The focus for this trio of brief articles is improvisation. My intention here is to offer something concrete in the way of a solid game plan, underlining some of the more important considerations along the way. As with any other kind of approach philosophy, the main goal is to 'cut some fat' from your practice schedule and help you streamline your efforts in becoming the best soloist that you can. Let's begin.

Why Improvising Is So Important

We obviously spend a lot of our valuable practice time on either vehicles (tunes, progressions, etc) for improvising, or on the language (solos, licks, etc) itself. This time spent assumes, of course, that the student has an inherent quest to become a better soloist, but one of the points that I often make to students who don't share in this quest is how important and how much fun it is to be a creative musician. Examples?

Let's say your mission in music doesn't involve the art of spontaneous improvising. Perhaps you simply like to sing and accompany yourself (or others). Or maybe your calling is as a songwriter or arranger. Or perhaps you just want to be part of a simple rock, pop, folk, or country ensemble.

Believe it or not, all of the above-mentioned scenarios call for some degree of creativity, whether it be coming up with an interesting vocal accompaniment, writing a cool hook for an original song, or inventing a part for your role in a band. The more you practice creating music 'on-the-fly', observing the language of others in the process, the more adept you'll become in every way as a player. Best of all, it's a lot of fun!

Finding the Ultimate Genre

As you probably know, not all styles are exactly conducive to expanding your improvising ability. Of all the choices to be made, jazz is the one creative art form where most of the music generated is based on spontaneous improvisation. Blues, though more vocally-based, is probably next. All other styles (rock, pop, country, folk, etc) rely on improvising to a much lesser degree. For instance, despite the fact that today's top rock guitarists are clearly more evolved theoretically and technically than yesterday's players, most contemporary guitar solos in that genre are very carefully sculpted parts, not true improvisations. This is somewhat ironic in the sense that these same players are potentially much greater soloists when compared to their predecessors, yet the music itself generally doesn't call for that skill. However, none of what I've just said changes the fact that the very best musicians among us, regardless of persuasion, are the most creative, and developing your ability to improvise is one of the most direct pathways to creativity. So where does the focus begin?

The Blues Still Rules!

One of the first in a series of 'Best Tips' for improvising that I can offer you deals with selecting a genre that's sure to have a significant impact on all other playing styles that you choose to be associated with. That, of course, remains the blues. Blues continues to bridge the gap between rock, pop, country, jazz, and almost any other style imaginable in the Western hemisphere. This is the main reason why I focus so intently on blues in my teaching program. It's a no-brainer for me, because I know that becoming a stronger blues soloist means that you'll also become a better improviser in all of the other styles, not to mention a better writer and arranger at the same time. So, regardless of your final stylistic goal, play some blues each and every day for the rest of your life. How's that for Tip #1? I know. I'm just way too easy!

'Language' Considerations

The second big improvising tip involves your acquired 'speaking' vocabulary, or lack of it. If you want to improvise some blues solos, you obviously need the tools. The same goes for jazz or other styles. Though I've mentioned it many times before, make sure, as you absorb and practice various blues licks from any number of potential sources, that you maintain your awareness concerning the personality of each idea. Is the lick minor, major, or dominant? This is an extremely important issue, because without this knowledge and understanding, you won't be able to manipulate your blues power beyond the idiom itself and reach higher ground as a creative player. Be obsessive in building a huge library of 'tried & true' cliches, but make sure that your mind is involved in the process. Next time we'll talk about practice, application, and more. Til then...