Skip to content
Improvising Again.....
 
Notifications
Clear all

Improvising Again...

5 Posts
5 Users
0 Likes
797 Views
(@guitar_man_910)
Eminent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 13
Topic starter  

OK I want to improvise. Playing songs has started to bore me. I found a book at a really great price. It has a ton of chords and a butt load of scales. My question is this: What scales can be played together? Does C go with C#? Can I mix notes from A and D minor? etc. Which ones sound good mixed up and which ones should never be tried together? Like I said playing other bands' songs bores me. Help with this improvising idea, PLEASE.


   
Quote
(@reasonableman)
Trusted Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 71
 

It's all about intervals really. You can't say that one chord wont work with another somewhere in a progression.

You need to learn more theory, try some of the lessons here really...


   
ReplyQuote
(@forrok_star)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 2337
 

Here is some great reading Soloing and Improvisation.

Joe


   
ReplyQuote
(@ignar-hillstrom)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5349
 

It really and truly depends on the style of the music. In blues, you can pretty much get away with playing the minor pentatonic of the key the song is in. So you can play BB King's 'The thrill is gone' (which is in B) in B minor pentatonic, and it will always sound ok. Or you can switch scale with every chord progression. For example, in a 12-bar blues in A

A chords= play in A minor pentatonic
D chords= play in D minor pentatonic
E chords= play in E minor pentatonic

When you run into other genres (metal, jazz) you'll see all sorts of scales being used. A good start is learning the major, natural minor, pentatonic major and pentatonic minor in all positions in all keys. Might take a few weeks/months/years/decades, but when you've got it down you can pretty much improvise *something* along to pretty much anything.

Remember that the best improvisations comes from people who know each other very well, besides just knowing their theory and techniques. Try to find a few people who play instruments and start playing with them. The easiest way to start improvising is playing with others, messing your part up and trying to correct it on the fly. Remember you'll never walk if you aren't prepared to fall on your face a few times...


   
ReplyQuote
 MCH
(@mch)
Trusted Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 79
 

I would really look at this site. I got his Plane Talk book and DVD. I think it is an excellent way of learning how to improvise without learning a lot of scales. His approach is similar to the Cage program but much more simplified. His book is a treat to read, it's done in comic style. The man's name is Kirk Lorange. Give it a look.

http://www.kirklorange.com/


   
ReplyQuote