My improv is stuck in a rut pt 362

Rocker

@Axisus, this video might be a help, how to play blues with yourself:

RedRabbit

axisus said:

viz said:

He’s doing 3 things that you’re not doing with your scale:

1) he’s using the major and minor 3rd. Often sliding up from minor to major. So in your G example, instead of just Bb, he’s doing Bb -> B

2) He’s using a major 6th not a minor 6th. Your Eb makes it sound very tragic, very minor. Very Aeolian. He’s lightening the mood with a major 6th, an E, instead. (it’s Dorian, but don’t worry about that.)

3) On the turnaround in the bar or half-bar before returning to the beginning of the cycle, he’s changing the palette completely and playing notes using the “super locrian over the Dominant” concept. So he’s imagining a dominant chord, which would be D7, and he’s playing from the notes D Eb F Gb Ab Bb C and D. This is the “altered scale”. And if you just stay in your G box, it’s simply Ab Bb C D Eb F and Gb. (No G!) A very easy way of getting some of those notes is, while you’re playing in your G blues box, when it’s time for the turnaround, play your normal notes on the B string where you’re already playing frets 3, 5 and 6 (well, you’re playing 3,4 and 6, but assuming your doing point (2) above), and then just slip your hand upwards by one fret on the B string and play frets 4, 6 and 7. And fret 5 and 7 on the G string too. This will give you at least half of the altered scale. Then when the cycle starts again you can slip your hand back down to the G spot

You know, I find it sooooooo hard when people get into the technical language (as some have here), it suddenly feels like I'm dyslexic! It all just turns to gibberish before my eyes. I honestly feel that my brain can't compute it and shuts down. However, I kind of feel that I get something of your post. OK I (embarrassed to admit it) don't know many notes on the fretboard, but I think with a bit of application I can work out what you are saying here. Ta!

Just a thought so apologies if I'm wrong, but are you perhaps trying to run before you can walk and that's why some of the theory talk mashes your head?

Of Viz's points, which do you actually understand?  You say you don't know chords as such so it could be that you need to go back and learn the basics - how the major scale is constructed, how chords are built, how different chords are "spelt" etc.  There's little point trying to understand the more advanced ideas before you've grasped the basics.

On a more practical point, how's your phrasing?  Does every lick start on beat one?  This was one of the things that I felt made my playing really repetitive and boring.  Taking the same phrase and starting it at different points in the bar can make a huge difference even if it's just starting on the and of one rather than on one.

Barney

I think good solos are good phrasing mainly ...a good idea I think is to pick a group of notes maybe 4 ...or just use to strings and see how many ideas you can get altering phrasing and timing ....then expand on that ...

poopot

Try sumfink different to get you out of the rut… whack a slide on and go for it… no right or wrong just give it a bash…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVXWkp6Fw9L/?utm_medium=share_sheet

tanihhiavlt

axisus said:

Once again, thanks all, lots of stuff to look into!

You know that old saying "5 lawyers, different 6 opinions?" I think you're getting that and it might not help. better to start and discover along the way.

You're right to make it clear what switches your brain off - simply knowing what stuff does that indicates a major victory in self-understanding. 

IMO (FWIW) Viz is totally on the money, so I drew what he'd said over a pentatonic scale (right handed) in the hope it's a format you can get something from.

Diagram #1 sliding the pink note down a semi-tone sounds less dramatic. After you've done that sliding the green notes down a semitone sounds less dramatic - less dramatic can mean more cool, off-hand etc.



Diagram #2 is the same pattern but we play "the floor is lava" with the G ... the notes either side are "okay" all the other notes you mentioned in your first post are still in play - the tricky here is to bamboozle people until the chord changes to a G major and switch back to the first pattern again... at which point people believe you're a music professor. 

viz

tanihhiavlt said:

axisus said:

Once again, thanks all, lots of stuff to look into!

You know that old saying "5 lawyers, different 6 opinions?" I think you're getting that and it might not help. better to start and discover along the way.

You're right to make it clear what switches your brain off - simply knowing what stuff does that indicates a major victory in self-understanding. 

IMO (FWIW) Viz is totally on the money, so I drew what he'd said over a pentatonic scale (right handed) in the hope it's a format you can get something from.

Diagram #1 sliding the pink note down a semi-tone sounds less dramatic. After you've done that sliding the green notes down a semitone sounds less dramatic - less dramatic can mean more cool, off-hand etc.



Diagram #2 is the same pattern but we play "the floor is lava" with the G ... the notes either side are "okay" all the other notes you mentioned in your first post are still in play - the tricky here is to bamboozle people until the chord changes to a G major and switch back to the first pattern again... at which point people believe you're a music professor. 

That’s brilliant! 

The only thing I meant that’s slightly different (but no better) is in pic 2, 

On the B string, try frets 4, 6 and 7 (so move up a fret rather than down a fret), but Tanihhiavlt’s is more thorough.