In this lesson, Dan and I return to take a look at how to improve your creative improvisations and what that journey looks like on the guitar. The focus of this lesson, using a backing track we recently did another lesson with, is how having some predetermined themes to use in your solo and a plan can help you to come up with ideas and interest as you improvise. As we play around with improvisation Dan gives me some tips and a strategy following a structured approach to coming up with ideas. We use octaves, blues licks and then Dan delves into a couple of ideas: First he highlights the importance of being relaxed and not tense; second we take a look at three note per string pentatonic licks and referencing lots of different players Dan demonstrates how you can delve deeply into one idea to explore the theme fully.

00:00:56 Reference to That Pedal Show and our last episode
00:01:36 Introduction - how do we mix our licks up to make them not feel too samey?
00:02:11 Fancy Fusion Backing Track in B minor | #SZBT 205: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZUCq_UlqzI

00:02:34 The focus for today's lesson is making your licks stand out - one idea leading to the next and the next...
00:03:16 Breaking solos into rigid structures
00:03:39 EG - Ritchie Samboura's solo from Dead or Alive
00:04:19 Analysing the ideas behind the parts of this solo, e.g. octaves, little blues lick, pinched harmonics, country blues rock lick, chugging chords
00:08:43 First soloing over the backing track
00:12:00 Guthrie Govan interview
00:13:34 How important it is to have goals and visualise where you want to be
00:17:55 Learn something different - have a bit of surprise left in your life
00:19:18 Dan's example of how beginners approach improvisation
00:20:01 1) isolating the ocatave theme and idea
00:21:09 2) by landing here on the fretboard you're ready for the blues lick
00:21:32 Be bold and not scared of the improvisation
00:23:53 Two tips to help when you're not sure: leave a note to hang or leave space
00:29:33 Second improvisation, focussing on relaxing and themed ideas
00:35:00 Running with weights: e.g. go up the whole scale using octaves
00:36:23 using octaves
00:36:51 Foo Fighters idea - fattening up a melody
00:37:01 Steve Vai - slipping up to the octaves, slide then octave
00:38:59 The pentatonic thing: with 3 note per string patterns
00:40:26 Second three note per string pentatonics
00:42:37 three notes on one string, then one note
00:43:10 Joel Hoekstra thing -
00:47:12 Podcast episode idea and call to action - get in touch if you want this
00:48:02 Shawn Lane lick
00:52:28 Some advice about digging deep into ideas
00:53:17 Country bends
00:54:19 Guthrie Govan idea from waves - arpeggiating with string skipping
00:55:37 Arpeggiating a Bm chord
00:58:05 Dan using the Guthrie Govan idea to solo over the backing track
00:59:05 Mixing in the Vito Bratta idea of adding tapped notes
01:01:12 Interesting video by Rick Graham - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsEHi1wykkc&feature=youtu.be
01:04:57 Final jam over the backing track