I'd up it still further, to at least a nickel. Thanks. Learning whereof you speak, such as the notes in the chords you're playing over (or around) is really good advice, wherever you are on the improvisational road (and I'm still back at the beginning). And learning to listen, since clearly you gotta have it in your head to spit it out. But I think it's like quitting smoking ... experts say that the more you do it, the greater your chances of success.
On Jan 15, 10:20 am, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> wrote: > Perry, > I disagree...that's at least .04, and a good .04 at that. Good, useful > info. > Tatuh > > On Jan 15, 9:14 am, 14strings <[email protected]> wrote: > > > True improvisation requires complete mastery of your instrument and > > the ability to play anything in your head at will. > > > Charlatan improvisation (the kind I perform) is simpler. I play by the > > seat of my pants all the time. Other then a fiddle tune or the 'head' > > to a jazz tune I hardly ever play the same thing twice. Even those I > > can't nail consistently. I don't claim it's good but it's different > > every time. What I personally try and do is play everything (mistakes > > and all) with a good groove and hope people like it. A metronome is > > essential. I spent years jamming electric guitar in jam bands where we > > would jam on a static chord like let's say a G7th for ten minutes. You > > need to to start inventing some stuff on the fly pretty quick in that > > situation. The last ten years I've done this with mando. So my form of > > improv (and many others out there) is really just having a vast > > collection of licks, tricks and flavors in the tool belt that can be > > applied to the task at hand. Mix matching and mutating these tools all > > the time attempting to play it with a big time GROOVE. i.e. Listen to > > the band. > > > So the short answer is to just do it. Sit with a metronome in your > > kitchen and play to it. Noodle away in the key and flavor (minor, > > major or 7th (dominant) of your choice. It's taken me years and > > thousands of dollars of books videos and DVD's to know that nothing > > beats just sitting down and playing your instrument. Just make > > something good happen with it. Start collecting licks and ideas you > > like. Learn how to notate them for future reference and then use them. > > > The longer answer: > > > You need an understanding of scales and arpeggios (the notes that make > > up a chord) on your instrument. You also need to play scales not in an > > "up and down" fashion but practice them in intervals i.e. playing > > scales in thirds are very musical sounding. Or play your scales > > starting at different degrees. Start your G major scale not on G but > > try starting it on B the third. Do this with a metronome at as much as > > possible. > > > You need to know the chord sequence at hand and of course the melody. > > Pentatonic scales are great tools to get started. Major pentatonic > > scales avoid the 4th and 7th notes (very decisive color tones) so by > > avoiding those notes pentatonic scales become kind of foolproof. But > > you can also take pentatonics to the "nth" degree. There are dozens of > > books on just the application of pentatonic scales. I know I have > > several of them. > > > In bluegrass most tunes are made of a I IV and V chord. In the key of > > G that would be a G C and D. You can noodle over all three chords > > using the G major pentatonic scale. It's a start. Make it interesting > > is harder. There's rhythmic improvisation too much like that Twinkle > > Twinkle Little star video. Where you place the emphasis; push pull or > > drag. I heard jazz mandolinist Don Stiernberg once say at a workshop > > that you can improvise a solo with just one note by varying it > > rhythmically. There is a lot of wisdom right there. Listen to Duke > > Ellington's "C Jam Blues" for an example. > > > Bluegrass improvisation from what I've heard is usually variations on > > a melody or guys just playing some hot licks > > over the same chord sequence. The harmony (or chords) behind bluegrass > > is just not that sophisticated (why we like it) to allow tremendous > > flexibility in improv. Jazz is a whole different ball game. Learning > > how to read music is a tremendous help. There is so much free info out > > there but it's not all mando-centric. > > > Spend the rest of your life learning theory and mastering your > > instrument and listening to the masters improvise > > then transcribe them. Write your own solos out on paper. > > > My .02 > > Perry > > > n Jan 14, 12:59 pm, "diptanshu roy" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > i have a version of jingle bells by duke ellington... its quite a version! --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
