First improvisation video on youtube! Fusion style

[twooos]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qYjVQCp07H4#GU5U2spHI_4

Check it out, rate and comment please!

[CosmicDebris]

Good stuff but did your pic fall into your guitar?

[jemaholic]

Nice and fluid.
Are you a Zappa fan?

[twooos]

THanks guys. No my pick didnt fall lol, the DIY pickup installation went a bit haywire, haha.

Havnt really heard much of Zappas stuff to be honest, i duno where to start!

[Jemwielder]

Might want to work on where you're resting. The tonic is a nice stable note but it's very predictable. Some good ways to spice up licks is to emphasize the 11th (4th) and the 9th (one step above) more. These tones are where some of the great fusion players hang their hats and they all sound amazing. Also you might want to think about rounding your tone a little bit. Not a lot but just adding a little more low end in there. You've got a lot of chops, keep practicing!

[twooos]

THanks a lot. But you cant really "round the tone" with what ive got lol, my amps bass and mid is FULL, and my pickup is a L500XL (the trebliest pickup known to man, haha). The other two dont work.

I dont know what you mean by 11th and 9th, is it the 11th and 9th tone in the major scale? or the degrees of the dorian mode?

[Jemwielder]

Well, that vamp you were playing over sounded like a dorian thing. It applies to whatever the modality of the tune you're playing in. 9th and 11th work well in minor modes. In Major you want to just use the 9th, and in dominant you can use 9, 11, and 13th. So for example, say I had an A dorian groove that i wanted to play something cool on. I'd emphasize the notes B (9th) and D (11th) these are common extensions put on minor 7th chords and playing them a lot will make your runs sound a bit more sophisticated. A little less rock n' roll, for lack of a better term. Don't think you should reserve this for just jazzy fusion playing however. Some of the most influential rock players (Jeff Beck comes to mind) use these notes in more standard rock grooves to great effect. Hope this helps.

[twooos]

Yeah it certainly helps, thanks a lot!

But why does only the 9th sound good in a major modes, when the 11th is also part of the major scale?

[jemplayer55]

Nice.... good technique! Gotta work on your bends a little along with your bends to unison. The only other thing is cramming notes..... it's not necessary! Note choice is another thing you can work on. I think I heard a little Guthrie Govan influence maybe? That deal on note selection comes with playing time and having a good understanding of melody structure along with dissecting your favorite players and music. But none the less, a good foundation you've got going.

[Darin]

Nicely done.

[Jemwielder]

Originally Posted by twooos

Yeah it certainly helps, thanks a lot!

But why does only the 9th sound good in a major modes, when the 11th is also part of the major scale?

The 11th, is certainly a note that can be played, just not rested on as much, see as it's only a half step away from the 3rd of the chord, which is a very important note in establishing tonality. You can use the Sharp 11th, this will imply the lydian mode and is often used in modern jazz. It may get closer to the 5th, but the 5th is not as important a chord tone and in many cases can be disregarded entirely. The only other advice I can offer is to work on phrasing and trying to build to a climax. You shouldn't play like you're trying to prove anything to anyone. Speed is a tool, don't let it become something that you fall back on right away. You can play technically without having to play super fast (once again Jeff Beck has some doozies.) Also don't discount the use of silence. A line can have more impact when given time to breath a little. Especially if it's a line that you are proud of or you end up surprising yourself (whoa, how did i play that?) Hope I haven't been too longwinded. I do enjoy discussing guitar playing

[twooos]

Thanks for you comments guys!

Yeah, Guthrie Govan!! He's my main influence, glad you could pick it out!

"That deal on note selection comes with playing time and having a good understanding of melody structure along with dissecting your favorite players and music. But none the less, a good foundation you've got going."

Haha, ive only been playing for 1 and three quarter years!! Ive got a lot to learn!!

[twooos]

Originally Posted by Jemwielder

The 11th, is certainly a note that can be played, just not rested on as much, see as it's only a half step away from the 3rd of the chord, which is a very important note in establishing tonality. You can use the Sharp 11th, this will imply the lydian mode and is often used in modern jazz. It may get closer to the 5th, but the 5th is not as important a chord tone and in many cases can be disregarded entirely. The only other advice I can offer is to work on phrasing and trying to build to a climax. You shouldn't play like you're trying to prove anything to anyone. Speed is a tool, don't let it become something that you fall back on right away. You can play technically without having to play super fast (once again Jeff Beck has some doozies.) Also don't discount the use of silence. A line can have more impact when given time to breath a little. Especially if it's a line that you are proud of or you end up surprising yourself (whoa, how did i play that?) Hope I haven't been too longwinded. I do enjoy discussing guitar playing

I enjoy talking about guitar too

Aha, yeah my phrasing isnt that good, have you got any idea of how i can improve it?

I love speed, especially when used with legato, that is a large part of my style, so i use it alot.

[Jemwielder]

Check out Jeff Beck and Roy Buchannan. Both are often overlooked by the newer generation of players but many of the players that influence the new generation are influenced by them! You will get some good phrasing ideas from them. Phrasing is all about using rythmn to play something interesting. Often times this means not playing. Which is a hard concept to grasp, especially since we guitar players really like to play! A great way to get phrasing together is to get the metronome going and try to create a groove with you're playing. Single notes, slides, repeating notes chokeing off notes. There's really no limit. Paul Gilbert has a great exercise that involves playing muted strings in 8th notes and then playing little licks and things and going right back to that groove. The groove is the most important thing. More than the notes you play more than your technique. It's what elevates a guitarist with what some might consider sub-par chops to a player with the coveted gigs. So in short, make friends with your metronome and learn how to play on the beat, and off the beat, learn how to play eight, quarter and half-note triplets. The last bit will take a deal of time and practice to get right. Combine that with a steady listening diet of good musicians (don't limit yourself to just guitarists, some of the coolest things every played were played by people who play other instruments!) A book that I would recommend on learning the guitar and the world of music is called The Advancing Guitarist by Mick Goodrick. He's a teacher at Berklee College of music (where I'm currently going to school) and really knows his stuff. You also might want to learn to read music. It's certainly not the most fun part but the days of the illiterate guitarist are over.

[twooos]

Ok thanks man! Ill get on the metronome and start groovin!