Kickin off April with an improv in C Major - a 1454 - CFGF - with a bit of a swing feel.
Backing track courtesy of Dave Simmons from Tao of Twang. He just keeps makin these pretty simple, but very cool and engaging tracks that are great teaching tools for me.
Used C Major pentatonic as the basic framework here, and tried to add in the F note in particular to help highlight the 4 chord, and also the B ( 3rd of G) here and there, from the full C Major scale.
A good exercise for me in trying to develop strategies and ideas for improv, and in particular targetting chord tones in a progression.
This time round its more scale based chord tone targetting. For other run throughs, I’ve tried it with triads/ arpeggio frameworks as well , which is trickier for me, but something I’m working on developing daily.
Any feedback, tips, etc welcome
Lovely tone, clean playing, and some melodic lines, Shane.
Perhaps can be improved by mixing up note length, rests, and more vibrato on sustained notes that end lines.
I think the challenge with these exercises is to develop the overall flow, so that flow builds and releases tension, tells a story, rather than just traversing up and down the neck.
That food for thought aside, you are relaxed, fluent, and progressing well down the lead path.
Major scales improve is always a little harder than the minor pent but you have the right idea. Targeting chord tones gives the solo a musical feel. The only thing is your not quite in the groove of the backing track. I’d like to see you slow down a little with more of a laid back feel.
Yep, I think I got a bit ‘over excited’ on this one, and filled her up too much. Concentrating on trying to work in those additional chord tones was the focus, but yep, the groove suffered a bit.
With more practise and experience, hopefully that’ll become mote automatic. Gonna take some time though, I know.
Hi, Shane. I agree with stitch on the major scales being a bit more challenging, but you’ve done a petty good job of it. I think the adage of sometimes less is more could apply here too; just could use some breathing room here and there. Love the tone you’ve dialed up.
I don’t usually listen to or comment on unlisted tracks. This was good enough in a number of ways well worth commenting on. Tone was nice, and traversing the fretboard was very good. You can really build on this. There are comments here from people that I have never heard play and or never do any improvisational playing. That said, as one who plays a lot of improvisational guitar I have the following comments:
List your videos. Take a chance. What is the point of unlisting videos? Get your music out there.
Tell a story, say something when you play lead guitar. I released a very rudimentary video that conveys this concept: Phrasing With The Changes . I feel that the goal is to make your guitar say something when you play lead. The guitar is the vocalist in this context.
Thanks for the listen Clint, and the feedback. It is much appreciated as always.
I did watch your video when you put it up, and took some ideas away from it.
Re making my vids public. I suppose I want to get a bit better first. ie. a bit more automatic in parts, so I can concentrate more on phrasing, and telling a story with my playing.
Thats why my practise schedule centres around scales, triads, arpeggios. And watching lots of improv teaching videos from a select group of Youtubers
I feel I’m at the stage where I’m getting reasonably OK with moving around, trying to tell a story, utilising scales, triads, arpeggios etc, but not always well together. Major scale is a bit tricky on the fly - a semitone out and often you’ve hit sour city. Thats why at the moment I’ve been doing alot of major pentatonic/ diatonic improv to try to bed that stuuf down a bit more. Also constantly working on triads and arpeggios to mix them in. But not really yet at the point where I can play whats in my head on the fly. Sometimes it does happen in parts, which is a great feeling.
Really enjoying the ride, and having loads of fun. But sometimes, just sometimes, the road ahead seems so long…
Love the tone, are you practicing without the delay? I find I can get ‘tighter’ practicing without and then adding back in. It adds a nice feel as you’re playing though, so need to practice with as much as without I guess.
Sounding great Shane! I had a quick go over that backing track and I found the time signature tricky - not sure what it was (6/4? I seemed to count 6 beats in the bars). Anyway, the bloody chords kept changing where I wasn’t quite expecting it, so I couldn’t make my improv sound good at all
Thanks for listening.
Funny you say that, cos Dave from Tao of Twang even said he wasnt sure of the time signatue, and he composed it.
I think he called it ’ a bit of a swing 3/4 or 6/8 type of feel’. I liked it though, as with all his BTs.
Great stuff as always Shane. I don’t check out as much of the electric guitar posts as I should but try to keep an eye out for yours. Always enjoy the groove you get going!
Thought I’d add this one in, so I’ll stop playin it . Continuing with major scale improv - a 1645 in C - limiting myself to one position mainly, with parts of others to add some movement and colour. Heres one version.
I nearly missed it Shane, as I forgot to put a Watch on this topic. Thank goodness the muse directed me to browse ‘Latest’ this morning.
That was delicious, full of feeling, a great vibe, and a tone that was so good.
I think it worked better for not going up and down the neck repeatedly. In fact I would have ended it naturally at about the 2’00" mark on the last walk down lick.
That said, as I was absorbed in this I wondered how it might work to move directly from the pattern you start at to one at the highest point of the neck, or at least significantly higher, rather than working your way up to the highest position by walking through each of the patterns between? And you did that in the last few moments and I think it works well.
Now I am just musing. So shall quit that and have another listen … it was that sweet.
. Very enjoyable (both pieces) - thanks for sharing 
.