Recommended lessons for improving

marcelodamon

I realize I am a bit late to this conversation, but having learned by ear the first part of my life (from picking up the guitar at age 7, to the time I went to college for music performance), I learned everything by ear. It was the best way, and in my opinion, the only way to learn the instrument. I have never found that any book, video, or lesson was better than the simple act of closing my eyes and transcribing a solo; whether it was Django, Musette waltzes, Joe Pass, Paco de Lucia, John Petrucci, Greg Howe, Blues Saraceno, et cetera. And I even publish books (but in my defense, they are to notate songs that have not been notated or arranged for the guitar before).

What closing your eyes does, is forces you to hear the music, and over time, a sense of corporeal awareness and association arises between the position of your arms, hands, and fingers, and the actual "sounds" (i.e. notes) you are producing. Perhaps this is obvious, but most players are pattern/lick players; with only a very small minority of players actually playing what they "hear" (obviously Django, but also Bireli Lagrene, Antoine Boyer, Rocky Gresset, Sylvain Luc [with perfect pitch], to name a few). I would avoid being a pattern/lick player, as this way of playing is not "from you", the artist, rather rote regurgitation. If you transcribe enough solos, from various artists, and cultivate your corporeal awareness and association, the music you play, will indeed be from your own creative instincts. If you can find a teacher to teach this, there are exercises to work on this idea.

However, as esoteric as it is, I gained much insight about improvisation from Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner:

"Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner is a guide for musicians seeking to overcome performance anxiety and unlock their true artistic potential. The book emphasizes achieving a state of effortless mastery, which is not about technical perfection but rather a deep connection with the music and the ability to perform without self-doubt. Werner introduces concepts like "The Space," a mental exercise to allow music to flow through you, and practical techniques to silence the inner critic, which hinders musicians from expressing themselves fully. The book encourages  musicians to focus on emotional expression rather than technical skills, promoting a mindset of freedom and joy in their  performances."

There are only 12 notes, and as I heard Pat Metheny say at a clinic once: "With the exception of a Major 3rd on a minor chord, I know what every note sounds like over every type of chord". We should all strive to have ears this big, and as it relates to the guitar, what at first is a disadvantage to learning (multiplicity of notes/sounds in every position), once mastered, is the guitar's greatest advantage.

Just my 2 cents after 40 years of playing.

Buco

Visualizing is the key, I'm sure of it. Or at least a very important bit. I mentioned it someplace else recently, I was surprised when I found out that I have black holes when I tried visualizing something that I can play very well.

Here's a challenge; choose a melody you're very familiar with, you can play it with your eyes closed. Now, with your eyes closed, can you play the melody in your mind, can you see the path where your fingers are going on the fretboard clearly?