Graduation Solo 6

[WimVD]

This is a real fun one to learn and I like the fact that this solo is played all over the neck.
Here is my final BGU recording. Now that I have learned all these licks, it is time to work on my improvisation skills and to start the CRGU course.

http://soundcloud.com/wim-van-damme-401299565/texas-shuffle-solo-6-r

Wim.

 

[Eblues (AKA - Herm)]

I have listened to a few of your lesson posts, but haven't commented before...

You are nailing these lessons.. all aspects of playing sound very solid to me. You are ready to move on to the next challenge.

 

[Jalapeno]

Nice! Congrats on completion. It's a nice feeling. There are a lot of good licks in the course so retaining them as part of your vocabulary will start your improvisation just right.

Eric

 

[tommytubetone]

Nicely done!

 

[OG_Blues]

Well done! Very cleanly played!

 

[WimVD]

Thanks, @Eblues, @Jalapeno , @tommytubetone and @OG_Blues.

Being at the end of BGU, I am still wondering how to further grow my improvising skills.
How do you make that part of your practice schedule?

Wim.

 

[tommytubetone]

You've got the chops to go to a blues jam. Playing with others is the best thing you can do. Other than that, put on some backing tracks and try to use what you've learned in the courses. Keep it up!

 

[jmin]

Congratulations WM! Great job on Solo 6 (and all the BGU solos!). Also, congrats on completing BGU! Good luck on CRGU. Looking forward to hearing more of your solos!

 

[Jalapeno]

I am still wondering how to further grow my improvising skills.
How do you make that part of your practice schedule?

Take the licks you've learned and start to modify them. Put a 12 bar jam track on and play your solo as you've memorized it the first time through to get in the groove. The second pass modify the first lick in some way. Some of the modifications you can try:

change the duration of one or more of the notes, making them longer or shorter
change one or more of the pitches to a different note in the pentatonic
change which beat the lick starts on and see if you can make it fit in the allotted space
reverse the lick

do that for a while

then modify the second lick as above

do that for a while

see if you can modify the second lick to be the first lick and vice versa, then make those same modifications above

by the time you've gone through all that for a few weeks or months you should have no problem improvising using the BGU solos as a basis for your own thing.

Keep it up, practice practice practice. BGU is a gift if you only play what's there, it is a goldmine if you start to make it your own.

Eric

 

[WimVD]

Take the licks you've learned and start to modify them. Put a 12 bar jam track on and play your solo as you've memorized it the first time through to get in the groove. The second pass modify the first lick in some way. Some of the modifications you can try:

change the duration of one or more of the notes, making them longer or shorter
change one or more of the pitches to a different note in the pentatonic
change which beat the lick starts on and see if you can make it fit in the allotted space
reverse the lick

do that for a while

then modify the second lick as above

do that for a while

see if you can modify the second lick to be the first lick and vice versa, then make those same modifications above

by the time you've gone through all that for a few weeks or months you should have no problem improvising using the BGU solos as a basis for your own thing.

Keep it up, practice practice practice. BGU is a gift if you only play what's there, it is a goldmine if you start to make it your own.

Eric

Thanks, Eric, for this excellent advice.

It is true that, although I can play the solos, I don't "own" the licks yet. So I've started to follow your advice and to break down solo 1 and modify it a bit to transform it into a blues to play "on the porch" without backing track. I will go back to the other solos and experiment with them as well.

Here is the modified solo 1: http://soundcloud.com/wim-van-damme-401299565/solo-1-on-the-porch

 

[Jalapeno]

Awesome! How does that feel? The more you do it the easier it becomes and in time you'll be the envy of the guitar forums as the master improvisor

There are no new ideas, just ideas made our own.

Eric

 

[Ivan]

Congrats on completing the course. That was a nice job on solo #6. Great touch and timing...right in the pocket throughout!

 

[WimVD]

Congrats on completing the course. That was a nice job on solo #6. Great touch and timing...right in the pocket throughout!

Thanks, Ivan.

 

[snarf]

Sounds really good! And be proud, you've done something a LOT of us haven't managed to do...actually finish one of the courses.

 

[WimVD]

Sounds really good! And be proud, you've done something a LOT of us haven't managed to do...actually finish one of the courses.

Thanks, Snarf. You have to finish what you start! So now I will have to finish CRGU .

 

[Many Moons]

Well Wim, you've done something I may never do......., finished a course. That was excellent playing all round. Congrats on finishing the course. Well done.

 

[WimVD]

Thanks, Davy.

 

[gpower]

Very well done Wim!