(Is this the right place to post an improv recording? If it’s not, please let me know.)
Took a crack at improvising in G Major, following Justin’s “Motif Development” lesson in Intermediate Grade 4. (I used my new looper pedal to record a G, D, Em, C progression.) The middle of this video is kind of boring/messy, but I was happy with the beginning and end.
I mostly play songs, so improv is way out of my comfort zone. Any advice is appreciated!
I’m a newbie at improv too so I can’t offer advice on your playing. However, your backing track was quiet so it’s difficult to hear how your improv is sitting on it.
Well done posting and keep up the good work!
Hi,
I’m no expert but as a musical listener…. There are some lovely little riffs in there and it isn’t too cluttered, there is space so you can appreciate them so I think it’s pretty good 
Ashwin
Certainly a good start and some nice phrases and runs here and there. Don’t be tempted to fill all the gaps, easily done when starting out down this road. Try and introduce some space where the impro breathes always helps. Let a note just run out for a whole bar, that type of thing. Think about the call and answer approach, just like a conversation. Sometimes you stop to ponder your response to a question. But all in all a good start, so well done stepping outside your comfort zone.
Cheers
Toby
That’s a great start to improvising, some nice riffs and motifs in there, the odd note that sounded a bit out of place but nothing really serious. It would be nice to hear a few bends, slides and vibrato in the mix, it always makes something good into something great!
Ashwin, firstly this is the right place to post.
I can echo what others have said … a good start, some good use of repeating ideas, and I see you know the fretboard and patterns well since you were all over the neck.
Gordon mentioned the level of the backing which could have been a little louder. My approach in an (one) attempt at doing that was to dial-in the tone I wanted for the lead using my bridge pickup. Then I switched to the neck pickup for the backing and dialed the tone back using the guitar volume, leaving the amp settings identical. Finally after recording the loop, I tweaked the playback level on the looper pedal. That delivered a reasonably satisfactory result.
Keep at it.
I’m just starting out on my improv journey Ashwin but to my ear it sounded really good.
Not too busy with some nice little bits in there.
Thanks! Very helpful. I’ll keep it in mind.
Great advice. I’ll try that next time. Haha, in the year and a half I’ve had this guitar, I’ve yet to touch the selector switch. Got to figure out how to use that.
Great stuff, sounding natural.
Plenty of space in there, don’t lose that…
Great first steps here, agree pretty much with what Toby said, don’t feel the pressure to fill out all the gaps. Easier said than done I know, but worth giving it a shot! All the best.
I’m new at improv as well so don’t have any input other than to say great start, sounding really good in places, some nice repetition. Keep having fun with it!
I quite enjoyed this. Keep it up