Improve My Improv: Day 1!!
Added 2025-11-01 15:00:11 +0000 UTCComments
Tell you what, that’s more value than I’ve ever gotten outta two cents! Welcome aboard!
Ben Eller
2025-12-19 20:21:29 +0000 UTCHowdy gang! I'm a new step-uncle-in-law here. Wanted to throw in my two cents here since it makes no sense to hold on to cents since even common sense is no longer worth two cents. When I want to try to improvise over something, I first learn the chords and then play around a bit over them, trying to find those good landing spots that either help the progression resolve or add/ build tension and drama. Then I try to build some phrasing to connect those landing spots. From that, I build a loose idea of the feeling/ mood of the solo and try to respect the groove. One thing that's helpful to me is to try to make sure I have escape hatches for those times when I faceplant on the floor of shame and accidentally clank out an open G or B string at the end of a phrase. Thought that was a mistake, huh?! Well it was, but I'm going to pretend it wasn't by adding a couple muted, funk style "thwicka thwicka" strums right afterwards to gaslight you. If I get lost, it's time to shred some lettuce and Enron documents until I feel an opening coming back around. I think the main thing for me is to have that map well established and to have traveled the path several times before launching my ship into the wild blue yonder. Off I go! Out into the sea! Sorry. Testosterone glitch. If all else fails, it's time to set Bruce Banner aside and call in the absurdly expensive Pete Townsend "HULK SMASH" technique. 🤘✌️
51N3W4V3
2025-12-19 20:10:02 +0000 UTCVery cool. If you want to put yourself in an uncomfortable position, there are lots of ways to do it! It’s nice to see Uncle Ben taking the lead.
Betterjeff
2025-12-02 02:57:38 +0000 UTCVery cool! I’m curious about the thought process as you devise these licks on the fly? Do you actually think about scales and how they fit into the chords of the piece? Do you hear what you want to play in your head and just know where to go? I’m gonna be watching these more now and I’ve got some catching up to do.
Chuck Saeger
2025-11-16 18:05:38 +0000 UTCLove this and i definitely need to do this myself, every day. Thanks for all the motivation!
Mike Wisgi
2025-11-16 06:37:43 +0000 UTCI need to do this more , I find myself playing the same licks all the time and I know I can do better I just tend to default to something always
Randy Dobson
2025-11-04 04:50:17 +0000 UTCI'm very interested in your response to this, dude-Ben - you're alt-picking everything and at 4:27 you go into a run that you completely downpick. To me it seems a lot harder that way (props to you) but why did you choose to pick that section in that way? I find myself NOT thinking outside the box when it comes to picking patterns.
Bill Horton
2025-11-04 02:06:36 +0000 UTCHonestly, the day I "suck" at improvising like this will be an awesome one for me. So much good stuff in your playing! Here's an idea, how about layering in later on an analysis of what you're doing, what worked, what didn't, etc? Thanks for the goodness as always!!
Jaime
2025-11-03 21:13:37 +0000 UTCYou are right. The best way to improve is by playing in front of of others. My band is 100% live improvisational. We never know what we are going to play until we get on stage. We are not virtuosos by any stretch, but we do have a lot of fun and people seems to enjoy it too. With time, you learn to love the little idiosyncrasies and appreciate that tno 2 shows/recordings are ever the same. Playing over other styles of music helps too. BTW. Nice playing here!
German Fafian
2025-11-03 15:30:27 +0000 UTCThe improve idea is great, Brother! look forward to the series. Thanks
Aldo Ferrari
2025-11-02 22:31:08 +0000 UTCI’m so happy to hear it! The internal dialogue comparison is exactly right, man.
Ben Eller
2025-11-02 17:42:18 +0000 UTCYour improv is awesome. It's like our internal dialog. We hear it all the time and get sick of it. Other people are not in our head (thankfully). To another guitarist it is new and interesting even though we feel like we play the same thing all the time. This series is another indicator of how innovative you are as a teacher. A+, sir.
George Knoll
2025-11-02 17:25:30 +0000 UTC
