How do you make improvisation sound musical?

41

I will digest that, more good advice, thanks!

42

I’ve done up to module 3 but it was a long time ago and have probably forgotten more than I can remember.

That’s easy enough. No real problems with that.

Sounds OK, though after the 20th time of doing it the fingers want to explore further or even, dare I say, stick a ‘hammer on’ on the D!!

43

It went fine. No real issues. It’s knowing where to go next that’s the problem. I can learn these simple licks but no idea how to sue them to sound musical!

OK thanks.

44

Okay Stuart, I’m joining in the fun.

First I play @DavidP’s little riff but I don’t play it twice as in his suggestion.
I add in your idea of the hammer and follow it with a flick back to C. The hammer is on the ‘and’ after 2, the flick on 3
Then I play G (below A) then A
Then David’s riff again.
So it goes like this:

A C D C A 2 3 4
A CD C G A 2 3 4
A C D C A 2 3 4

And then……your turn to find something for the next line!

45

How about

A C D C A 2 3 4
A CD C G A 2 3 4
A C D C A 2 3 4
A C D (bend-release) C A 2 3 4

or

A C D C A 2 3 4
A CD C G A 2 3 4
A C D C A 2 3 4
/A 2 C D A 2 3 4

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46

Yep, they both sound good :+1:

So you CAN improvise and make it sound musical. Just a case of finding an idea and building around it. You’re on your way. Have fun!

47

Live your best life. :slight_smile:

48

Of course they do Stuart.

The point of my example was to illustrate the idea of starting and finishing on a chord tone playing notes from the scale in between.

Once you understand that small piece of theory (what are the chord tones of the one chord you are vamping over) and that simple musical idea (to start and finish on a chord tone), then use those to improvise over a single chord.

Of course play other notes on other strings and use all the techniques in your toolbox (hammer, slide, bend), remembering the power of a pause between phrases.

I think that is a way to develop some ear and feel. Change the chord, the rhythm of it.

Have a fun and see how it goes over time. I think it can help without worrying about learning licks and playing musically over a 12 bar blues.

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49

It would appears so, although not totally convinced as yet. Time will tell!

Together with a whole load of frustration! :slight_smile:

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50

Try not to let it frustrate you, Stuart.
Nobody expects us to come up with rip roaring improvisation at this stage. Keep it simple, keep doing it and it will build over time.
Don’t worry about targeting chord tones if you’re not sure about it.
Just play notes from the scale and try to make phrases with them.
Play mostly on the treble strings and occasionally drop down onto the 4th string for the root note. You can focus on the root on the 1st string.
If you know the scale finger pattern well, then don’t think about the note names - just play.

51

@Stuartw I agree with a lot of what’s been said above, so I won’t repeat it.

I’ll throw another one in though (that I don’t think has been mentioned above), that may or may not help you. Singing really helped me. It helps recognising the pitch of the next note you are going to. E.g. play one of the notes in the pentatonic scale, sing it and the one you want to go to, then play the note you want to go to. After a while you will probably find your fingers going to the note you are hearing in your mind. You’ll probably also find that in time you can then sing a lick and play it. Once you can do this you can develop a number of licks that you can call on, that will make it sound to the listener that you are improvising.

I did the above on bass, but the principle is the same for guitar (or piano, or any other instrument you care to mention). I probably had a head start from years playing piano melodies from just the chord sheets, but I didn’t know where the notes were on the bass. Singing helped make that connection between note pitch and where the note is on the fingerboard.

The good news is you don’t have to do the above with just my notes as a guide. Justin’s ear training course will get you used to playing a note and then singing intervals, then playing them. As I recall he approaches it from a major scale in the early modules, so you may have to breakout to get the minor pentatonic, but you’ll get the principle easily enough.

Note, that even if you think you aren’t a good singer, it shouldn’t be a barrier to doing this. You’ll get better if you try it (we all do).

This is another way into your problem that you may or may not wish to try. Whatever it is that works for you, I wish you a speedy path to the “ah ha “ moments that work for you.

52

A lot to parse here, apologies if I’m covering old ground. It all starts with not giving a rip what anyone thinks, and continues on the path of finding your own voice on the instrument. The process/headspace is to play as if your guitar is talking or singing. You are carrying the melody or providing the movement of a singer or a saxophone (or other). Singers use phrasing, take breaths/pauses, and provide dynamics, your lead playing should do the same.

Listen to the backing track (or whatever) that you intend to play with and hum or “scat” some melody lines or a conversation of some sort. Practice getting your fingers and ears to work together to play what you hear in your head (and are vocalizing). From there it is a matter of “time on task” and lather, rinse repeat --practice, etc.

53

Having your own voice on the instrument is great, but IMO that might not be the best goal to start with. At least, one needs to take care that statement does not become an excuse for not doing the studying, the understanding of the theory and putting in the practicing needed to learn how to play. I guess most musicians would like that at least some other people finds what comes out musical and pleasant to listen to - otherwise we would be like the 4yo kid, just banging away on the strings and having a blast making “music” :wink:

This is why I recommend splitting your available time with the guitar into two separate categories - 1. playing and having fun (just put on that BT and enjoy making some music!), and 2, structured studying and practicing on the instrument.

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54

I get it. There is room for different flavors. We can agree to disagree in part. :slight_smile:

That drives home the “don’t give a rip” line. Who is the ultimate judge of what is good or up to age/grade level? I hope this doesn’t make someone think twice about expressing themselves. Highly un-motivating.

At the end of the day we have to ask ourselves what the heck are we even doing with this instrument?

Here are some thoughts from a few players:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=find+your+own+voice+on+guitar

55

Don’t forget that improv doesn’t only come from “playing lead over chords”.
You can throw in brief rhythm/melody hybrids by adding embellishments to your chord work.
Ideal to create blends of lead and broader, wider sounding texture.

Check the Live Clubs about spicing up E and A shape barres for inspiration:

Spice up E-shape

Spice up A-shape

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