Looking for a systematic guitar improvisation course

[matt.guitarteacher]

I guess my goal is to not have to learn other peoples licks but start creating my own. I realise I have to learn from others in order to assimilate the vibe, phrasing and theory but eventually I'd like to be able to tap in to some kind of internalised theory or understanding that free's me up. Very much along the line of 'give a man a fish' vs 'teach a man to fish'.

I guess what I mean by systematic is that I'm kind of looking for a road map and willing to put some effort in.

Since starting this thread I've come to the understanding that my issues might well be my lack of study skills and organisational skills.

Check out Bert Ligon's "jazz theory resources volume 1" and "connecting chords with linear harmony" books. He's got a lot of free material on his site as well.

Anyway, Ligon is one of the best I've found for explaining why things work which you've transcribed, or which you might seek to transcribe. He breaks down the mechanics and theory from 100's of specific examples of the greats' solos. And he does so without superimposing contrived modern theory which the greats never would have used in the first place. The modern stuff is in there as well, by the way.

[Sean65]

Yeah I've heard good thing about Bert Ligon's books. Strangely enough I've just been through all my books and courses today to see what I should recycle/re-use and I feel slightly embarrassed about how many decent books I actually own but never went through. Ironically, that's pretty much how I started to learn many years ago and I was quite content coming home with a new book every now and then and working through it but then along came the internet and multi media and the rest is history as they say.

[christianm77]

I like the way the guy says he's narrowed it down and then everyone gives him more options - because that will help him decide ;-)

[Mike Outram]

Hey Sean,

You can check out everything for free at electric campfire for 14 days. [it's zuper simple to cancel if it's not for you]

If you want to ask me anything about what's there/level/what you're looking for/anything at all, feel free to get in touch here. Or check out the overview page here. Always happy to help

Cheers!

Mike

[Jazzism]

2nd the Mike Outram. As well as being a solid pro/working player, I think he has a background in education, so he understands the pedagogy and how to scaffold learning so the student doesn't necessarily feel like it's too overwhelming.
cheers!

[Sean65]

Hey Sean,

You can check out everything for free at electric campfire for 14 days. [it's zuper simple to cancel if it's not for you]

If you want to ask me anything about what's there/level/what you're looking for/anything at all, just send me an email mike@mikeoutram.com Always happy to help

Cheers!

Mike

Hi Mike,

Yes, I've had a good look around and was just waiting for the right time of the month to start the trail so that if I stay on the payments hit my account at a more comfortable time.

I see you're playing a gig down at my old local next month in Kingston. Love to be there but I've just moved to Bilbao in Spain.

Looking forward to checking out the site and many thanks for the email.

Sean

[Mike Outram]

Hi Mike,

Yes, I've had a good look around and was just waiting for the right time of the month to start the trail so that if I stay on the payments hit my account at a more comfortable time.

I see you're playing a gig down at my old local next month in Kingston. Love to be there but I've just moved to Bilbao in Spain.

Looking forward to checking out the site and many thanks for the email.

Sean

Great mate! Look forward to showing you around.

That gig's been going now for more than 20 yrs! Always a fun band with Ian Thomas, Laurence Cottle & Simon Carter. Dream team

I just remembered, I've got a bootleg of one of those gigs you can have for free

Live In Pubs | Mike Outram

Enjoy!

M

[paulcw16]

Hal Crook's books are terrific and very systematic/organized. (not instrument specific)

[Sean65]

Hal Crook's books are terrific and very systematic/organized. (not instrument specific)

Thanks Paul; the How To Improvise book has been in my wish list on Amazon for a few years. I've read very good things about it. I guess what stops me buying is that, like most guitarists, my sight reading needs attention.

[A. Kingstone]

By the Way, Christian is always talking about the Barry Harris stuff, and I found a lot of what he talks about to be pretty interesting/compelling. I've looked at the DVDs, and they're pretty expensive. Anyway, it seems like there was mention of a guitar specific book built on BH principles for improvisation. (Not talking about Alan's harmony book btw. I'm familiar with that one.)
…………...

Initially it may seem that way but they are about $100 each for BH Workshop 1 (4 DVD's and Workbook) and BH Workshop 2 (4 DVD's and Workbook).

So for a couple of hundred bucks we get hours and hours of high quality video and explanation from the master. There is a lifetime of study in them thar hills.

For transparency, Howard Rees who produces these is a student and teacher of Barry's methods for 35 years publishes my book mentioned above but I defy your jaw not to drop when you realize how much wisdom is conveyed in these sessions.

Hours and hours of Barry teaching in a workshop setting for those of us who can't get to New York every Tuesday.

If you want to play bebop, invest.


(Christian77 algorithm 1)

[ronjazz]

While there may be no magic bullet, Tim Miller comes as close as anyone I've ever seen making it seem easy to play in the symmetric/modern style. His mini-course Creative Arpeggio Design is a very nice doorway into modal and modern playing, and even though his style is "legato", these techniques and ideas will translate all the way to classical guitar and back to prog rock. I think these arpeggios would be great accompaniments in the right situation. In any event, a I think I paid $30 for it, and it's going to be a great investment. My teachers and mentors were Barney Kessel, Joe Pass and a few others in that swing-bop bag, fabulous players and people, but I'm enjoying the explorations of the headless-ergonomic side of our world. Highly recommended.

[grahambop]

I like the way the guy says he's narrowed it down and then everyone gives him more options - because that will help him decide ;-)

Hi Christian I think what you meant to say was number (5).

[christianm77]

Come to think of it, it's more a form of Bingo than an algorithm per se....

[WillMbCdn5]

Richie's course is very thorough and very regimented and very focused from learned point to learned point and encourages a very chord tone based approach to navigating scales and related structures starting from a basic major blues perspective and over time expanding in a very methodical way to include other tonalities and more advanced blues structures. The course demands a certain discipline that I can only bring to bear in small increments - so it is taking me more time than Richie would suggest to get through the material and actually absorb and take on board what Richie is teaching in each segment. I have the course printed out and organized in binders and pick up a relevant binder and flip it open to what I am trying to study and focus as best I can on the material for as long as I feel is productive given the time I can devote to studying. I could probably do this with Richie's material for a couple of years and keep learning.
Am I progressing as a player as I had hoped I would when I handed over my $? - Richie's material has given me the basis to look at other material and examine and integrate it against a known and understood framework - his interval framework and teaching emphasis and fret board positional framework has been worth the price of admission. It has given me the basis to listen to tunes and hear the structures making it easier to transcribe and learn from sources I enjoy and hope to emulate. On those two counts alone I have gotten my moneys worth and more . All that said my journey continuous - and while it now includes Richie's material/ideas/approach it is not defined by that alone.

hope that helps

Will

[grahambop]

Come to think of it, it's more a form of Bingo than an algorithm per se....

Without any prizes.