Advice on practice routine/path

[BartLutsch]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been following this website for quite some time and have learned a great deal from it. Over the past few years, I’ve worked intensively on jazz theory, scales, arpeggios, CAGED, chord voicings, and voice leading. At this point, I’m fairly comfortable playing through standards with a metronome, outlining the changes with arpeggios and aiming for the strongest possible voice leading. Recently, I’ve also started incorporating approach notes and neighbor tones.

However, I feel I’m reaching a transition point. I would like to learn how to improvise more freely — both as a solo guitarist (chord melody) and in single-note lines over backing tracks. What I struggle with is understanding what exactly needs to “click” to move to that next level, and how to structure my practice to get there efficiently.

I’m especially interested in hearing what you consider the most effective direction at this stage. What should absolutely be solid before moving forward? Is there a kind of logical progression where one skill builds clearly on the previous one?

For example:

– Should I continue deepening my internalization of the harmony by playing through changes with a metronome in all positions and tempos?
– Is it primarily a matter of analyzing and transcribing more solos (from this site and from established players)? When I try to follow players like Joe Pass or Pasquale Grasso, it sometimes feels beyond my current level. I find it difficult to clearly see what is happening and how to meaningfully integrate it into my own playing.
– Or would it be more beneficial to focus more on arranging and composing? I wonder whether working more seriously on chord-melody concepts could help me think more integratively about harmony and melody, and perhaps improve my improvisation indirectly — almost like “arranging on the spot.”

I want to practice in a focused and efficient way. In the past, I’ve spent time on things that, in hindsight, were less relevant. Any guidance on how to sharpen my path forward would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your insights.


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[Strat-itis]

A super simple tip I learned with Chris Parks is that he always hammered home all you need to do is put together 3 devices to make 1 move. So yes you need a base of various single devices, but when you combine them and internalize that then it levels up.

[GuyBoden]

What should absolutely be solid before moving forward?

As a guitarist, it's better if you are able to "Comp" very well (Playing chords as accompaniment), that's why you'll get asked back to play, not single note noodling.

There are plenty of single note noodling guitarists, but very few good comping guitarists. (IMHO)

[Christian Miller]

As a guitarist, it's better if you are able to "Comp" very well (Playing chords as accompaniment), that's why you'll get asked back to play, not single note noodling.

There are plenty of single note noodling guitarists, but very few good comping guitarists. (IMHO)

Yep comp well and you’ll develop faster because you’ll have gigs


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[AllanAllen]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been following this website for quite some time and have learned a great deal from it. Over the past few years, I’ve worked intensively on jazz theory, scales, arpeggios, CAGED, chord voicings, and voice leading. At this point, I’m fairly comfortable playing through standards with a metronome, outlining the changes with arpeggios and aiming for the strongest possible voice leading. Recently, I’ve also started incorporating approach notes and neighbor tones.

However, I feel I’m reaching a transition point. I would like to learn how to improvise more freely — both as a solo guitarist (chord melody) and in single-note lines over backing tracks. What I struggle with is understanding what exactly needs to “click” to move to that next level, and how to structure my practice to get there efficiently.

I’m especially interested in hearing what you consider the most effective direction at this stage. What should absolutely be solid before moving forward? Is there a kind of logical progression where one skill builds clearly on the previous one?

For example:

– Should I continue deepening my internalization of the harmony by playing through changes with a metronome in all positions and tempos?
– Is it primarily a matter of analyzing and transcribing more solos (from this site and from established players)? When I try to follow players like Joe Pass or Pasquale Grasso, it sometimes feels beyond my current level. I find it difficult to clearly see what is happening and how to meaningfully integrate it into my own playing.
– Or would it be more beneficial to focus more on arranging and composing? I wonder whether working more seriously on chord-melody concepts could help me think more integratively about harmony and melody, and perhaps improve my improvisation indirectly — almost like “arranging on the spot.”

I want to practice in a focused and efficient way. In the past, I’ve spent time on things that, in hindsight, were less relevant. Any guidance on how to sharpen my path forward would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your insights.


Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk

Play with other people. Record your performance with your cell phone or a little handheld thing (don't complicate this step, just get a recording as easily as possible). Listen back to the recording and fix whatever is sloppy.

That's it. Do this for the rest of your life and you'll get better.

Practice, record, assess, repeat.

Post clips here and ask for feedback if you can't hear what's sticking out.

I had someone tell me I was sliding up the neck instead of ending my notes abruptly and someone else pointed out I was raking over the strings between each beat when I comped just adding noise. I never noticed I had those habits. You can get good feedback by sharing clips.

Lastly

Is there a kind of logical progression where one skill builds clearly on the previous one?

This does not exist, there is no shortcut. Keep learning tunes and adding technical skills slowly but surely you will improve. Faster than you think, but slower than you want to.

[Mick-7]

However, I feel I’m reaching a transition point. I would like to learn how to improvise more freely — both as a solo guitarist (chord melody) and in single-note lines over backing tracks. What I struggle with is understanding what exactly needs to “click” to move to that next level, and how to structure my practice to get there efficiently.

I would say that it's essential to know what phrases will sound like before you play them, a.k.a., you should be able to play what you hear. You can get there by attempting to play lines you compose or that you hear others play. All those scales, arpeggios and chords you know need to be made into music, which will never happen if you haven't integrated them aurally.

[wolflen]

Learn the melody..in all positions..in all keys..see if it has scale/arp fragments..play those over the chord-add to them-intervals-melodic patterns..licks etc.

You have to experiment and become comfortable doing it..rip the chords apart find things that you already know in them..an arpeggio or part of one..

Use harmonic devices..play a minor 3rd higher or lower over the chord .. experiment with chord pairs and fragments..and tri-tone scales

This stuff takes alot of time and practice..

Take simple tunes-real basic kid stuff..Happy Birthday (really) find ways to make it hip..add blues riffs..alter the chords make em "jazzy"

keep learning..and have FUN

[rpjazzguitar]

If you can scat sing, play that.

If you can't scat sing, probably lifting lines from recordings is a very good idea. But not Joe Pass and Pasquale Grasso -- too many notes. Start with Paul Desmond or Hank Mobley -- somebody who plays fewer notes. Maybe Jim Hall's ballad playing on albums like Glad to Be Unhappy or Bossa Antigua, which you can hear on youtube.

It's possible to get so involved with the individual building materials, bricks and boards and so forth that you forget to build the house.