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I´ve realized that for me there´s a missing link between practicing all the material in the series (which is excellent by the way) and real time improvisation, because I don´t understand the process.
Are you supposed to practice improvisation after completing each module trying to incorporate all the elements introduced, or is this a subconscious process that you have to wait until all 9 modules are done and so conditioned into your playing?
I´m asking this because after 4 modules, my blues improv is still based on old licks ans blues scales, very little if any of the vocabulary of the series (really hard worked) is noticeable in my playing yet.
Santiago,
That is an excellent question and one that many ask because it is a common experience. First I will answer the question about the process. Yes, you should practice real time improv after completing each module using the concepts you’ve learned. As a matter of fact, you should always reserve a portion of your practice time for this.
The real question is…how to practice real time improvisation? The strategy is going to vary from player to player according to many factors…your understanding of the thought process in developing a line spontaneously, your level of ear training, your technical proficiency, your understanding of rhythm, etc. Unfortunately I don’t know where you’re at and if you’ve practiced all the exercises correctly (not only technically speaking but in terms of your mindset when doing so). I’ve discovered that many players taking this course are cutting corners, and don’t have a clear understanding of what they’re doing. There is only so much a video and a book can convey. Often too many questions arise and a “one on one” lesson is required.
With my “one on one” students I can hear them play and immediately know what they need to work on. I can also ask questions to find out how they’re thinking when trying to improvise. That said, different players according to what may be holding them back will require different exercise strategies to incorporate the concepts into their improvised solos. Most of it is contained in the calisthenics, rhythm templates and etudes, but there is more which I can only teach on a personal basis, again because everybody has different needs. Regardless, it does happen at a subconscious level after doing the exercises properly. How long does this take? It varies from person to person. For a player with a good ear and decent technical proficiency, it usually starts happening somewhere after the six months, while for others it may take twice as long or even more.
I touch on this subject more in depth in the F.A.Q. section. See both questions under “other”.
I am currently finishing the last module of VOL 2 of this course. After I do so, I am planning on adding some videos at the end of each module with different strategies & exercises to practice real time improv using the concepts covered. Hopefully this will come in handy…at least for some.
If you want some feedback, feel free to post a video here, improvising over the blues progression and a rhythm template or 2 that you’ve done. Don’t be shy! This will give me a better feel for what and how you should practice real time improv.
Thank you so much for your help Richie, I´m gonna post two videos of my playing:
This one is real time improv:
improvisationAnd this is rhythm template 7, option 2:
Template 7 option 2I´m sure your feedback is gonna help a lot!
Before I offer some constructive criticism, I want to say that you have a good sense of time and are very musical. I’m sure you have a good ear!
-Your solo has good voice leading when going from the I7 to the IV7 and vice versa. However I didn’t hear any voice leading to the V7 chord as you tend to to put a rest before it each time. This is ok to start a new phrase, but don’t do it every time. Make sure you can also play across the bar line when transitioning from the 8th measure (I7) to the 9th meas. (V7) using smooth voice leading (eg. b7 to 3, 3 to b7).
-Your solo lacks “approach notes” which is why it probably doesn’t sound jazzy. You are playing the arpeggio up and down (sometimes all the way to the 6th str) with just a few passing notes. It is also very diatonic, that is you have no chromatic tones. Practice using neighboring tones, especially lower chromatic NTs on the various chord tones. This alone can add some “tension and resolve” and add a new level of excitement.
As far as the rhythm tmp goes, I hear several problems. You would have to post the written sheet for me to identify them. What is strange is that I see you are past module 3 and you aren’t using any approaches, not even NTs. Have you worked on the different Calisthenics and played the etudes?
Thanks Richie, I´m gonna work on your advice right away.
About your comments well yeah, that´s exactly how i feel about my playing, I rely too much on the arpeggios and I don´t use the vocabulary practiced yet. I guess I need to start consciously incorporating the concepts into my improvisation practice.
About the calisthenics and etudes I´ve practiced them all really hard and following the instructions carefully. Anyway I´m posting the template I played so you can examine what I did.
Thanks again!
Here are some observations:
-meas. 3: b7 is not acting as a UA here. You should have used the 2.-meas 7 & 8: you are using the “1” redundantly and the changes are getting lost throughout. In general concentrate using approaches around the other chord tones: 3 and b7 (especially) and 5. The 1 is always being implied and the bass player is always playing it. It doesn’t outline the harmony which is the most important thing.
-meas 8: again b7 is not acting as a UA, instead as a chord tone.
-meas. 8-9: the transition from chord to chord lacks smooth voice leading and does note outline the changes. Again, the “1” is the culprit. If it would have been a guide tone, it would have been smoother. Transitioning at this point from from 1 to 13 is very ambiguous and a weak representation of the harmony. A good transition from the I7 to the V7 for example is b7 to 9. Sometimes you will have to go back and change some of the previous choices in order for things to flow, but this is how you learn what to do and not do. Try to fix this one and do some more…
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