Improv and feeling.

[Mordrida]

Hi everyone, i follow these posts often but usually don't have time to post myself. I find myself with that rare opputunity to post.

This particular article is about having feeling with your improvisation.

For a technical well thought out post on Improvisation check out Muchavo's article on the technical aspect of improv its well thought out and concise.

My article is going to focus on that part of improv that alot of guitar players fail to develop because they are too wrapped up in technical skills.

Its very easy to become jealous of others playing skills. Step back for a moment though and don't discount your own "Feelings".

How many times have you been jamming with someone that you feel is superior to you only to have them give a wry smile and say WOW thats awesome! Play it again!.

I know i have had this happen to me quite often in the past and i am sure it will happen again. There is a kind of magic that happens if you let yourself be swept away with the emotion of a song. Obviously you need a bit of technical ability to express yourself, but don't let your lack of ability hamper you either.

You can get alot of emotion out of the easiest and most simplistic scales and licks. Too often we want to be Yngwie, Vai, or Angelo. All of us want to be able to "Shred". But you don't need to be able to shred to be an awesome player from a musical standpoint. The technical aspect will come with time and practice.

Lets look at ways to make your playing more "You". Everyone has their own style no matter if you see it or not. My style may be similar to someone else but its not exactly the same.There are nuiances that are strictly my own. Nobody else can play a particular riff or scale exactly as i do. With the same intonation..vibrato...phrasing. Whatever the case realize first that you are unique.

This exercise is for you alone. No backup band, no music other then what you will play on your guitar all by yourself. So allow yourself a time and place to be alone to do this.

Next is to analyze what emotion you are trying to evoke in yourself and in others. Close your eyes. How do you really feel at that moment. Don't force an emotion. Let one develop in you. Do you feel happy? sad? Angry? Lonely? Any number of emotions. Just let it come to you at that moment. Try to hear in your head what that emotion sounds like to you. Its going to be unique. Because you are unique. My idea of what angry sounds like might only be "slightly irritated" to someone else. Its not wholly universal. But it is a starting point for your playing.

Keep your eyes closed. Put your fretting hand in a position to play. It doesnt matter where you start the point of this excersise is letting yourself "feel" what your playing. Not the technical aspect of what your playing. Let your fingers just display the sound of your emotion. Let it build up in you. Don't be too concerned with where your fingers are going. You will train your ear as time goes by to know what works and what doesnt.

The simple techniques we learn as beginners will suffice for doing this. The simple powerchords, bending etc. As you play don't let go of the emotion your feeling. Hold onto it as long as you can. You may find yourself losing the connection with certain feelings. Like anger. Thats ok, let the anger give way to contentment let your fingers play the sound of your contentment.

The side benefit of doing this regularly is going to teach you to relax which will also greatly improve your speed, accuracy and finger strength. Alot of the tension and cramping most players get is because they are focusing so much on the technical that its actually making it harder for them to be technical.

Every piece of music you have ever heard started with a spark of emotion that grew into a masterpiece. I don't know how many guitarists i have met over the years who are so wrapped up in technical ability that they are dead emotionless players. They could quote musical theory from A to Z.Play countless volumes of scales, arppegios, modes blah blah blah. And yet their playing has no heart.

On the other hand i have met players who don't have a great deal of technical skill who are the most soulful and emotion evoking players i have ever met. They inspired me to develop my creativity. Technical skills without creativity is not music. Its just going thru the motions. Creativity on the other hand can increase your technical skills just thru use.


Another thing to do is think about your playing. What is it that makes it you. I can't answer this for you its something you have to do on your own. But really sit down and think about the way you put things together. What sets it apart from others you have heard. All of us have had lessons in one way or the other. Either formal teaching...or thru books, on the internet etc. Yet there are things that only you do that you never were taught. Figure out where they came from inside. Your sense of style and emotion are unique this is "Your" style. Develop it.

Lastly and just a small point. You know where you are lacking technically. Be honest with yourself about what you lack. Lets say there is a particular scale that is giving you trouble. Memorize the scale. And now use the "Emotion" technique and use ONLY that scale don't concentrate on the scale concentrate on the emotion you should already have memorized the scale. Play the scale with your own sense of emotion and style. Soon the scale is not hard at all...and you have developed more of your own style and the ability to improve thru it.

Don't let your lack of skill hold you back musically. Learn how to express it with the skills you have. The skills will come with time and patience. In the meantime let your emotions do the talking. Your audience will appreciate the emotions you share with them more then your technical ability. Trust me.

[simescan]

Thanks!.....I'm gonna try this up-lifting approach!

[KF-80]

good post... :)

i often find that while improvising, ill be trying to "do too much", and as a result, my playing is kind of lifeless... ill focus too much on the technical aspect, and ill lose that "connection" with the rest of the song, and realize that im just running through compatable scales, without actually complimenting the peice im improvising over...

i decided to take an alternative approach to correct this... instead of just ripping through a scale hoping it sounds good, ill slow myself down, and focus on note selection... i try to develop a simple melody, where each note of the melody has a purpose, and creates appropriate tension that displays whatever emotion i feel fits the song... i try to really feel the melody im playing, and from there, the more complex ideas of ways to follow that melody start to develop in my mind...

it seems like without first "getting into a groove" with a melody that works, my playing seems out of context, but once my mind tunes into the melody, the ideas just start flowing...

kind of like if im playing someone elses solo that ive memorized, half way through, i might go off on a tangent, and play something completely different that "works" in its own way... since ive already grasped the underlying melody of the song, i can use that to build my own licks that work in place of the original ones...

now unlike improvising off a solo that someone else wrote from a song im familiar with, when i play over a random backing track for example, there is no established melody to follow yet... i have to establish a melody that displays a certain emotion, THEN build off that, or else my playing doesnt really have a direction... once i get locked into that melody though, its easier to come up with more complex ways of interpreting the base melody, and as a result, i am able to increase the complexity in my playing without losing touch of the emotion im trying to create...

its alot of rambling but hopefully it makes some sense... peace

[Paragons7]

this is a great post when i try and write my own songs they sort of get out of hand and i lose track of what im doing i guess its do to the fact i lose focus and the songs just sound blah

[Codemeister]

Awesome posting skillz. Songs are sometimes hard to make. It all depends on what mood you are in before hand. If you are feeling down and you aren't really wanting to play guitar but you do anyway, it just sounds like playing on scales. I find that playing neo-classical minor stuff leaves me feeling good, and I can really connect with it. When kicking out rock leads, I can kick ass pretty much all the time, as long as Im in the right frame of mind. Its a good feeling.

[idontknowyet]

sometimes when i REALLY get into a song, i dont end up caring, i just play notes, like they come out and i dont really care how it sounds (sorta). what i recommend finding a really good Backing Track that you like, and just jamming to it the entire song. ideas just FLOW out! trust me.

by the way, GREAT post man.

[Mordrida]

Seems like you all get the idea i was trying to get across. Great :)

Another thing you can try to do is change your sound. Obviously if your playing on an acoustic there is not much you can do. I have the Boss ME8 workstation. I try to find a "Sound" that matches the feelings i am having too. Alot of times when i do this a riff or part of a song i have been writing takes on a whole new feeling of its own. Fresh ideas start building on what i already have. And pretty soon i don't even recognize what i started with.

Certainly there are times when i want something to be "just so" but when writing sometimes you have to let your creativity take you to other places.

But like i said just changing the sound you usually use with something that you normally wouldnt use can give you great inspiration.

For instance alot of my stuff that i write is very George Lynch esk. Alot of legato licks....pinched harmonics..minor 5th chords etc. And i try to duplicate his sound as much as i can with the equipment i have. I find if i get in a rut though if i go for a more say Vinnie Moore sound my songs take on a life of their own. And soon i am out of any ruts i was creating for myself just by changing a few settings. Somtimes you don't even have to change it much. It could be as simple as using the sound you always use but completely shutting down the reverb...or delay. It changes the sound drastically enough to give me new ideas.

As far as backing tracks to jam along with. I try to change up the kind of stuff i jam to. And keep it random as well. Sometimes i might tune into a Jazz only radio station and just jam along with the songs as they play. Or a classical station etc. I find myself having to stretch my ability with music understanding when i do this as well because what works in jazz may not work with classical and vice versa.

Or sometimes i may just pick a song at random out of my collection of CD's and learn a solo from the album. Then i try to do strange things with it. Like playing the solo backwards...this one always makes me think hard about hand placement but it also gives me some new licks.

[wild_axeman]

Hey - It Works!

Here's another idea...

Try expressing your emotions by putting them into words like: "HEY YOU DIRTY %#%% , WHY DON'T YOU GO %@#*&`" - obviously we're expressing anger here,lol.But any emotion will work.Now try to put it to music following the syllables of the words while keeping up that same emotion behind it.Say it with emotion,play it with emotion.To get even more melodic and emotional why not try singing your phrase or sentence? Then learn it on the guitar.Sing it with emotion,play it with emotion.It doesn't have to be anger,it can be about happy fluffy bunnies... :annoyed: -- :D

[wild_axeman]

Great lesson Mordrida!!! :D

This was my favorite part personally:

As you play don't let go of the emotion your feeling. Hold onto it as long as you can. You may find yourself losing the connection with certain feelings. Like anger. Thats ok, let the anger give way to contentment let your fingers play the sound of your contentment.
It's so true! :)

:cool:

[Salik Syed]

good post KF 80

always remember not to play thinking about technique too much some times i'll be playing in a jam and it'll sound great ... until i start thinking like "Oh i should probably have thrown a pinch harmonic by now" or "I haven't shredded for a while... maybe i should ... " that is what screws up improv.!

[wild_axeman]

it seems like without first "getting into a groove" with a melody that works, my playing seems out of context, but once my mind tunes into the melody, the ideas just start flowing...

Yes exactly.You have to get the juices flowing first.You don't just start feeling it as soon as your fingers hit the fretboard.You start to feel it after a little while.You start to feel the groove or feel the melody.Then you start feeling the creativity start to flow...

Then you roll with the mood...

Then as the mood changes you roll with that too...

Keep rolling with it (with the mood/emotion changes) and try and keep the whole ball rollin'...

~

[Mordrida]

Yes exactly.You have to get the juices flowing first.You don't just start feeling it as soon as your fingers hit the fretboard.You start to feel it after a little while.You start to feel the groove or feel the melody.Then you start feeling the creativity start to flow...

Then you roll with the mood...

Then as the mood changes you roll with that too...

Keep rolling with it and keep the ball rollin'...

~

This is the reason i do the "Emotion" excersise regularly. Its like a ritual i have everyday. I record each session too. That way if i find a new riff or chord progression that i never used before i can use it to start building a new song. I will fire up the drum machine and just play a simple beat that matches it and play it over and over again and it seems like everytime i run thru it i add just a little more and a little more and pretty soon i have a complete song.

I am just so glad to see many of you take the time to feed the creativity. You have no idea how awful most of the guitar players are around my area. Don't get me wrong alot of them are very skilled. But i will take quality over quantity any day :)

[wild_axeman]

This is the reason i do the "Emotion" excersise regularly. Its like a ritual i have everyday. I record each session too. That way if i find a new riff or chord progression that i never used before i can use it to start building a new song. I will fire up the drum machine and just play a simple beat that matches it and play it over and over again and it seems like everytime i run thru it i add just a little more and a little more and pretty soon i have a complete song.
Heck yeah! :cool:

[Mordrida]

Hmm not sure if this is worthy of its own thread. So i will just continue this one :)

Anyway Wildaxe man your Sig kinda inspired me to try something i never did before.

The quote from B.B. King that says "playing guitar is like having a conversation."

Anyway i decided to try to have a "Conversation" with myself.

What i did was i sat down and would play a short to mid length rhythm riff. Then i would answer back to that rhythm with a lead riff. Kinda like "cutting heads" with myself. I would even switch effects i set up like 5 or 6 different sounds with my multi processor. And would switch them back and forth.

I found it very inspiring to use this approach. I made up a few things that were outside my "Normal" playing style. I actually came up with a Rhythm line that is SO not me. It it took me to a new level in my playing. For people that know me they might not have even recognized too much difference. But to me inside i know its VERY different. I really felt like i accomplished a great deal in a very short period of time. Even writing this reply i am smiling about how it felt. :)

[bitesizebeeeen]

Lastly and just a small point. You know where you are lacking technically. Be honest with yourself about what you lack. Lets say there is a particular scale that is giving you trouble. Memorize the scale. And now use the "Emotion" technique and use ONLY that scale don't concentrate on the scale concentrate on the emotion you should already have memorized the scale. Play the scale with your own sense of emotion and style. Soon the scale is not hard at all...and you have developed more of your own style and the ability to improve thru it.



That was amazing. You just inspired me to get back on the guitar and try and improv. Seriously, I've been having so much trouble lately making up my own stuff. I listen to these bands I love and I think "wow..they can really play" and then i try and just make anything up and it sounds terrible.

also..i quoted what you said about scales because i don't really know any scales nor how to play them. what would be a good scale to try and learn?

thank you.

[Mordrida]

That was amazing. You just inspired me to get back on the guitar and try and improv. Seriously, I've been having so much trouble lately making up my own stuff. I listen to these bands I love and I think "wow..they can really play" and then i try and just make anything up and it sounds terrible.

also..i quoted what you said about scales because i don't really know any scales nor how to play them. what would be a good scale to try and learn?

thank you.


I am glad it inspired you more bitesizebeeeen.

As far as scales to learn. I could sit down an throw tabs and books of scales at you. But that is too much to go into. If you search these threads you can find a wealth of them. Another place to go is cyberfret.com There are tons of scales and modes etc there you can learn. And they are broken down by skill level. With diagrams, Tab, Explanations based on music theory etc. They are all well written and easy to understand. You should check it out.

Learning to improv with guitar is like learning anything else. It takes determination and curiosity to reach new levels. Its like learning to read and write. You arent born with the ability to do it. First you start learning letters. The shapes of the letters. What they sound like etc...then simple words. Then more complex words. Then learning grammar.

Each level of music skill works just like this. There is a wealth of information on this forum. As well as the site i mentioned. Let it be a starting point.

And good luck :)

[bitesizebeeeen]

okay. ill check them out. also...do scales really help you?

what else would you recommend for me to look up and learn that would help me with improv and overall playing ability?

[wild_axeman]

Hmm not sure if this is worthy of its own thread. So i will just continue this one :)

Anyway Wildaxe man your Sig kinda inspired me to try something i never did before.

The quote from B.B. King that says "playing guitar is like having a conversation."

Anyway i decided to try to have a "Conversation" with myself.

What i did was i sat down and would play a short to mid length rhythm riff. Then i would answer back to that rhythm with a lead riff. Kinda like "cutting heads" with myself. I would even switch effects i set up like 5 or 6 different sounds with my multi processor. And would switch them back and forth.

I found it very inspiring to use this approach. I made up a few things that were outside my "Normal" playing style. I actually came up with a Rhythm line that is SO not me. It it took me to a new level in my playing. For people that know me they might not have even recognized too much difference. But to me inside i know its VERY different. I really felt like i accomplished a great deal in a very short period of time. Even writing this reply i am smiling about how it felt. :)
I didn't see this post until just now but anyways...that' s killer man.This stuff's supposed to be fun afterall. :)

[sammy19#]

i agree with putting your emotions into the guitar... letting them come from inside through ure fingers and end up coming through the amp... the more you get into it the better it will sound.... a perfect example of a band who really gets into there music is "Avenged Sevenfold" my god their guitarist gets into the mood and you can really hear it... in songs like seize the day (solo) and clairvoyant disease it sends shivers down my spine listening to them they are very emotional in the way they conduct their music and it shows... all it takes is an emotion ure guitar and getting carried away with ure emotions... it will sound awsome especially if your kind of new

[Koss-Tunning]

...... I havn't heard any feeling in a solo except for some classic rock, jazz, and blues... All the new emo music is all pre planned not really improv. Eric Clapton is one of the best improvers in my opinion. When he played live all his solos were improv for the most part.

[Mordrida]

...... I havn't heard any feeling in a solo except for some classic rock, jazz, and blues... All the new emo music is all pre planned not really improv. Eric Clapton is one of the best improvers in my opinion. When he played live all his solos were improv for the most part.

I certainly wouldnt debate you there Koss, I think the biggest problem is we are still lingering on the edge of the Seattle grunge rise and fall, today's EMO music is directly related. YOu will notice that most of the grunge groups of the 90's early 2000 etc....hearing a guitar solo at all was almost a shock. And when i did hear one it was mediocre at best.

On the otherhand in the 80's thru the mid 90's it was almost overkill. Every song had a guitar solo. It wasnt a good rock tune unless it followed that whole "1st verse chorus 2nd verse chorus , bridge "Guitar solo" 3rd verse chorus "Ending song shred" format.

I am hearing more and more talented guitarists on the fringe of the mainstream though, more then i have heard in alot of years. I hope it centers out soon.

[Koss-Tunning]

Yes I agree but from what Ive seen, most emo bands make music just to sell it, they do what the people like, sure I understand that seeing as its their "job". I dunno, I guess it really depends on the band you look at, like Stereophonics is kinda punk emo but they sound good and have good solos.

Well if you want your improv to have feeling what you needs to do is just feel every note, for see what your going to play and move your body with the notes. Bends help this a lot.

[wild_axeman]

I think the biggest problem is we are still lingering on the edge of the Seattle grunge rise and fall, today's EMO music is directly related. YOu will notice that most of the grunge groups of the 90's early 2000 etc....hearing a guitar solo at all was almost a shock. And when i did hear one it was mediocre at best.

On the otherhand in the 80's thru the mid 90's it was almost overkill.

That seems kind of contradictory. :p

First of all I didn't like any grunge bands but Nirvana.The rest didn't have any type of sound that appealed much to me.

80's hair metal was horrible because of the vocals,trite lyrics and the look,lol.
80's hair metal solos were the only thing 80's hair metal had going for it at all.They didn't solo more than classic rock,less actually.They were just into flash and speed because of the VH,Randy Rhoads and YNGWIE influences.

Grunge had mediocre solos how? technique-wise? Who cares.It's how they sound that matter.

^^^^MANY a genre are simplistic and have mediocre solos technically speaking.Shall we not listen to those genres? Folk,Garage Rock,Punk,Reggae,Surf Guitar,the Blues...all pretty simple! :D

^^^omit the blues and the rest might technically be considered to have
mediocre solos at best.SO WHAT! You HAVE-TO consider that those genres aren't technical genres and take that into account when judging the music of those genres.You can't just laugh them off because they have mediocre solos at best.You can't say Green Day is crap compared to Steve Vai and base that on purely technical reasoning.I happen to like both but Green Day is coming from a raw,simplistic folk type of genre called PUNK ROCK and that alone should tell you that they are not virtuosos.In a similar way Bob Dylan was coming from a simple genre called FOLK MUSIC so we shouldn't expect him to solo like Eric Clapton!

Okay I'll judge some simplistic stuff:

GnR = mediocre solos at best,a mix of classic rock and hair metal vocals,overall I don't care for it,it's nothing new,I'm still waiting for the guitar solo so I don't have to hear the vocals just like just about every other hair metal band I've ever heard.I don't know why people never rip on them for having mediocre solos compared to some progressive metal bands,thrash metal,or shred guitar.Why is that? People always want to dismiss punk for being simple or too easy to play,hmmm.weird,lol.

Grunge = punk influenced so I shouldn't be looking for virtuosity.Nirvana had a good sound and mixed 60's psychedlia and punk and were clearly capable in the punk genre.I liked Nirvana's sound but other grunge bands didn't really do much or me because I didn't like their sound.

Emo = it's simple but it still just doesn't sound good at all,every band sounds the same,the vocals are too wimpy and nerdy and every bands vocals in this genre sound too much like Blink182's more annoying nasally vocals.Overall I cannot take this genre,it does nothing for me at all on any level whatsoever.It has nothing to offer my tastes.

Punk Rock = it's all pretty simplistic and not very technical...alot of it is pure crap...but some of it is pretty cool

The blues = it's all pretty harmonically basic but it's all about the solos...I love the blues! :D

Reggae = laid back and simple but it sounds pretty cool mon,I can dig it

You should judge music on how it sounds based on where (and what genre) it's coming from,etc.Don't expect a hobo with an acoustic guitar to play Eruption.But also hear him out.He might have his own thing goin on.

You only bring technicality into it when comparing technicality with technicality.There's no need to compare a Ferrari with a Volkswagon,that's just mean,lol.Also if you compare a Porsche with a go-cart that's not a very good comparison but it also doesn't mean that go-carts aren't still fun. :)

Just because there are high performance virtuoso musicians out there doesn't mean Reggae has to stop just because there's something more skilled out there.

I rest my case,lol. :)

[Eddyjazz]

Heya Folks, I got some tips. I'am a hardcore Jazz/fusion guitarist, well try to be at least.

First, get some scales down and arrpegios and listen to the type of sounds you get from each scale and arrpegio.

When soloing close your eyes and imagine different scenes of your life and try to make the best sound behind that scene.
Or a new method
Everytime when you solo, look at something and do a phrase, after that look at something else then do a phrase. Every item you look at gives some kind of different feeling towards you, just pull that feeling out!

:) It wouldn't hurt to listen to Jim Hall !

[Mordrida]

Great idea Eddy...thanks for this... i will try to use it. I like the object feeling idea the best.


:)