On improv

[Alan L]

I’ve been working on practicing improvising, and lots of lightbulbs going off within these two lessons. I recommend checking them out if you want to develop your improv!

How to find the Groove. Call & Response Blues in C minor – Guitar Lesson – EP641

How do I Improvise on guitar? Start simple and expand! Guitar Lesson – ML136

[Michael Krailo]

Yes sir, those are some great lessons. I love starting with simplicity. It always makes for something creative to emerge. The intervals as described in ML136 covers six notes of the major scale. Add in the 4th and you have it all. Very good stuff. I have been working on drilling smaller chunks of the major scale recently moving in all the string pairs horizontally. That has really been eye opening for me personally. I can now start from any scale degree and know the exact pattern to play from any note in a given scale. It’s all coming together amazingly well.

The final part that is holding me back, is phrasing technique up to tempo. Mainly vibrato and quick slides that move to a note and right back again. It’s just not easy to do, and takes a lot of work. I just need lot’s of work on quality phrasing.

Root note patterns >>> CAGED shapes >>> TRIAD'S. Just put in the work and watch your guitar skills soar.

[Alan L]

I’d say there wasn’t anything new for me in terms of fretboard mapping. More about practice mindset. I tend to learn lesson solos first, then go back and learn rhythm parts if I had time/felt like it. And my “improv” was generally either crafting solos ahead of time based on chord changes (which has its place,) or aimless noodling.

So I’m trying to be more focused and intentional in practicing improvising. My new approach has been to start with a bass line, triad comping, and/or finding hooks before I dive into the lesson material. I realized this is what I would do when learning a song on the radio, or at a jam, so why not with AM lessons? Then I can add my licks and patterns onto that, but always have that foundation to go back to when I feel lost. It’s revitalizing my practice time!

[Michael Krailo]

Interesting, I do the exact opposite. I tend not to play anything as it is laid out by Brian unless it is a lick I really want to learn. I start doing my own thing immediately based off of what I know mapping wise. That literally is the key to playing melodies and making music in my opinion. The key gives us the raw materials like possible chords and scale notes for creating a melody. The ability to create and play musical phrases is more of a technical thing for me. I can hear lots of things in my head that my hands just can’t keep up with technically.

At first, even if you know all of the scales and chords, you may not have an ear that is fully trained or aware yet. That just takes time. The ultimate goal is to play as easily as you can whistle or sing. You just know where to go to create the sound you want.

Root note patterns >>> CAGED shapes >>> TRIAD'S. Just put in the work and watch your guitar skills soar.

[Alan L]

I had a pretty solid foundation coming in, played jazz trumpet through college and have played bass for about 25 years. When I got here I was struck by the refreshing nature of the AM lessons; fun to play and the learning is kinda subconscious. I liked not being bound by a strict academic routine and also not learning covers.

Its worked well so far, closing in on 6 years playing these lessons. But I also think I’m on a plateau and trying to break out and keep things exciting.

Anyways- I didn’t know how much explanation to put in the first post and left it pretty vague. Thanks for chiming in and helping me get my thoughts in order! 🙂

[Michael Krailo]

Learning covers was a trap for me at least. Learning from tab alone is pretty much copying or memorizing a sequence of notes with no real understanding of how music works. So I agree, this way of learning is outstanding, but many want to shortcut the learning process and get sucked into the memorizing tab trap.

I’m interested in what way you think your on a plateau. My only barriers now are technical ones, that’s where all my focus has to go at this point. I have all the theory I’m ever going to need, just need to play in time and with better phrasing skills. I would love to improve my picking skills to gain more speed an accuracy, but it’s a lot of work. Just reigning in those strings that you don’t want to hear by using good muting skills is not easy to do.

Root note patterns >>> CAGED shapes >>> TRIAD'S. Just put in the work and watch your guitar skills soar.

[Alan L]

I think it’s a practical matter, I can’t really maintain the amount of memorization I’m doing. So looking to shake up how I interact with the material. Plus there’s a certain fragility to my improvisation, I crash and burn too easily. I want to be more creative and authentic, while also being more resilient and steady on improv.

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