Improvisation tip

[cyberfret]

Improvisation tip:

Knowing scales is like knowing the alphabet. But just knowing the alphabet in a particular language will not help you speak or communicate. When you learn a new language, you learn words and common phrases that will help you communicate. It is the same with learning to improvise. You will need to learn some words and phrases to help you communicate musically. Every style has it's own improvisation language. If you listen to Jazz, or Blues, or Country....they all have elements that make that style unique. They all share the same alphabet, the same scales and arpeggios etc. Just in the same way someone from England will speak English differently from someone in Texas. There are aspects that are in common, but a lot that is different.

The fast track to learning how to improvise is to learn some licks (words and phrases) that you can incorporate into your solos. You will improvise with these ideas, twist them around in different ways. But this will get you out of just playing scales in a solo. Learn licks from the solos of your favorite guitar players. I think more important than learning the entire solo, is to learn some words and phrases from it that you can learn from, and use.

Be sure and check out the Improvisation section here at Cyberfret.com. There are some licks and ideas that will help you get started on your journey.

Improvisation Section
http://www.cyberfret.com/improvisation/index.htm

Also the Licks & Tricks section of this site is based on the idea of pulling licks out of the solos of different guitar players, looking at what scales are used, and how you can use the lick in different contexts.

Licks & Tricks Section
http://www.cyberfret.com/licks-tricks/index.htm

Good luck on your improvisation journey.

--Shawn

[disturbed_pyro]

which is better, just jamming and coming up with what sounds cool (like Dimebag Darrel of Pantera) or using all this complicated scale stuff??
I don't really get that stuff, and I can't really come up with any good riffs myself, so the complicated scale stuff just makes my "music career" see somewhat bleak and pointless....
hopefully I can come up with some stuff as I get older, and maybe understand all of that complicated stuff

[cyberfret]

The thing is....Dimebag does know his scales and theory. Understanding how to use scales, and how to improvise is something that you have to take one step at a time. Start with the minor pentatonic scale first. Go through the lessons in the improvisation section. Ask questions where you are confused, and don't just avoid the subject because it seems complicated. The basics are really not as complicated as you think.

--Shawn

[steve]

I can write really good riffs for rock songs..... it's the solo's that I have problem's with. I try to use the pentatonics....... maybe I just need a little more practice, or maybe I just need some more scales.

[cyberfret]

steve........more scales is really not the answer. You should certainly be practicing the basics...major, minor, minor pentatonic, major pentatonic, and blues. But if you are trying to learn to improvise, become comfortable with improvising in a basic minor pentatonic scale 1st. That means follow the advice of the original thread. Learn some licks out of it. Then improvise with those licks. Change the rhythm, play notes more than once, repeat parts of the lick (those are the improv techniques from the first lesson in the improvisation section). Once you have memorized 6-10 different licks, your will be surprised how much music you can make out of them. You will not just play the licks one after another, you will "improvise" using them as your base. You will be aware of the scale, and maybe even add some notes from the scale to the licks.

I think before you said that the improvisation section did not really help you. Maybe now that you have played a little longer the ideas in those lessons will make a little more sense, so give them a try again.

--Shawn

[lasm2000]

Well, personally I think that when you improvise you should first try to hear all in your mind before you play it, it´s something similar to speaking you should think first what you are going to say. If you have good mental images of your sound and a good ear, you will be one step beyond from many guitarists.

[tpcsk8infosatan]

This one is for disturbed pyro (and anyone else who may need this advice): LEARN YOUR FRIGGIN' SCALES!!! The reason you can't write licks is because you don't know scales. Trust me, they aren't a "waste of time." Chances are, when you're jamming, and u finally come across something good, it is based on a scale. It has to be. Otherwise, it would just sound like crap. Almost ALL music written is based on scales. If it weren't, it would just sound atonal. But, like "cyberfret" said, knowing the scales is not quite enough. You need to breathe life into them. Unfortunately, I'm not very capable of doing this yet, since I have only been playing for 10 months, but I think I am well on my way.

[Coffee]

Cyber is right. Stick to the penta's to start. They're very versatile. At some point you will want to dig deeper. The problem with most guitarists is we tend to let the instrument play us rather than the other way around. Take barre chords for example, lots of people just slide up and down the neck. They've learned one position, and it works, so they just keep playing it over and over. This approach gives you the chord and the right tonality but tends to bounce chord voicing all over the place. I've just started studying theory recently and here's some things I found out.

Did you know that the key of A minor uses exactly the same notes as the C major scale? Oh, yes it does. The only difference is that it is based on and reinforces the sound of the sixth of the scale. There are other scales as well based on other notes in the C major scale. These are called Modal scales. If you learn modals, you will simply look at the chord name and play the related mode over top of it making it nearly impossible to make a mistake in improvisation. The scales will become automatic. Lot's to learn fellows and it eventually makes the difference as to whether your playing in the basement or playing on stage. The other thing you'll discover if you check around is people who have learned their scales will tend to be those who are playing their own music and those who haven't will be playing someone elses. Creator or drone, that's the choice.

[The Tongue]

I made a cool solo up from the Purple Haze intro....

[Coffee]

The Tongue brings up an interesting point. Take something you like, a riff someone else wrote and take the idea in a different direction from where the original player took it. Listen to everything. Got a friend who's into classical? Bluegrass? Techno? Japanese Chin music? Have a listen, you'll never know what you'll find. Keep an open mind.