free style trouble

i have, for some time, tried the do-it-yourself teaching method to learn guitar. I have been successful to a certain degree, but I am having trouble with the free playing, such as pentatonic scales etc. I was raised around a piano with a smoother, flowing music, and am have trouble "hearing" the rythmatic type of music in guitar music. I have learned the scales, but have trouble incorporating them into the any jam sessions.

Well I think the best advice I can give you, to be able to hear it better, is to listen to a lot of guitar players :) Especially blues, blues/rock where guitar players jam on the pentatonic scale for hours and it never gets boring.
Your brain will record what is happening without working or doing anything. Just like a baby. At first he listens to everything around him, records everything in his brain without really working at it. Then out of nowhere, a word comes out and then a phrase and everyone is happy....and then he wont stop talking :P hahaha

I have a similar story. Last week I picked up an harmonica and decided to play this beautiful instrument. I know scales and theory and all that so I'm learning quick. But it dosnt sound like the musicians I like. So now i'm listening to more harmonica, just to get the feel.

The beautiful thing in all this is that down the road, everything you learned and will learn gets mixed up (without working at it) to create your own unique flavor...it gets more personal and more fun to play.

Originally Posted by: curcuitrideri have, for some time, tried the do-it-yourself teaching method to learn guitar. I have been successful to a certain degree, but I am having trouble with the free playing, such as pentatonic scales etc. I was raised around a piano with a smoother, flowing music, and am have trouble "hearing" the rythmatic type of music in guitar music. I have learned the scales, but have trouble incorporating them into the any jam sessions.

I hear ya! The answer is to go through the blues section of the core learning system. Anders Morisden teaches these courses and he is absolutely amazing. I always thought my issue was I needed to learn more scales and theory. Watching Anders improvise totally destroyed that theory. He would use one simple pentatonic shape and through clever phrasing put together the most awesome sounding solo. No tricks, so speed, just great phrasing.

In part 1, it's mostly about learning the scale and some blues rythmic stuff. In part 2, he attacks this issue head on. I've been working through it for about a month and I've noticed a significant improvement to my improvised blues solos. What he does is he will introduce a lick and talk about very specific things you can do to give it some variation and "make it your own". He breaks it down wonderfully.

For what it's worth...

Blues is a minute to learn, lifetime to master...

SebastBerg is spot on to listening to other blues players and rock n' rollers. You will become familiar with signature licks and phrases most bluescats and rockers use.

Maggior is on point with learning from a real teacher. This can save you incorrect information, time, and frustration. The teacher is on point with knowing that the 1st position of the minor pentatonic is the goto lick creator for beginner to advanced. Learn the basics there, it's a great start.

You are a pianist. You can use this to your advantage. If you know your modes for the major scale, dorian and aeolian are the best to use with blues. You will find them fitting in nicely and if you look deeper, theory tells you why these interlock.

Key things in blues guitar?
- work on your vibrato!!!
- learn to bend up AND down to the right notes
- sliding up and down to the next note is also heavily used
- hammer ons and pull offs are always used
- phrasing is key... just as we talk.
*example... when someone is understanding what someone else is saying before they even finish the sentence, they might say Right Right Right! or Right on! or Riiiiiiiiiiight!

do that with a single note or two...

Right right right.. usually when spoken, this is even like quarter notes. Maybe play your lick all on one note.. or maybe ascending notes like sometime we ascend pitch in our voice when we talk and get excited

Right on! ... usually when we speak this it's quick and most emphasis and stress is on the 'on!' and we descend in pitch with our voice. Do this with two notes in the pentatonic

Riiiiiiiiiigh!? ... when spoken, usually slooooow and pitch goes up in our voice to imply ... agree ? Do this with a bend... bend on your B string. Bend your D up to an E!! Do it slow. And if you really want a fun way to 'say' that... hold on your D, pluck the bottom two strings and you'll hear a D and E ( dissonant ) and bend only the D to MATCH the high E and you'll hear it come into perfect pitch. If you get courageous, wait as the D matches the other E and then add a vibrato. Cherry on top. It's fun.

Hope this helped.

If your original post is true then I can see your problem. You say you are having trouble "hearing" the rhythm to play lead. You have to "feel" the rhythm. Just get into a groove and lose yourself. Don;t worry about hearing anything. Just try to feel it.

ps.. most blues licks and revolve around triplets and sextuplets. Shuffles are very prominent too. Like skipping on a side walk. Sorry for the misread.. best to you!