Inside the Musician's Mind (and/or Heart) ~

[Guitarist]

I'd like for everyone to share what goes through their mind when playing, say, a C# blues* jam. You know, share the thought processes that take place within, when in the midst of artistic creation.

I'm hoping that from this, we can begin to approach improvising more openly and creatively. I know that personally, I have a lot of trouble letting go when I'm given something to work with...boundaries...

*please use this as the universal theme for the thread

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Inside the Musician's Mind (and/or Heart) ~

C# minor pentatonic will be where I start out . . . and probably where I head back to if I start getting lost. If it's a standard blues, then you know that the other two chords you'll be working with are D# (IV) and G# (V) so I'll probably try to land on some chord tones from them as they're whizzing by. Depending on the type of blues, I may pick some notes from the C# Dorian or Aeolian scales for colour. If it's a slower blues, I might try to follow the changes with major pentatonic double stops. Throw in some bends and sliding, and that should get you through the solo . . .

 

[fingerace]

Re: Inside the Musician's Mind (and/or Heart) ~

more or less like GS... I'd work with the three chords, but I'd change them a bit as the jam continues. You know that's what i always do... I start simple and then, change them as i go... by the end of the jam it sounds more jazzy...

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Inside the Musician's Mind (and/or Heart) ~

How do you work the chord substitution so that you don't clash with everyone else? Or do you all just change what you're playing as you go along?

 

[RW James]

Re: Inside the Musician's Mind (and/or Heart) ~

I'm such a newbie with this... the first thing that came to my mind was "9th fret"... after that, I'm lost...

 

[fingerace]

Re: Inside the Musician's Mind (and/or Heart) ~

How do you work the chord substitution so that you don't clash with everyone else? Or do you all just change what you're playing as you go along?

We are only a trio. (well sometimes we have a pianist, so we are 4). So the basist, keeps it simple when I get all excited, stays on the root note and the 3rd sometimes, he covers the rhythm work basically...
I just "color" my chords and play the solo in the actual chord. I make it a 9th or a 7th or add the 4th and stuff like that... I am not VERY well at it, but I am trying to be...

When the pianist comes, she always guides me... For exaple, "ok now lets resolve that chord we just did, over this one... blah blah" She has a really good ear too, so she can keep up with every crazy thing I do... and i try to keep up with her whenever she is in the mood! Also, sometimes, so that we don't have a problem keeping up, we take turns and have solos along the drums...

Sorry if I skipped some of the theory terms, I have my theory classes in Greek so...

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Inside the Musician's Mind (and/or Heart) ~

I was just wondering how you would go about substituting chords in progressions, like if there is some set formula for what works and what doesn't . . . . it seems like a cool way to spice up a simple progression, and I've tried doing this with 7ths and 9ths, but I always seem to hit bad notes. I know in jazz they're always throwing around crazy diminished chords or chords with weird b5s here and there, I just don't know why these (normally) crappy chords sound good in those contexts!

 

[fingerace]

Re: Inside the Musician's Mind (and/or Heart) ~

I was just wondering how you would go about substituting chords in progressions, like if there is some set formula for what works and what doesn't . . . . it seems like a cool way to spice up a simple progression, and I've tried doing this with 7ths and 9ths, but I always seem to hit bad notes. I know in jazz they're always throwing around crazy diminished chords or chords with weird b5s here and there, I just don't know why these (normally) crappy chords sound good in those contexts!

I think because if you have a rhythm guitar, that keeps on playing a C# chord... It will sound as a missmach if he does not color it as you do... I think that's the problem... Try it with a root note only, ie a bass rhythm line.. maybe that will work. I am not a jazz player, I TRY to be one. Don't think that we always get things right during jams... Also, if something sounds realllly bad, immidiately after you play it, go back to the root note, and then back to the wrong note... From then on it just flows again... I don't know why it works... And believe it or not, i read this tip from Total Guitar magazine, in an interview of Murderdols!!