every chord in the progression.

Want the full training system?

The Melodic Improv Trainer

(Lifetime Access)

The Melodic Improv Trainer is my private, three-month training system, designed to turn the scales, licks, and concepts you already know into melodic improvisation skills you can actually use.

Each week, you’ll work through guided exercises and challenges that use simple musical restrictions to stop your hands from running back to the same habits.

Step by step, you move from controlled exercises into free improvisation—until melodic improv starts appearing naturally in your solos.

I call this

Structured Creativity.

Because the exercises happen while you’re improvising. You’re literally practicing the exact moment most players get stuck:

Making better musical decisions in real time.

Inside the Melodic Improv Trainer
Inside the Melodic Improv Trainer
Inside the Melodic Improv Trainer
Inside the Melodic Improv Trainer
Inside the Melodic Improv Trainer

Scroll to see more of the Trainer →

After each section, you can post your playing for feedback. We’ll listen for what is working, identify what is still holding you back, and tell you exactly what to focus on before moving forward.

So by December 31, your playing will naturally sound more melodic, connected, expressive, intentional and confident — without having to think about every note while you play.

You’ll finally enjoy hearing yourself play.

What’s Actually Inside the Melodic Improv Trainer

9 Challenges· 49 sections· 400 lessons· 11h 56m

Each Challenge adds one shape or one connection — and drills the same two chord tones into it until you stop thinking about them.

  1. 01

    Pentatonic Shape 1

    68 lessons · 2h 08m

    Chord tones, targeting and your first two Lick Starters — all inside the shape you already know.

    • Drill 1 — The iii chord in Shape 1 · 13 lessons
    • Drill 2 — The iii and V chords in one progression · 9 lessons
    • Lick Starter 1 · 14 lessons
    • Deep Dive 1 — The V chord · 10 lessons
    • Deep Dive 2 — The iii chord · 10 lessons
    • Lick Starter 2 · 12 lessons
  2. 02

    Pentatonic Shape 2

    64 lessons · 2h 02m

    A new shape, the same two chords, and a full phrasing breakdown of one of my solos.

    • Drill 1 — Shape 2 + solo phrasing breakdown · 8 lessons
    • Drill 2 — The V chord in Shape 2 · 11 lessons
    • Drill 3 — The iii chord in Shape 2 · 11 lessons
    • Drill 4 — Both chords in Shape 2 · 7 lessons
    • Deep Dive 1 — The V chord · 8 lessons
    • Deep Dive 2 — The iii chord · 9 lessons
    • Lick Starter 3 · 10 lessons
  3. 03

    Connecting 1 & 2

    44 lessons · 1h 08m

    Where the neck opens up — connector drills, shape-switching games and the Ultimate Improv Practice.

    • How to connect Shapes 1 and 2 · 3 lessons
    • Drill 1 — Connector drills and switching games · 11 lessons
    • Drill 2 — The V chord across both shapes · 11 lessons
    • Drill 3 — The iii chord across both shapes · 11 lessons
    • Drill 4 — The Ultimate Improv Practice · 3 lessons
    • Practice and inspiration — improv examples, phrasing breakdowns, every lick in one place · 5 lessons
  4. 04

    Pentatonic Shape 4

    59 lessons · 1h 37m

    Shape 4, both chords, sweeping tips and Lick Starter 4.

    • Drill 1 — Shape 4 · 8 lessons
    • Drill 2 — The V chord in Shape 4 · 11 lessons
    • Drill 3 — The iii chord in Shape 4 · 11 lessons
    • Drill 4 — Both chords in Shape 4 · 7 lessons
    • Deep Dive 1 — The V chord · 7 lessons
    • Deep Dive 2 — The iii chord · 7 lessons
    • Lick Starter 4 and lick · 8 lessons
  5. 05

    Pentatonic Shape 3

    53 lessons · 1h 24m

    The last of the five shapes, plus Lick Starter 5 and a blues lick.

    • Drill 1 — Shape 3 · 8 lessons
    • Drill 2 — The V chord in Shape 3 · 10 lessons
    • Drill 3 — The iii chord in Shape 3 · 11 lessons
    • Drill 4 — Both chords in Shape 3 · 4 lessons
    • Deep Dive 1 — The V chord · 7 lessons
    • Deep Dive 2 — The iii chord · 7 lessons
    • Lick Starter 5 and blues lick · 6 lessons
  6. 06

    Connecting 3 & 4

    31 lessons · 54m

    The second connection point, drilled the same way as the first.

    • How to connect Shapes 3 and 4 · 2 lessons
    • Drill 1 — Connector drills and switching games · 10 lessons
    • Drill 2 — The V chord across both shapes · 9 lessons
    • Drill 3 — The iii chord across both shapes · 9 lessons
    • Drill 4 — Combining V + iii · 1 lesson
  7. 07

    Pentatonic Shape 5

    47 lessons · 1h 16m

    The final shape — and now every position on the neck is covered.

    • Drill 1 — Shape 5 · 7 lessons
    • Drill 2 — The V chord in Shape 5 · 10 lessons
    • Drill 3 — The iii chord in Shape 5 · 11 lessons
    • Drill 4 — Both chords in Shape 5 · 5 lessons
    • Deep Dive 1 — The V chord · 7 lessons
    • Deep Dive 2 — The iii chord · 7 lessons
  8. 08

    The Whole Neck

    27 lessons · 55m

    All five shapes combined, random callouts, and the upper extensions behind my jazzy sound.

    • Drill 1 — Combining all five shapes + all Lick Starters reviewed · 13 lessons
    • Drill 2 — The V chord, shapes in order, random callouts, upper extensions · 4 lessons
    • Drill 3 — The iii chord, same treatment · 4 lessons
    • Drill 4 — Visualizing chord tones, shape-shift targeting, full integration · 6 lessons
  9. 09

    The I Chord

    7 lessons · 12m

    The last piece: the home chord, in all five shapes.

    • Intro to the I chord and one exercise per shape · 7 lessons

BONUS: 4 Months of Solo School Access

Coaching, feedback and community alongside the Trainer — through December 31, 2026.

Courses Teach You Concepts.Solo School Helps You Apply Them.

You probably already know enough scales, shapes, licks and exercises to be able to play and improvise melodically.

The problem is you’re not using most of the things you learn.

You finish an online course and understand the concept… but when the backing track starts, your hands return to the same familiar licks and habits. The new ideas never become part of your actual playing.

And even when something sounds wrong, you don’t know why or how to fix it.

Is your timing rushing?

Is your picking hand supposed to feel like this?

Is your vibrato too fast?

Are you landing on the wrong notes?

Is your phrasing too predictable?

Are your lines disconnected and choppy?

Are you practicing the wrong exercise for the problem you actually have?

A prerecorded course cannot listen to you.It cannot watch your playing, spot the problem, and say:

This is what’s holding you back. Here is exactly what you should work on next.

That’s why guys tell me they’ve been playing for many years and feel like they’ve barely moved, regardless of how much they practice. They don’t know what to focus on.

That is what Solo School is for.

It gives you somewhere to bring your questions, post your playing, get real advice, and receive help applying everything you have learned.

It’s the implementation layer missing from most online guitar courses — even mine.

Feedback given to a Solo School member Feedback given to a Solo School member

We’ll Help You Figure Out What To Fix.

I’ve been teaching guitar for more than a decade. I can watch someone play, and within seconds, hear exactly what they need to fix.

  • Sometimes it’s a phrasing adjustment.
  • Sometimes it’s a timing problem.
  • Sometimes it’s a small technique fix.
  • Sometimes it’s the right notes, but emphasized in the wrong place.
  • And sometimes you simply need a better exercise that connects a new idea to something you already play naturally.

The point is

Me and my trained coach can hear what’s holding you back — and tell you how to fix it.

And Solo School isn’t limited to one program only.

Inside Solo School, you can ask me and my coaches about anything guitar-related:

How to apply one of my courses How to improv over a track you’re struggling with How to make a solo more melodic How to fix a technical problem How to improve speed without creating tension How to use modes, chord tones, hexatonics, arpeggios, or licks musically How to improve your phrasing, articulation, timing, bends, vibrato, tone, or note choices What you should practice next

Instead of spending months practicing the wrong solution, you’ll get clear advice on what matters most and what to do next.

Everything You Get With the Melodic Improv Trainer Today

4 months of Solo School coaching and community + lifetime access to the Melodic Improv Trainer.

01

Lifetime Access to the Melodic Improv Trainer

My flagship improvisation program — a structured, roughly three-month follow-along system built to teach you how to improvise melodically across the entire neck, using the same framework I use in my own playing today.

This program is not sold separately. It’s only available here — and once you join, it’s yours to keep for life.

This is not a course you passively watch. You press play, pick up your guitar, and complete the exercises in real time.

The training helps you

  • Connect your phrases to the chords underneath you
  • Target melodic notes without stopping to think
  • Learn the same ideas I personally use in each pentatonic box
  • Improvise across multiple areas of the fretboard
  • Create lines that sound connected and intentional
  • Understand the techniques behind my “jazzy” and fusion-style sound

While the coaching is running, you can post a video of your playing after each major section. We’ll tell you what you’re doing correctly, what isn’t translating yet, and exactly what to adjust before moving forward.

You practice it You show us We correct it You try it again It works

And unlike the coaching side of Solo School…

You keep the Melodic Improv Trainer for life.

Go through it now, revisit it six months from now, redo a section next year, or come back any time your improvising slips back into old habits.

02

8 Live Zoom Calls With Me — Two a Month Until Dec 31

Twice every month, we meet live on Zoom for approximately 60–90 minutes. These calls are open coaching sessions.

You can

  • Ask me a question live
  • Play something for me
  • Show me a technical problem
  • Get help troubleshooting an exercise
  • Ask me to demonstrate an idea
  • Ask me to solo over a track you’re working on
  • Get feedback on a solo
  • Submit a question ahead of time for me to answer
A live Solo School Zoom coaching call

You don’t have to attend live.

Every call is recorded and uploaded to Solo School, and you immediately receive access to more than two years of previous call recordings — hours of advice on improvisation, phrasing, technique, tone, theory, practice, speed, songwriting, fretboard knowledge, and real student playing broken down.

The call archive Two years of recorded calls, yours the day you join
  • Aug 14, 2026Breaking Down 2 Licks · Breaking Down Chord Progressions · How to Think About the Hexatonic in Major vs. Minor
  • Aug 2, 2026Getting a Jazzy Sound · How to Structure a 2-Chord Improv
  • Jul 16, 2026Your Baseline vs. Your Ceiling · Speed Building Routines · Pentatonic Altered Trick
  • Jul 9, 2026Go-To Altered Chord Tricks · Ear Training to Identify Chord Progressions
  • Jun 4, 2026Speed Picking Swiping Technique · Muting for Clean Legato · Improv Strategy · Q&A
  • May 21, 2026Chord Tones Over a Fusion Track · Speed Burst Practice
  • May 7, 2026Improvising vs. Writing Your Challenges · Speed Warm-Ups
  • Apr 9, 2026Phrasing Tricks in Roy’s Solos · The Noise Launchpad and Rake Into Bends
  • Apr 3, 2026Writing Solos vs. Improvising · Wrist Vibrato Technique
  • —Playing Over Altered Chords · Writing Solos to Build Vocabulary · Practicing Triads for Improvisation
  • Mar 12, 2026Pentatonic for Colourful Improv · Lydian With Pentatonic · Chord Voicings
  • Feb 26, 2026Learning Fast Licks from a Solo · Creating Wide Modal Sounds
  • Feb 12, 2026Hand Positioning for Speed Picking · Speeding Up Challenging Phrases
  • Jan 29, 2026NAMM Recap · Roy’s New Music Man Guitars
  • Jan 15, 2026What to Practice to Play More Melodically · Roy’s Plans and Practice Routine
  • Dec 4, 2025Q&A
  • Nov 20, 2025Soloing Approaches Over the Collab Backing Track
  • Nov 6, 2025Developing Musical Fluency · Performance and Show Tricks
  • Oct 24, 2025Developing the Skills to Play Any Chord · What Roy Uses to Program Drums
  • Oct 9, 2025Q&A
  • Sep 25, 2025Creating a Modal Sound Over the Backing Tracks
  • Sep 11, 2025Strategies for Staying Consistent With Your Practicing
  • Aug 28, 2025Strategies for Building Up a Solo
  • Aug 14, 2025Strategies for “Outside” Playing · Improving Your Sense of Groove
  • Jul 31, 2025Playing the iii and V Chords Over the vi Chord · Making Arpeggios Interesting
  • Jul 17, 2025Warming Up & Injury Prevention · Improvisation & Building Vocabulary
  • Jul 3, 2025Combining Pentatonic Shapes · Improv vs. Writing · The Intermediate Rut
  • Jun 19, 2025Solo Structure · Vibrato · Practicing Licks · Timing Exercise
  • Jun 5, 2025Pentatonic Shape 2 · Vibrato, Bending, Raking
  • May 22, 2025Advanced Chord Tone Targeting · Tonality Exploration
  • May 8, 2025Chord Tone Targeting · Tension & Release · Pentatonic Mastery
  • Sep 19, 2024How to Solo Over: Tennessee Whisky, Unholy, Havana, and Triads
  • Sep 12, 2024Modes, Embellishing, Hand Synchronization, Picking, Muting, Melodic Playing
  • Sep 5, 2024Pinch Harmonics, Phrasing, Chord Tones, Triads
  • Aug 29, 2024Landing Fast Runs, Exercises, Understanding Modes, Playing Between Chords
  • Aug 22, 2024Tension, Speed Practice, Modes, Exercises, Phrasing, Learning Licks
  • Aug 15, 2024Q&A: Modes, Fretboard Visualization, and More
  • —Soloing Over Soulful Blues
  • Aug 8, 2024Make Your Solos Sound More Professional + Timing Exercises
  • Jul 25, 2024Embellishing Melodies + Preparing for Shows + Q&A
  • Jul 18, 2024Transforming Vocal Melodies Into Guitar Solos + Creating Melodies With Triads
  • Jul 4, 2024Upper Structure Triads and Arpeggios
  • Jun 27, 2024How to Solo Over Chord Changes
  • Jun 20, 2024One Chord Vamps, Phrasing, Hexa Scales, Minor vs Major, Harmonic Minor, Blues

Scroll the list — every new call is added the same week, and recorded, so you never have to be there live.

03

Ask Us Anything Inside the Community

Post your question inside Solo School and get advice from me and my coach, trained on my methods.

Ask about one of my courses, a solo you’re learning, something you heard me play, a technical problem, your practice routine, theory, tone, improvisation — or anything else related to guitar.

This is your opportunity to communicate with me directly and understand how I would approach the exact problem you’re facing.

04

4 Months of Personalized Feedback on Your Playing

Upload a video of your playing and receive specific, actionable feedback from a coach trained in my complete playing and teaching philosophy. He has a degree in jazz guitar, can shred, and is an incredible instructor fully trained in my methods and courses.

We’ll help you identify what is actually holding you back and give you a clear next step. Not vague feedback.

We look at things like

  • Phrasing and rhythmic structure
  • Timing and groove
  • Bending and vibrato
  • Note choices and chord-tone targeting
  • Technique and unnecessary tension
  • Articulation and dynamics
  • Solo structure
  • Whether the idea you’re practicing is appearing in your real playing

You’ll know what is working, what needs attention, and what to practice next.

05

4 Months in the Solo School Community

Inside Solo School you’ll be surrounded by other guitarists working on the same things: phrasing, tone, technique, timing, feel, theory, recording, and gear.

Some members post regularly. Others prefer to learn quietly in the background. Either way, you’re not left alone.

Inside the community, members

  • Post solos and exercises
  • Share progress and ask questions
  • Exchange practice ideas
  • Discuss technique, theory, gear, recording, and tone
  • Learn from previous feedback posts
  • Celebrate each other’s breakthroughs
Members posting inside the Solo School community

When you post, you get real comments, real feedback, real encouragement, and support from people who understand what you’re working on. Some members have been playing for more than 30 years. Others for five.

And you don’t have to post videos to get value. You can watch the lessons, workshops, and training on your own, while learning from other members’ questions, discussions, and feedback.

And when December 31 comes around, you still keep lifetime access to the Melodic Improv Trainer.

Imagine Hearing Your Playing Differently By December

Record yourself improvising today.

Then spend the next few months working through the Trainer, joining the challenges, asking questions, posting your playing, and applying the feedback you receive.

Today Dec 31

By December, you should hear a different player.

  • Answers to all their guitar-related questions
  • More control over where phrases begin and end
  • Better timing and more intentional space
  • Stronger bends, vibrato, and articulation
  • More melodic note choices
  • A clearer connection to the chords
  • More freedom across the neck
  • Better instincts when improvising
  • A much clearer understanding of what to practice

We’ll help you every step of the way.

Get the Melodic Improv Trainer $197. Lifetime Melodic Improv Trainer access + 4 months of coaching.

“I Feel Like Roy Is My Guitar Teacher”

Here’s what Solo School members have experienced.

Solo School has been far more meaningful and helpful than any other course I have ever been a part of. Before Solo School, I struggled with playing solos melodically and with structure. After a couple of months, I have already seen leaps and bounds in my playing that I haven’t seen in years.

Daniel K.Solo School member

As a recreational guitar player for the past decades, Solo School has been a game changer for me — providing exactly what I needed to make more progress in my soloing in the past couple of months than in the previous twenty years.

Lars D.Solo School member

Many of the exercises and challenges are constructed in real time, according to the needs of the students. I have been amazed to see how much everyone has progressed. There is so much happening here — a space suitable for growing and honing the craft.

Kenneth C.Solo School member

The feedback has been positive and encouraging, but also very specific about areas that could be improved. The challenges have made me more focused during my practice than I often am when working on a subject on my own.

Anthony W.Solo School member

The feedback Roy provides on the solos we send him is always informative, constructive, and helpful. Everyone is super supportive of each other regardless of style and where they’re at in their musical journey. Roy’s ability to analyze his own playing and share exactly what he’s doing is unrivalled.

Amy M.Solo School member

I love the systematic approach. The exercises prevent me from noodling around in my comfort areas of the fretboard. After a few weeks, I definitely feel more comfortable, confident, creative, and intentional with the way I am improvising.

Juanma G.Solo School member

After trying lessons from various schools and platforms, Roy’s stand out due to their ability to accelerate progress. He shares valuable insights and tools he developed through his own hard work, saving students time and money. Solo School has live meetings, provides valuable tailored feedback for each player, and a great positive community as well.

Deborah E.Solo School member

Roy clearly cares about his students, and he has an excellent ear to immediately pick out weaknesses in your playing. Perhaps most importantly, in Solo School, I feel like Roy is my guitar teacher.

Eddy H.Solo School member

I’ve done several courses and used lots of online resources before, but there is nothing so good as Solo School. In most courses they only focus on arpeggios — Roy teaches phrasing, rhythms and structures, and how he incorporates chord tones himself. That was a huge lightbulb moment for me.

Tim I.Solo School member

After 30 years of playing guitar and searching through thousands of YouTube videos, I finally found a way that works. With other courses, you receive the videos and have to practice, but nobody tells you where you can improve or where your weak points are.

Carl B.Solo School member

4 Months of Coaching + Lifetime Access to the Melodic Improv Trainer

The Melodic Improv Trainer is yours for life from the day you join. Alongside it you get four months of live calls, personal feedback and community access, running through December 31, 2026.

Summer Sale

4 months of coaching
+ lifetime Melodic Improv Trainer access

Coaching, feedback and community run through December 31, 2026.

Everything You Get for $197

  • Lifetime access to a structured improvisation trainingThe complete Melodic Improv Trainer — yours to keep, forever
  • 4 months of personalized feedback on your playingKnow exactly what’s holding you back and what to fix next
  • 8 live coaching calls with Roy ZivTwo live coaching sessions every month
  • 4 months of direct guitar support whenever you’re stuckAsk questions about improvisation, technique, phrasing, theory, practice, or your courses
  • The complete Solo School coaching archiveInstant access to more than two years of previous coaching calls, breakdowns, and demonstrations

$197

Summer Sale price

Lifetime access to the Melodic Improv Trainer, plus 4 months of Solo School coaching, community and feedback.

Get Lifetime Access — $197 Enrollment closes Aug 31.
Coaching, feedback and community run through December 31, 2026. The Melodic Improv Trainer is yours for life.

A note about 2027

This May Be the Last Time I Offer This

I’m still deciding whether Solo School will continue in 2027.

That means this may be the final opportunity to enter the complete program, work through the Melodic Improv Trainer, receive personalized guidance, and join the community in its current form.

— Roy Get Lifetime Access to the Trainer $197 today. The Melodic Improv Trainer stays yours for life.

Is This Right for You?

This is designed for you if…

  • You’ve been playing for a while but still feel stuck when improvising
  • You already know scales, licks, or theory but struggle to apply them musically
  • You own some of my courses and want help using the material
  • You keep falling back on the same phrases and fretboard patterns
  • You want to sound more melodic, expressive, and intentional
  • You want someone to listen to your playing and identify what you can’t hear yourself
  • You want direct guidance instead of another random collection of lessons
  • You want to understand how I approach improvisation, phrasing, technique, and practice
  • You’re willing to pick up the guitar, complete the exercises, and apply the feedback

It’s not the right program if…

  • You’re a complete beginner still learning your first basic chords
  • You only want more videos to collect, without practicing them

This is for guitarists ready to turn what they know into something they can actually play.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I keep after December 31?

The Melodic Improv Trainer is yours for life. You can work through it, come back to it next year, or redo a section any time your playing slips into old habits.

The coaching side — live calls, personal feedback, the community and the call archive — runs through December 31, 2026.

I already own several of your courses. Is Solo School still worth joining?

Yes — you’re exactly who Solo School was created for.

The courses teach you the concepts. Solo School helps you apply those concepts to your playing through feedback, coaching, challenges, and direct support.

What can I ask about?

Anything guitar-related. Improvisation, phrasing, speed, technique, tone, theory, fretboard knowledge, songwriting, practice routines, my courses, your solos, or a specific problem you’re experiencing.

Sometimes members post a backing track for me to solo over, and I’ll show them how I’d personally approach it.

What happens if I can’t attend the Zoom calls?

Every call is recorded. You can also submit your question beforehand and watch my answer later.

Do I have to post videos?

No. You can learn from the Trainer, the call archive, community discussions, and feedback given to other members.

That said, posting your playing lets us give you specific advice and will usually help you progress faster. Some members never post and still learn plenty by watching others.

Is the Melodic Improv Trainer available anywhere else?

No. It’s my flagship improvisation ‘challenges’ program, available only here — and once you join, it’s yours to keep for life.

Is Solo School suitable for beginners?

It’s best for guitarists who already know basic scales, shapes, licks, or solos and want to improve their improvisation and musical expression. It isn’t designed as a first-ever guitar course.

What if I don’t have much time right now?

That’s completely fine. Solo School isn’t something you have to “keep up with” every single week. Some members are active for a while, get busy for a month or two, then come back and dive in again.

You can watch lessons at your own pace, catch up on Zoom replays, read feedback threads, post when you’re ready, and use the community whenever it fits your schedule.

Solo School is always there when you’re ready to plug back in.

What happens on December 31?

Your Solo School coaching access ends — the live calls, feedback and community. You will not be charged anything else, and the Melodic Improv Trainer stays yours.

I don’t know yet whether I’ll keep Solo School running in 2027.

Still have a question? The best answer is inside.

Join today and ask me directly — on the next live call, or in the community.

4 Months of Coaching + Lifetime Access to the Melodic Improv Trainer

The Melodic Improv Trainer stays yours for life. The coaching, feedback and community run through December 31, 2026 — and the earlier you join, the more of it you get to use.

Summer Sale

4 months of coaching
+ lifetime Melodic Improv Trainer access

Coaching, feedback and community run through December 31, 2026.

Everything You Get for $197

  • Lifetime access to a structured improvisation trainingThe complete Melodic Improv Trainer — yours to keep, forever
  • 4 months of personalized feedback on your playingKnow exactly what’s holding you back and what to fix next
  • 8 live coaching calls with Roy ZivTwo live coaching sessions every month
  • 4 months of direct guitar support whenever you’re stuckAsk questions about improvisation, technique, phrasing, theory, practice, or your courses
  • The complete Solo School coaching archiveInstant access to more than two years of previous coaching calls, breakdowns, and demonstrations

$197

Summer Sale price

Lifetime access to the Melodic Improv Trainer, plus 4 months of Solo School coaching, community and feedback.

Yes — I Want Lifetime Access Enrollment closes Aug 31.
Coaching, feedback and community run through December 31, 2026. The Melodic Improv Trainer is yours for life.
Lifetime access to the Melodic Improv Trainer, plus 4 months of coaching through December 31, 2026.