Greetings guitar lovers!
I created this thread so we could all get better at improvising and creating melodies.
I will start with my questions:
What do you think about when improvising?
When you improvise over extremely fast changing chords, do you have to hit at least one chord tone over each chord?
How does John Mayer create beautiful runs, licks and riffs with beautiful tension and resolution?
I do not believe your questions are directed to Tomo in particular, but he felt a need to reply to the first question, "What do you think about when improvising?" Here are Tomo's thoughts:
"Great question. It’s a very common question, but (not to be rude) the question is wrong!! We all need to figure out:
1) What to think about when we practice?
2) What to feel or think about when we perform?
The answers are different. So, when you practice you really need to focus on what you are studying/practicing! Triads? Scales? The form of the song? Trying to apply your ideas to phrases played over chord changes?
When you have prepared yourself, and you understand the song form, harmony, chords, available scales, and good phrasing over the chord changes, you can apply what you have learned to your performances, focusing on your musical expression/conversation, not on scales, chords, etc.
I hope this will help. There is not one great answer for everyone!"
Thank you so much for your response!!
I will definitely continue practising with tomowisdom. Going through your triad videos over and over again.
Please post a video on you improvising and explaining what is exactly going through your mind (focusing on chord tones, scales, triads, tension and release, call and response, and what do you visualise on the fingerboard). I think this video will help a ton!
Very happy that I subscribed to this lesson!
Thank you for your enthusiastic participation in these lessons! Please take a look at Lesson 34, in which Tomo shares his ideas for improvising and shows that good improvisation combines 2 or 3 elements. There will be many more lessons on improvising, so stay tuned!
For a diatonic chord progression:
1 = ionian
2 = dorian
3 = phrygian
4 = lydian
5 = mixolydian
6 = aeolian
7 = locrian
For example a chord progression of 1 4 2 5 in C major, is it only possible to play C ionian on the 1 chord? Or can I also play C lydian and C mixolydian on the 1 chord?
Also, am I only allowed to play D dorian on the 2 chord? Or can I also play D phrygian and D aeolian on the 2 chord?
Thanks!
Here is Tomo's reply:
"If you follow strict rules like these, you will become a robot! Basically, it’s all about the Major scale, and it's important to understand chord tones and intervals. Don’t worry! In future lessons, you will learn more effective ways to use modes. I look forward to making many more lesson videos! Thank you."