Joe Satriani... in my opinion one of the best phrasers (if that is a real word :p )
PHRASING.. to improve your melodic soloing skills
When
one of my guitar students wants to learn lead guitar, I usually show him/her
the minor pentatonic scale first.
Once
that scale is down in all keys, I play different and familiar chord
progressions and have my students solo over them using the scales they've just
learned.
Almost
always, the same thing happens: The student's leads sound like a continuous
scale. I call it the musical equivalent of a stomach virus: The notes just keep
on running out with no end in sight. The same thing occurs when they advance
and learn the extensions of the minor pentatonic and the modes. They know the
notes and the connections very well, but it sounds like one big run-on
sentence. Sometimes I'll see cover bands in which more experienced guitarists
will do the same. In short, there is no phrasing. Here are some methods I've
used to make lead playing more melodic and dynamic.
01. LISTEN
BEFORE YOU PLAY: Sometimes I'll start a profession and the student will
just jump in and start playing licks. I always stress to them to listen for a
few bars to what the chords sound like, especially if you are unfamiliar with
the structure. By listening first, you may be able to hear something you
wouldn't have heard before, such as a rhythmic or melodic motive you can build
a lead line from.
02. REST,
SILENCE AND RHYTHM: Let the notes breathe a little bit. Slow down the
phrase and maybe stop playing all together. The silence in music is just as
important and the music itself. The silence can draw in the listener. Holding a
note a little longer can do the same. The use of silence and resting will make
the scale sound less like a scale, if you catch my drift.
Here's
a great example: Play a descending D major scale. Pretty boring stuff. Now
alter the spacing a bit and change up some of the rhythms, hold certain notes
longer and shorter ... the next thing you know, you're playing one of the most
recognizable melodies of all time, "Joy to the World." That's what we
are shooting for in lead playing — making something ordinary into something
special. And that's what separates the good from the great.
03. ACCENTUATE
CERTAIN NOTES: Above, I referred to run-on sentences. Is there anything
more annoying than hearing a speech in which the speaker has no articulation,
speaks without pauses and is monotone? Probably not. The same can be said about
lead guitar playing.
Think
of the phrase "I love you." Three short powerful words. But if I
accentuate and put emphasis on different words, the meaning drastically
changes. "I love you." "I love you." "I
love you." If you say those words out loud accentuating the
different words, you'll hear the difference. The meaning of the phrase changes.
Do the same in your lead playing. You can stress a few of the notes in a phrase
by making them louder or softer, longer of shorter. If you do so, the whole
context and meaning of the phrase will change into something unique. You can play
one phrase faster; then in the next phrase, play something slower and softer
holding a few of the notes. The ideas are limitless.
04. LISTEN
TO OTHER LEAD GUITAR PLAYERS: This seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be
surprised how many young guitar players who want to play lead have never heard
of David Gilmour. You need to listen to music in which the art of lead guitar
is prevalent. It is so important to immerse yourself in the music of other lead
guitarists who have come before us and who are here now! You get the creative
juices flowing and draw inspiration from them. The examples are too numerous to
mention, but a few examples are Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Eric
Johnson, Slash, Eddie Van Halen, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa, etc., etc., etc.
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