Improvisation is the technique or ability to play notes or melodies that beautifies a song. Experienced musicians improvise well by being creative and be able to express how they feel while playing the song.
If you are a guitar player and want to learn how to improvise or play solos, you have to know some basics of how to improvise in a song. Memorization of the fingerboard, or fret board, is highly recommended. You should know the fingerboard so well that it should become an extension of your brain. You need to know the finger position with no difficulty.
Your skill and technique to improvise will improve greatly if you take time to learn the basics of how to improvise. Memorizing guitar scales and how they relate to the chord is the key factor. Playing the guitar scale in different positions is one way of solidifying your improvisation.
Watch this awesome video how the legendary Buddy Guy leads the way to improvisation in this beautiful song “Skin Deep” done by Playing For Change.
For you to be creative and be able to play confidently, you will need some basic understanding of music theory. Most important of all, know the fingerboard well by constant practicing scales in different positions. The more you practice, the more you will know how to improvise in a song.
Any comments? Just leave them below and submit. I will be glad to read them.
I have always wanted to be able to play guitar but I never had the patience to learn however I can really appreciate this. The music really grabs you and how you play is so important. You can be an amazing guitarist however but not being able to feel the music. Even without any vocals it can surely grab you. I loved the video, it was great and they were all very talented.
Thanks! Alexandra. Glad you liked my page. All are really talented musicians.
Also know you can still learn how to play the guitar. It’s mever too late!
Once again, thank you for your kind comments.
Sometimes, our best ideas come to us when we improvise. A lot of musicians have mastered the art of improvising. You feel really good about yourself when you able to string in one or two notes out of nowhere to get that perfect sound. I know the feeling because I have actually experienced it. Like you said, to master the art of being able to improvise with the guitar, one has to be really familiar with the fingerboards because you would know exactly where everything is at to be able to include that sound that would blend in with your moment of inspirational play. Really good stuff.
Hi! Jay
Thank you for your kind comments. You have explained well and I can tell you are a musician. I hope one day we will Jam!
Thank you
Smart
Your website is interesting for people who love to learn guitar, and i think most of the people love to listen music and instruments related to the music. The video you uploaded sounds good .
Is guitar really difficult to learn?? OR can learn easily.
Kindly write more content about skills how to learn guitars .
Thank You
Hello! Sarwat,
Thank you for your kind comments. This topic is geared most to those who already play. A guitar is NOT difficult to learn but to master it requires constant practice. Glad you pointed out for more content on learning how to play the guitar. I have a page that explains how to play the guitar. I will link the pages.
Thank you
Smart
I have often heard guitarist explain in excitement how they missed a string while playing in a concert and continued with the rhythm while no one noticed, can that also be called improvisation? How about when a guitarist plays from the top of his head without following any note and the sound comes out good.
Hey Zuchii,
Thanks for comments. Yes, that can also be called improvisation. The whole idea is to be creative and not playing bad notes. When the guitarist is doing some creative styles of play like playing on top of his head as you say, he is on it. He is still playing the right notes no matter what. Otherwise if he plays outside the chord scale, you will notice quick and other band members will also know that he is off!. In a larger sense, the guitar player who is improvising has mastered and memorized the fingerboard so that it is an extension of his or her brain! They can do gimmicks but the notes played are in the same key the song is being played. I hope I explained this well.
Smart