Improving my improvisation


stolly3
Registered User
Joined: 09/23/04
Posts: 41
stolly3
Registered User
Joined: 09/23/04
Posts: 41
08/08/2005 10:47 pm
Whenever I pick up a guitar I like to begin to improvise and solo, mainly in a blues style. However, I just am beginning to become better at soloing now that I've been playing for almost 2 years. How can I make my solos more diverse and go beyond the simple pentatonic boxes that I use?
# 1
Pantallica1
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Joined: 12/14/00
Posts: 1,322
Pantallica1
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Joined: 12/14/00
Posts: 1,322
08/08/2005 11:05 pm
Learn more scales...learn different types of music. These will help you incorporate new styles into your playing. It really helped me a lot.

Good luck!
Sometimes I hit notes only dogs can hear.
# 2
Kevin Taylor
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 03/05/00
Posts: 4,722
Kevin Taylor
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 03/05/00
Posts: 4,722
08/08/2005 11:50 pm
Slow down a whole bunch so you give yourself a chance to think of melodies rather than boxes and scales.

Try singing a melody to some backup music into a tape deck, then copy what you did on guitar. Even better, use recording software and do the same thing.
That way you can divide the melody up into smaller parts and loop them while you copy the melody on a different track.

Try using some alternate tunings. Play the riffs and scales like you normally do and record them, then tune back to normal and learn what you did when you had your guitar tuned differently.
# 3
gogogo
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Joined: 07/22/05
Posts: 151
gogogo
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Joined: 07/22/05
Posts: 151
08/09/2005 5:33 pm
pick up different scales and licks this is the most effective way but besides the obvious take a simple lick and play it slowly incorporate different techniques bending hammer ons and pulloffs and then find the speed u want to achieve also jus listening to tons of music and step outside who u usually listen to
# 4
Lohrtar
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Joined: 10/30/04
Posts: 58
Lohrtar
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Joined: 10/30/04
Posts: 58
08/12/2005 6:03 pm
Maybe it's just me but sometimes when I solo I find myself just running up and down in scales. There is some variation of course, but sometimes I sort of 'forget' to skip some tones. Don't get stuck using the same licks... Slow down and try some new stuff, and try and come up with some good lead melodies. Try and notice if you are playing the same thing every time you doodle with your guitar...
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# 5

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