Members stevehollx Posted February 19, 2003 Members Posted February 19, 2003 I've always concentrated on technique, and I find myself pretty successful in speed picking, and runs on scales. I know my scales, and modes, and how they sound. I know basic classical theory. However, I find that I cant solo tastefully. It's always super fast tasteless shred runs. I just don't really know how to convey melodies, or put movement into my solos and "tell a story." I find the only time I can really come close to a melodic solo is in pentatonic stuff. Maybe I just have phrasing, but how can I improve this? I assume listening to music helps, but I listen to music a lot, and can hum along to lots of solos. Is it just experience?
Members Terje Posted February 19, 2003 Members Posted February 19, 2003 I'm not a fast player but speed has very little to do with overplaying. Overplaying means you play lots of notes but actually you don't have a lot of ideas behind those notes. You can do this fast, but you can also do it slow. I'm pretty good at overplaying. As I am working more on "running the changes" i.e. learning how to improvise using only the chord tones (and maybe their extension), I find that I can play more tasteful, less cluttered phrases cause I know what the good notes are. Then you can hit that good note at the right time and you don't have to waste the music by searching for something with endless licks all over the place. Maybe you're not into jazz at all but still, listen to Count Basie whn he takes a solo. Here's a man with balls who does never overplay.
Members edeltorus Posted February 19, 2003 Members Posted February 19, 2003 Hi stevehollx, I know this. Through I can't really shread my solo and improvisation sucks. I've practices so many scale runs lately, that my solo turn into scale runs as well. What I did to get away with this bad habbit maybe works for you: I recorded a backing of an old traditional to tape. In my case it was Amazing Grace. Then I played the melody over it. Just the melody, no extra decoration, hammerons or pulloffs. I did that *very* slow and tried to put as much passion as possible into it. It was hard to play slow in the beginnig, but after a couple of hours it worked great. If I find myself playing sequential scale stuff, and I want to play other things I break the mental blockade by taking a short break, hum Amazing Grace and I play better. I know, this is strange, but it works for me, Nils
Members Lonz Live Posted February 19, 2003 Members Posted February 19, 2003 I like the Amazing Grace practice method. It really forces you to focus on the important notes, rather than running throught every note in the scale. I would just add a couple things. First, and it may be wicked obvious, the beginning and ending of a phrase should connect with the progression (and I guess all notes in between for that matter.) When all else fails nail the root with finger vibrato and just let it ring, a la BB King. Knowing what notes are contained in the progression is a starting point, but even as I emphasize its importance, I am sorry to report that I can't do it on the fly, and rarely if ever take the time to figure it out. So do as I say and not as I do. Secondly, take a breath so to speak, or a rest. Adding space between notes can add variety to the speed runs. Listen to sax players, they pause here and there for two reasons. The first is to breath and the second is to add character to their phrasing. So even though you're not out of breath, add rests. I forget who said it, but someone said something like "It's not the notes that you play, it's the notes that you don't play."
Members Viktor Johanson Posted February 19, 2003 Members Posted February 19, 2003 This is just one example of a method of creating a melodic, tasty solo, and a good excercise as well: Try soloing with the chord tones only: root, third, fifth and sixth or seventh. On the first measure of each chord, start on the tonic. On the last measure of each chord, end on an chord tone or an extension of the chord that
Members WattsUrizen Posted February 20, 2003 Members Posted February 20, 2003 Don't have time do discuss musical aesthetics thoroughly right now, but remember that 'taste' is due to context. Keep the mood of the song firmly in your musical mind when playing. Also try to phrase your soloing around a prominent musical theme in the song. People say shredding is tasteless wanking. That's rubbish. Playing slow legato lines with enormous amounts of sustained notes can be just as tasteless. The important thing is to work your style into a nice melodic contour. I think what I'm trying to get at is that you should approach soloing with a strong structural mindset. No structure, no direction, and it sounds out of place.
Members Mike_E_McGee Posted February 20, 2003 Members Posted February 20, 2003 Listen to more horn players! Horn players usually have great phrasing. It's built into the instrument. On sax, I can only blow for so long before I need a breath. When I'm sucking air into my lungs, my horn is silent. There is a technique called circular breathing that allows horn players to keep air moving out their mouths while they refill their lungs, but most horn players consider it a parlor trick and don't bother developing it. I'd take a cue from the horns. Breath out as you play, and when it's time to breathe in, stop playing. This will force you to develope your lines into coherent phrases. You'll find that you begin to create call and response phrases. The first bit sets up the second bit. You'll play an antecedent phrase, followed by a (dammit, I'm spacing on the word, but hopefully you get the point).An even better way to work this into your routine is to match pitch with your voice as you improvise on guitar. You get all of the lung capacity induced phrasing, and it'll help you keep things melodic. Obviously this is much easier to do with a "singable" melody. After you do it for a while you'll notice that instead of having your voice match the pitch of your guitar, your guitar is going to start matching the pitch of your voice. This is great ear training, and a valuable soloing tool. I love to hear someone scat with their playing. It can even be developed to the point where you are singing harmonies to your solos. That's another great sound.Good Luck,McGee
Members ralphster007 Posted February 21, 2003 Members Posted February 21, 2003 Taste can't be taught. Keep listening to music that you consider to be tasteful, and if you have any aptitude at all, it'll come along as your musical ability progresses.
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