Guitar Lesson 35: Speed, fluidity, phrasing, form and building confidence in your improvisations

In guitar lesson 35, we address a question and topic given to us on Facebook about how you can increase the speed and fluidity of your playing.  Dan first draws out some ideas which can increase the interest in your rhythm playing (including fills and flourishes).  We then do some improvising over a jazz fusion track and look at how you can improve the fluidity and form of your licks and phrases and polish what you are already good at.

Main timings

00:02:28	Introduction to the topic of speed and fluidity
00:10:41	Scenario 1: Coming up with a rhythm on the spot
00:22:57	Scenario 2: Comfortable with song and now adding licks, fills and flourishes
00:26:34	Using the minor and major pentatonic ideas to build confidence in fills
00:31:08	Organising your playing by keeping ‘voicings close’ together
00:37:40	Mini summary on this chordal section of fluidity
00:42:42	First jam over a Jazz Fusion track
00:51:17	Top tip! Polish your licks and what you are good at
00:59:02	Giving form to your licks and chops
01:05:18	Summary… 1) rhythm and playing chords 2) use major and minor pentatonic for fills 3) play chords on three strings 4) go in gently 5) give your licks some form 6) work on what you’re good at
01:07:46	We finish with a quick jam over the same backing track

Detailed timings

00:02:28	Introduction to the topic of speed and fluidity as requested on our FB account
00:10:41	Scenario 1: Coming up with a rhythm on the spot and analysis of it
00:22:57	Scenario 2: Comfortable with song and now adding licks, fills and flourishes
00:26:34	Using the minor and major pentatonic ideas to build confidence in fills
00:31:08	Picking pattern style keeping ‘voicings close’ together
00:32:54	Using ‘organisation’ into 3 NPS groupings to build speed
00:33:06	Using ‘symmetrical patterns’ to reduce stumbling with the right hand
00:33:57	Keeping your chord voicings on three strings to increase picking speed
00:34:11	Me learning three string ‘crosspicking’ D D U D D U D U
00:36:31	Making things easier to learn by retaining one right hand picking or strumming pattern
00:36:50	EXCERPT We are Scientists acoustic version of Textbook
00:37:40	Mini summary on this chordal section of fluidity
00:42:42	First jam over a Jazz Fusion track
00:51:17	Top tip! Polish your licks and what you are good at
00:56:31	Reference to Chris Green on sweep-picking: Lesson here
00:59:02	Giving form to your licks and chops
01:05:18	Summary…1) rhythm and playing chords, 2) use major and minor pentatonic for fills, 3) play chords on three strings, 4) go in gently, 5) give your licks some form, 6) work on what you’re good at
01:07:46	We finish with a quick jam over the same backing track

Some guitarists to listen to for their speed, fluidity, accuracy and phrasing:

Guthrie Govan

,

Eddie Van Halen

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Paul Gilbert

John Petrucci

Steve Stine

Gary Moore

Joe Satriani

Steve Vai

Brad Paisley

Yngwie Malmsteen

All incredible players, each of which can open your eyes to some new phrasing ideas and thematic styles even if you don’t get along with their genre and sound.