@sclay - I’ll give it go and see what happens, knowing me I’ll fall asleep LOL, just kidding.
@domi7 - Ah thank you so much, I found I’ve learnt some new techniques etc, and hopefully I’ll see the improvements in time. I think, it’s actually a good way of learning. Give motivation and a clear goal.
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Shane has given you some really solid advice. The biggist misnomer about improving is that it is made up as you go. This is not true. Improvising is playing what you know very well in a different context.
If you plan out what your going to play like Shane suggests it will help you to not get lost while playing. Think of Improvising like speaking to another person.
When having a conversation you reply with words you already know and you respond with subject matter that adds to the conversation.
If I asked you “How is your Improvising coming along?” you won’t say “Bicycle”
We’ve all heard Justin talk about Blues being a language so to help with you improving plan out what your going to say when the backing track changes to the IV chord.
Pick a lick that will be a good answer when the IV chord comes along and play with it, mix it up a bit until your happy with it. Then pick a different lick for the next time the IV chord comes around.
This will help you to keep on track of where you are in the solo.
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Hi All,
I’ve been working on, as Stich and Shane suggested, my phasing between the chords, like a conversion…but I got slightly distracted as I found especially on the Dm (IV) chord, I made up some good licks, so I ended up putting them in GP not to forget them and been practising them into my improv.
As it’s Friday night, time to get some fresh air and drink Glüwein (malt wine) at the Christmas market…I’ll do my video for today, tomorrow 
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Day 3 - Blues Improv 30 day challenge
Slightly longer video, a few fluffs along the way but I tried to make it more expressive and also used both Patterns 1-2. I used bends, slides and vibrato.
I added in some licks I created myself especially in the Dm Chord and Am chord, not sure if they sounded right but I feel I’m slowly getting there.
I used the same backing track as before.
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Oh Rachel, that’s sounding great. Definitely making big strides forwards here!
Two things struck me that you might want to think about … firstly, you almost always start a phrase on the 1 beat of the bar, sometimes changing it to start somewhere else can make things more interesting to listen to. Secondly, when you bend I think it’s always on the first note of a phrase, you could change things up by bending at the end or in the middle.
All that said, to solo for that long over a backing track is no mean feat and you were really good 
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Can hear the chord changes better on this solo. Well done.
You could still do some work on you bends. Pick the note you want to hit with the bend. Either full tone or half tone and play that note then bend up to that note and hold it there
Starting at the 4 minute mark Justin explains what I talking about and has a good exercise to practice.
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/technique-bending-strings-im-144
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Well done Rachel. I can literally hear the progress over just 4 days. As @stitch says, this is much more in sync with the underlying progression.
Paul makes a super important point here about phrasing/ rhythm that will immediately elevate your playing. Rhythm is king.
And a great way to work on this? Eyes closed, guitar down. Create internal melodies. .
Your musical imagination will do the rest.
Cheers, Shane
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Hi,
I had a quick play of my bends, and I think I know where I’m causing the problem…My picking hand palm is slightly muting the string as I’m bending. I’ll work on that and also the suggestion by @mathsjunky about my phasing. I do know my phasing going into this was the problem with rhythm.
Thanks again all, for sticking by me on the challenge and all the great comments and suggestions on where I need to improve, I do appreciate.
Onwards and upwards 
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I can’t comment on how to make it better but I can hear that you are improving. Keep up the challenge Rachel as I’m sure it’s going to have a very positive effect on your playing thanks for posting these videos.
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Bravo Rachel. Keep it up.
Great advice from Paul @mathsjunky [to add to that from others including @sclay and @stitch]
Here’s something to add to it. Many licks do start on beat 1.
Let’s start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start. 
That said, it is a good idea to have surprises and variety in any improvisation or solo you play and starting licks on different beats is one way of achieving this. You can even recycle one lick and have it become something a little different by displacing it in (musical) time.
Try experimenting. You don’t need to know the exact rhythm count for your lick either. You just need to know where the 1, 2, 3 and 4 are so you can count those and consciously start when your chosen beat comes along.
Here is an example I have created that shows the idea. It is not a full representation of the effectiveness of displacing the lick as I have made the backing run along a single chord only. When you have chord changes (such as a 12-bar blues would present) and your lick straddles a chord change, the effect can be even more pronounced.
Moving A Lick
One lick played eight times.
In the first four passes we hear the lick starting on the beats, on 1, on 2, on 3 and on 4.
In the next four passes the licks starts on the & after 1, the & after 2, the & after 3 and the & after 4.
There is a drum break of two bars before the first four passes and before the second four passes.
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Thank you so much for the demo and the tab. I’ll have a little play with that and see how I get on and try and vary on what beat I play the first chord/lick
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Hi, I’m not an expert my any means, but I noticed that you are going outside the Am pentatonic occasionally. Is that a conscious decision? Somebody more knowledgeable can correct me, but I would have thought at the beginning stages of improvising, it would be good to simplify as much as possible, e.g. stick to the the minor pentatonic scale, stick to one or two patterns (which you do here, mostly).
Anyway, I’m learning this stuff, too, and I thought I’d ask about your note choices.
Btw, nice job and kudos for posting your progress.
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Hi,
Thank for the compliment
In regards to going outside the Am Pentatonic and using different notes is because I’m utilizing notes from the relevant chords to try and help get a nice sound.
@Richard_close2u - He suggested in an early post…
hence me using different notes outside of Pattern 1 and Pattern 2
I am using notes that make up e.g. the Am chord (B, F) and not limiting myself to the I IV V progression…
I was also using the Blue note D# from Pattern 1 and 2
If you need a far better explanation, please ask @Richard_close2u , he’ll kindly explain
Hi Rachel - hey, asking me to waffle on and write several paragraphs on understanding how music works … you know how to press my buttons and make my day!!
@jjw and others who are unsure to the background.
Rachel has already been through Justin’s Blues Immersion (BLIM) course. In it, amongst many other facets of playing blues lead guitar, he teaches the minor pentatonic plus the inclusion of additional notes. He describes the whole as the ‘pentatonic framework’.
He teaches most of BLIM using major key blues and those extra notes are chosen accordingly.
In minor key blues, those extra notes need to be slightly different. This can be easily illustrated by showing minor triads around an extended pattern 1 of the A minor pentatonic.
Extended Pattern 1 of A Minor Pentatonic
Triads of Am, Dm and Em on G, G & E strings only
Roots (Red), b3rds (Blue) and 5ths (Green) of the Am, Dm and Em triads
Notice that there are two ‘chord tones’ within those triads that do not sit within the A minor pentatonic pattern itself. They are:
A] The b3 of the Dm triad, fret 6 of the B string. This is a great note to target when the Dm chord is playing.
B] the 5 of the Em chord - fret 7 of the E string. This is a great note to target when the Em chord is playing.
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@Richard_close2u and @rachelcoles, makes sense. Thanks for the explanations!
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Day 4 and 5 - Blues Improv 30 day challenge
I got carried away again today…I did 3 video’s and tried to be more expressive in my playing and also tried not to start on the 1 beat, not sure if it worked but hay ho.
Same backing track for the moment.
Excuse the length of the video’s…Was in the groove LOL
You can just listen to snippets if you want.
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Day 6 - Blues Improv 30 day challenge
I think this is the last day with this backing track and Pattern 1/2. I think I’ll add Pattern 3 tomorrow with another backing track.
Was trying to use new licks I created and unfortunately the backing was a little loud…
I do feel I’m improving as I can basically play the whole 11min 
backing track non stop just going through licks, phrases etc and I’m really enjoying it. Most of the time it all sounds nice, a few fluffs along the way.
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Everything is really coming together exept your bends. You are still falling short of the note you’re aiming for on a lot of your bends and releasing then part way giving them them what Justin calls the seagull sound.
A bend needs to be clean and precise or it makes the phase sound sour. I really think you need to work on doing the exercises in the video I posted.
Cleaning up your bend will bring your improving to the next level.
Everything else your doing is coming together really nicely and has improving daily. Keep up the good work it’s paying off big time.
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Hi Rachel - yes! Phrasing is much improved here (although the last video private). Keeping working on it unitl it becomes natural.
I do agree with @stitch, improving your bends will make a world of difference. Less important at this point, but something to think about is your vibrato - you seem you be employing a more ‘classic guitar’ tehnique moving laterally rather than up and down - you put a lot of effort in and get little out.
However, let’s not lose sight how how far you’ve come already - this is really working for you. You already sound much improved.
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Great effort Rachel. You’ve mentioned something that I’m trying to improve on… ‘I cannot think of what to play next’… I think the answer is not to play if you can’t think of what to play next? I know that probably means gaps in your playing but that may not be a bad thing regarding your goal of adding more space?
It would be interesting to experiment with only playing when you know what to play next. It might tighten up your playing…
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