Improvising is probably definitely my favorite aspect of playing the guitar. When I used to play trumpet, there was very little improvising involved; we would simply play off the sheet music that we were given. That can be fun, to be sure, but it is a completely different story from creating something entirely new and unique each and every time you play your instrument. For me, improvising typically takes three forms. There are more that come to mind, but these are the biggest three: Improvising Situation #1 - Live Jamming / Soloing Firstly, each week I meet with a group of guys and we jam rock and blues songs. Inevitably, everyone gets a solo and the songs are good and long. but that gives me true “live” soloing time each week which is a ton of fun. There’s nothing quite like improvising a solo in a live band situation, because it is far more demanding. you need to be paying attention to the other guys in the band, and you need to be aware of when your turn starts and ends. Improvising Situation #2 - With a Canned Jam Track Secondly, sometimes when I’m practicing, I’ll play over a jam [...]
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