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Improvisation

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  • Archive by Category "Improvisation"
  • Alternative Guitar Tunings

    Top 4 Alternative Guitar Tunings

    By Jason Hall
    In Sep 4, 2021
    On Chords, Improvisation, Inspiration, Song Writing, Tuning
    No Comments
    Alternative guitar tunings are very popular amongst major artists. Other than the standard tuning on the guitar, there are many other tunings that we will explore below. As versatile as the guitar is, the vast majority of the time we spend playing the instrument exists in a fairly limited spectrum of possibilities known as standard tuning. Commonly referred to as E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4. But the status quo can be broken by...
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  • pentatonic

    Using Minor Pentatonic Over Major Chords

    By Darren Powell
    In Sep 11, 2018
    On Improvisation, Jazz Guitar, Theory
    No Comments
    The Minor Pentatonic scale is the all-so-famous scale most guitar players start with. It is almost evident everywhere in music. It is in the main riff of Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple and in Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. ‘Pent’ is the Greek word for ‘five’. So how is it that we have stumbled on a 5-note scale that has so many possibilities? I will talk about...
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  • Songwriting With Chords

    By Devlon Horne
    In Feb 11, 2018
    On Bands, Chords, Ear Training, Guitar Lessons, Improvisation, Song Writing
    No Comments
    It could be said that songs consist of only three things and they are namely melody, lyric and chords. Let’s have a look at how to focus on the use of guitar chord changes in the songwriting process and, how you can use them to make your songs communicate more powerfully. Let’s Add Some Chords When you’re adding chords to a new song you get to decide on the...
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  • Dorian mode theory lesson

    Dorian Mode | Theory Lesson

    By Devlon Horne
    In Mar 10, 2017
    On Improvisation, Online Guitar Lessons, Scales, Theory
    No Comments
    The Dorian mode leans towards the minor family because of its b3 interval. So all that we have to do is take our minor pentatonic scale and add the intervals that make up our Dorian mode. They are the major 2nd interval and the major 6th interval. Instead of adding the b6 we add to the natural minor scale, we now add a natural or raised 6th interval. Remember...
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  • Playing Guitar In The Zone

    By Stefan Vos
    In Jan 1, 2014
    On Gig Guidance, Guitars, Improvisation, Practice Tips, Rock Guitar, Rock n Roll 101, Theory
    No Comments
    Often while trolling the interweb for choice guitar morsels I’ll see something that aligns with how I feel about guitar. Of course I love to share this with all the GE Blog subscribers. Here’s another page out of another guitar teacher’s book. This time it’s Richard Rossicone: “We’ve all seen it. Quarterbacks completing pass after pass. Basketball players making shot after shot. Goalies making save after save. We often say to...
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  • Rethink your Approach to Blues Guitar

    By Stefan Vos
    In Dec 2, 2013
    On Blues, Improvisation, Practice Tips, Rock Guitar, Scales
    No Comments
    The internet is such a valuable resource for modern guitarists all over the world. I recently came across this interesting post about music philosophy and his approach to blues guitar by guitar teacher John W. Tuggle on his website http://www.learningguitarnow.com, great site for learning slide blues guitar and thought I’d share it with you: “Am I crazy!  A little, but who isn’t? There comes a time when you’ve learned...
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  • Blues Modal Harmony

    Blues Modal Harmony

    By Anthony Bierman
    In Nov 4, 2013
    On Blues, Chords, Guitars, Improvisation, Practice Tips, Rock Guitar, Scales, Song Writing, Theory
    No Comments
    The name blues modal harmony may confuse you at first but, have patience and let me explain a few things to help your guitar playing. You will have a greater appreciation for guitar music in general after reading this. When discussing which chords go together in which keys with students, I often have questions about why there are chords in some of their favourite songs (such as Major bVII...
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  • How to Approach Improvisation as a Beginner

    By Anthony Bierman
    In Apr 8, 2013
    On Blues, Ear Training, Guitar Lessons, Improvisation, Jazz Guitar, Online Guitar Lessons, Practice, Practice Tips, Rock Guitar, Rock n Roll 101, Scales, Styles, Theory
    No Comments
    When dealing with improvisation with my students, I use a systematic method that begins with the basic concepts of improvisation and moves through the styles to the more advanced forms of jazz improvisation. I will give a brief overview of how to approach improvisation as a beginner in this blog, there are many ways and this is only one approach, but I have found some success with it. A...
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  • How To Unleash Your Creativity On The Guitar

    By Daniel Herber
    In Apr 13, 2012
    On Guitar Lessons, Improvisation, Online Guitar Lessons, Practice, Practice Tips, Rock n Roll 101, Scales, Song Writing, Styles, Video Guitar Lessons
    No Comments
    Most guitar players are content to learn the classics on guitar as well as testing their strings mettle on the songs of their favourite contemporary acts. The amount of requests I’ve had from my students to learn Hotel California, Stairway to Heaven and Nothing Else Matters is a testament to the fact that there are certain essential songs one should include in their repertoire to get a better melodic...
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  • The Importance of Studying Blues

    The Importance of Studying Blues

    By Anthony Bierman
    In Jun 1, 2011
    On Blues, Electric Guitar, Guitar Lessons, Improvisation, Jazz Guitar, Practice, Practice Tips, Rock Guitar, Scales, Song Writing, Styles, Theory
    No Comments
    The importance of studying blues and its most common 12 bar progression as part of their fundamental studies as guitarists, cannot be emphasized enough! No matter what style you want specialize, in the importance of knowing and being able to handle Blues and its harmony and improvisation within it should never be overlooked. It is the root of most of  contemporary music such as Rock, Funk, Soul, Jazz and...
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