This is a supplement to the 2nd Edition of The Guitar Lesson Companion, Volume One by Susan Palmer

Playing a solo is like telling a story. You may have a great idea for a story and a lot of excitement to share it, but it takes skill to convey it in a way that is clear, a little unpredictable, and enjoyable. These diatonic interval studies can jumpstart your melodic ideas, build your technique, and help you train your ears to know what you are hearing or playing (or what you want to play) as you tell *your* story through your solo.

These are fundamental exercises for serious guitarists, and they are part of daily practice for professional musicians on all instruments. (Watch Jennifer Batten's Lesson.) I created these pages for guitarists who know how to read standard music notation and use the CAGED system, or who are learning them in The Guitar Lesson Companion, Volume One because my guitar students need to see exactly how to apply intervals to their guitar practice. I'm hoping they will help many other guitar students, including the thousands of guitarists who use my method book series.

These studies can be practiced for a lifetime, so take them one at a time (slooowly) with your teacher. Apply what you are learning to your solos and compositions, so they will stick better, and notice when these patterns show up in the music you are listening to. At some point, you should transpose them to all 12 keys. You can do this on paper or in your head, or both. But first things first: download the pages, and grab your guitar!