question for those who've been playing awhile

That happens all the time.
mostly kewl chord progresions, when practicing changing random barre chords up and down the neck.

When I am improvising a solo, more often than not my mind is in "outer bonzo land" ;) and I feel that the music is coming through me instead of from me.

Part of that is due to the practice on scales (major, all 3 minors, pentatonics, blues, etc.) and a lot of experience.

It becomes like speaking. You don't often plan every word, it just comes out of you as you think it.

Notes

When I'm improvising a solo or chord progression, I'm usually not thinking about what I'm doing or going to do, it just sorta flows out of my fingers. Sometimes I'll play something really cool, and then can't remember what I did! :lol:

Dan

Sometimes I'll play something really cool, and then can't remember what I did! :lol:

Dan

Oh, yeah, been there any number of times

A :-)

Not that I'd claim any particular expertise, but I generally strategize about it a bit and then try out different patterns/ riffs until something starts to gel. I'm not planning it note for note, but I'm also not starting out blind letting pure inspiration guide my fingers either.

It does happen. I can probably improv all day without thinking about it -- especially if playing solo. But running on autopilot all the time tends to sound repetitive, as a lot of it is based in so-called muscle-memory. If I want to create something new -- and hopefully more interesting in that newness -- I have to make an effort to insert some conscious control and work in variations on my "natural" playing style. One place this pays off quickly is in improvised jamming, where some mindful direction can lead to development of interesting little melodic parts, rhythmic themes, counterpoints and variations as opposed to slipping comfortably into fairly generic layering of modal lines or simple follow-the-leader. Gotta think to take a turn as leader.

at the jam just the other night I was stepping out with my part. it began consciously but then went I went into the 'zone'. that place where you are observing yourself as in a dream. you only realize it when you have that,' wow, where was I' moment when you stop and re enter the conscious awareness of the people jamming with you. its funny. you are totally hearing the others in order to jam, but you are totally not there like them .
the quality of what comes out is variable. sometimes it is crap and sometimes it is brilliant. again, it's funny. I take total responsibility for the crap, but the brilliant always amazes me.
I think what is happening is the learning experience. the labor of lesson and practice is analytical and methodic. that activity occurs in the left brain. using that information and being creative with it is right brain. perhaps that place we go is the bridge between the two halves?

Hmmm....

I don't really zone out like the others said when I solo. I try very hard to listen intently to what I'm playing, and try to hear the next note in my head. Now that said, I pretty much use a very limited number of scales. I use the Minor and Major Pentatonics, the Major, and the Dorian scales. I have been playing these few scales so long that I know what they sound like and the melodies you can pull out of them. Once in awhile I will go outside these scales just to add something different.

I do think about what I call "target notes". While I play I try to be aware of the chord I am playing over at the time and include notes that belong to the chord. These are especially good for the first or last note of a phrase. So if I'm playing over a D chord, I might end a phrase on a D (the root), F#, (major 3rd), or A (5th). These are "sweet" notes and ALWAYS sound good. So I guess I always mix a little method into my improvisations. Sometimes I will play other notes like the 6th, or the flatted 7th. So, you've got to know the notes in your scale and how they relate to the chord you are playing over.

To me, the most important thing about soloing is keeping the flow going. Timing is super important. You can hit some outside notes that sound odd or strange, but if you keep the flow going you can go right back into your scale and it will sound good. On the other hand, if you get off time nothing will sound good. :(

And for me, I try not to think too much, or stress at all. If you try too hard or worry you will sound stiff and disjointed. You have to let go of your fears, relax and just go for broke. Then your solo will have energy.

You just have to practice your scales until you know them inside out, then it is kind of like speaking, you can play the lick just by thinking about it.

When improvising "mindlessly" you actually only shut down the spoken language center of your brain (so called "left brain").

But that is where the daily scale practice comes into effect. Your subconscious mind thinks of a melody and your pitch to finger relationship has been so ingrained that your fingers just play it.

It is also where careful and intense listening to music of all genres comes into effect. It gives your subconscious the ideas that your fingers just translate.

The left brain is involved in practice, and solo construction. When soloing, I try to let the audience predict where I am going part of the time and surprise them part of the time. It keeps their interest. And when I practice improvisation that is what I strive for. Then when I am on stage, that is what comes out without my "left brain" entering the equation.

Of course there are nights when the inspiration doesn't come, and then the left brain and muscle memory come into the picture. I've done a lot of recording myself on the gig, and those are decent solos but not my best. My best ones come when I'm in the zone. But that's me. We are all different and what works for me might not be best for others.

Insights and incites by Notes

i don't think my language center necessarily shuts down, because sometimes i'll actually be thinking in words about something or someone else, but the music is happening automatically. i'm sure sometimes it does, especially when large spans of time seem to flash by, or when i'm only thinking in music.

to add...I don't think any part of the brain shuts down. nor do I think being in a zone is mindless. I think being in na zone is conscious, as Wes stated, but at the same time one is listening and being creative; pulling thi9ngs out of the inner library.
I feel I am somewhere else sometimes, and that can be described more accuratly as 'reverie'.

and I never shut down, as I'm always listening to the entire arrangement to determine how to best work within the musical framework. but I can respond to what's going on somewhat automatically or assert conscious direction or change at a "macro level" -- e.g., insert this sort of run/pattern/scale here, go for ska rhythm/tone, move between major and minor pent scales, use tremolo picking, or choose to act on a more "micro level" -- e.g., emphasize a blue note, grace-note out of a mistake (and repeat later to see if we all like it), change one note of a scale, octave the end of a musical phrase, end on a wrong chord ...

usually, if I feel I'm particularly 'on,' it's because I really caught the rhythmic groove with my phrasing, worked interesting parallels and variations within the melodic/haarmonic structure and/or effectively used tension-and-release to enhance the musical story. after we've played a tune a few times, if I cannot figure out how to enhance the music with my playing or soloing, I will sit out. it's better for the music.

how much of your playing (especially creating or noodling, basically spontaneous playing) is done consciously, controlling what note comes next, and how much happens subconsciously or automatically, i.e. you feel more like an observer or even thinking about something else and not really in control of your fingers or note selection? do you prefer one mode over another?

sometimes i'll just jam for a while without really paying attention, and afterwards i actually have to search my memory to see what i was doing. i've read about the phenomenon, but what i've read doesn't really feel exactly right, so i'd rather hear your perspectives.

There's many times I've listened to recordings I've made and thought, "Wow! I played THAT?" There's a lot of times when things are just happening too fast to think about.

Hmmmmm ...... I just shut up and play my guitar. :? :lol: I don't think in terms of notes or scales. I hear in my head what I want to play and do my best to have my fingers do it. Thats kind of planned but spontaneous at the same time isn't it?