Here is just a quick little creative exercise post for you guys today. One way to develop your unique identity is to get away from just listening to guitar players. Listen to Miles Davis’s phrasing and style, or the way Coltrane forms and ends his melodies. One piece of advice that is great for making sure you aren’t just wanking away playing too many notes is to take a deep breath, and when you run out of air, you have to stop playing, or “take a breath.”
It is a great way to make sure you are getting the most out of your improv melodies.
Check out this cool video of Miles Davis and John Coltrane playin “So What.” Pay attention to how relaxed and “in the zone” these guys are. This is a certain state of mind that we will touch upon in a later post. Also listen to how melodic and smooth there improv is.
If improv is your favorite thing about music and guitar, Bitches Brew is a great cd to get your creative juices flowing. John Mclaughin is pretty badass in it too. Check it out:
Miles Davis
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Guitar Player Zen: Courtesy of Jeff Beck Guitar Lesson #3: Getting out of a Rut Guitar Lesson #1: If You Don’t Know Where You are Going, Any Road Will Take You There. Guitar Player Zen: So How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? Guitar Lesson # 2: Thoughts on Technique
3 responses so far ↓
1 jacob // Dec 30, 2007 at 12:08 am
I really like the point here on using the breath to develop phrasing in our playing. Since the guitar isn’t a wind instrument, we often forget to breathe well. My classical guitar teacher always tells me to breathe in before I start playing a piece as well as at the beginning of a new phrase. The result is that I have had to think more about where a phrase begins or ends within the piece, and I’ve found I’m actually more relaxed physically as I play, which in turn makes the technical aspects of playing just that much easier.
It’s funny that we don’t think about things as simple as our breath when we practice or play, but If you deny yourself sufficient air, your muscles are not as efficient.
2 Learn to Play a Piano // Aug 20, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Hey, since your talented in so many areas, do you happen to play the piano? I’m really wanting to learn, but don’t know where to start. Any tips or advice?
3 Jeff // Aug 22, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I would keep searching for some great piano sites. I am not too familiar with any myself at the moment but good luck!
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