ChrisGSP
Blues Journeyman
Griff's email post the other day mentioned that he didn't mind sitting and playing scales for hours on end, while other players just get bored with scales. I would submit that Griff's method payed off pretty well - watch and listen to him play.
But, I think there's a limitation that is imposed by playing scales - and that is inherent in the fact that most scales involve playing ONE NOTE PER PICK OR FINGER STROKE, and a different note every time.
And that's a problem that I have struggled with for many years - the impulse, when improvising, to play a different note with every pick or finger stroke. Good improvisors regularly/often play the same note multiple times. In fact I think Griff states somewhere "if you hit a good note, hit it again".
I think I'll try playing a scale with multiple pick strokes. Maybe hit each note twice, maybe every second note twice, vary it around, try to find a better sound or a groovy sequence, or something new.
Something I just thought of - say you can play the minor blues scale OK at 90bpm. Try it with double-time pick strokes. Fretting hand still goes at 90bpm, but pick at 180, two pick strokes per note.
But, I think there's a limitation that is imposed by playing scales - and that is inherent in the fact that most scales involve playing ONE NOTE PER PICK OR FINGER STROKE, and a different note every time.
And that's a problem that I have struggled with for many years - the impulse, when improvising, to play a different note with every pick or finger stroke. Good improvisors regularly/often play the same note multiple times. In fact I think Griff states somewhere "if you hit a good note, hit it again".
I think I'll try playing a scale with multiple pick strokes. Maybe hit each note twice, maybe every second note twice, vary it around, try to find a better sound or a groovy sequence, or something new.
Something I just thought of - say you can play the minor blues scale OK at 90bpm. Try it with double-time pick strokes. Fretting hand still goes at 90bpm, but pick at 180, two pick strokes per note.