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What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

In: My journey, Rocking in the free world Thursday Feb 7,2008

electric guitar Did you ever happen that while soloing to reach a point where to feel a bit lost, asking yourself OK, now what?!! I don’t speak about stopping the solo, just that I found myself when jamming in situations that needed to be resolved in a fraction of a second and I had no damn clue about where to go next. What do you do then?!

I remember speaking to a friend of mine (and band colleague back then) about this, about 10 years ago. I came up with speed as my solution!! When you don’t know what to do, you fall into one of those speedy licks, that’s a solution all the time! Well, my band colleague, who was kind of a local legend among rock fans in my city and way more experienced than me, said that the solution (for him) is not the speed but pentatonic scales (and man, he was a shredder, and still is, but a classy one!).

Really?! Well, it took me a while to fall on to the same conclusion he found, that the pentatonic scale is a winner scale in (almost) all the situations no matter what you play. The fact is that I have found myself over time in hard/heavy soloing as in blues (doh!) or pop-rock solos and all the time a good old note extension in a pentatonic scale was just what the doctor ordered.

I have payed some thinking on why is that and I I got to the conclusion that this happens because of the specific melodic feeling of the pentatonic scale, plus the fact that it has a relatively low number of notes so it kind of falls right on all kind of chord progressions, plus that the scale is so friendly and easy to improvise in.

How about it, am I right or what? What’s your “escape”? Is it the speed? Arpeggios? Or just good old pentatonic scale?

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6 Responses to “What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

Pribek
February 8th, 2008 at 12:02 am

Hmmmm…..Interesting topic.
Off the top of my head, I would in general-try to think slow or, a better word would be; economical, rather than going for some speed. When, I feel like I’m getting “a bit lost”, as you say, I feel that it’s because I’m not “thinking” valid musical ideas at a given point. So, I try to slow down the thought process and be musical.

As for the pentatonic idea-I actually try to think outside of the “scale” or “modal” concepts when I’m improvising. I try to release myself of the burden of restricting a thought to a particular group of notes. Two principals apply-
1.any note can work over any chord depending on what notes come before or after that note.
2.You are never more than a half-step away (higher note, lower note) from something that works.

That kind of thinking works for me, for the most part. That being said, my ultimate quest is to do all of this without having to stoop to conscious thought.

That being said-whatever works for you: works.
admin
February 8th, 2008 at 12:12 am

Well, a very interesting answer!
For me, some years ago I thought it was the speed but I’ve got to the conclusion that pentatonic improvisations go best for me when lost.

Regarding your answer, well, you have a point, you can take it slower to clear your mind for a second, I guess it works.

Just that I hate to see a guitar player waiting on a note in an artificial way. I mean if you keep a long vibrated note “naturally”, see Gary Moore, it is great! But I have seen relatively known guitar players holding a note just to wait for a measure to end. It was not a pleasant feeling.

Regarding that 2nd point, you are damn brilliant you are only half-step away from a note that works, man, you are damn right!!!

About thinking outside the scale, this is a talent, I guess, a feeling. Chromatic scales for ex are the most difficult IMO since they give you the freedom to do whatever you CAN. And CAN is here the word, not WANT! Chromatic scales rule, however, for me this is not the answer in such a case cause you may be flagrantly flat!!

And nothing sounds worse than a flat note, especially if you play…slow!
Pribek
February 8th, 2008 at 9:21 am

admin,
I think I know what you are talking about with the sustain thing. I’m sure I’ve been guilty of “holding a note just to wait for a measure to end” as you say. Hell, I’ve been guilty of about every mistake one can make at this point. I do get it right sometimes though.

I was thinking more along the lines of ways to get yourself to leave some space, which, I also think is the essence of musicality, rather than a sustain thing. Along those lines, another trick I use is, singing my solos and playing what I sing simultaneously. This forces me to leave some space and think musically because, even though I’m an old geezer, I can still play faster than I can sing and my voice can’t pull off nearly the amount of non musical ideas that my hands can.

I guess I do tend to think chromatically. I have been scolded by non-guitarists for writing charts/arrangement that do not include a key signature. I tend to take the world chord change by chord instead of thinking of one comprehensive tonal center.

I like the site by the way and very much dig the free exchange of ideas. I always feel like I have much more to learn and your post and reply to my comment have opened my mind a different way. Much obliged.
admin
February 8th, 2008 at 9:34 am

Thank you for your appreciations, I am really happy to hear this since I do my best to post things that I consider to be interesting but considering and being is not always the same thing, so thank you for the positive feedback!

Regarding what you say, I am not used to think chromatically, this is one thing I would like to improve in my playing since chromatic scales give you way more freedom to improvise and sometimes I feel that scales are a bit too “closed”, or at least I need to find something new in the way I play…
axlfuckinrose
February 8th, 2008 at 11:24 am

in moments like these you need to dance. :)) very natural.
admin
February 8th, 2008 at 11:33 am

Well, maybe for you as a lead singer, for me, if in a solo I suddenly start to dance cause I can not find my way through, somebody may throw bottles at me!!

What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

6 Responses to “What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

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