How to Play Outside and Return Inside When Improvising
Playing 'outside' means deliberately stepping outside the current key or chord (see [[solo-over-chord-changes-not-one-scale:the article on chords outside the key]]), but unlike an accidental wrong note, it's a tension device, not a mistake - and it only works if it's followed by a clear return 'inside'.
The difference from a wrong note is intent and return
An accidentally wrong note sounds like a mistake precisely because, after it, the guitarist either loses their place or carries on as if nothing happened. 'Outside' is the same note, but taken deliberately, briefly, with a clear move back to 'home' notes right after it - the listener hears intentional tension with a resolution, not an error.
The simplest device: shifting the same shape by a semitone
Take an already-familiar pentatonic position (see the article on getting started improvising) and, for a couple of notes, shift it entirely one fret up or down before returning to the original position - the exact same finger pattern, just temporarily out of place. It's the most predictable way to sound 'outside' without inventing new notes from scratch.
Keep the outside episode short
One or two notes outside the key, immediately followed by a clear return, sound like a device; a prolonged excursion with no felt return just reads as wrong, even though it's technically the same device. The shorter the episode starts out, the clearer the difference between 'deliberate' and 'accidental'.
The return needs to be clear, not gradual
A sharp, clear landing on a chord tone on the strong beat (see the article on targeting chord tones) right after an outside episode confirms to the listener that the departure was intentional. A smooth, vague slide back into key blurs the whole idea of tension - the contrast needs to be as sharp as the departure itself.
Drill: outside on a single note
Play a familiar pentatonic phrase, add exactly one note a semitone above or below what's expected right before landing back on a chord tone - listen for whether it sounds like tension with resolution or like an accidental mistake. One note is enough to hear the principle before making it more complex.
Try it in practice
Open chord trainer