Robin May

Continuing on from part one, this tutorial re-enforces the note relationships whilst taking you through the minor pentatonic and blues scales, root on 5th string.

You'll be given the opportunity to develop your licks and hopefully gain a bit of insight into how we improvise.

This time you'll see examples of how to adapt and develop what you know to create new licks and melody lines.

Tune up your guitar and hit play :)



Below is the blues box complete with the extensions that I took you through in the video. In this diagram I have also indicated the relationships (4th, 5th etc) so that you can begin to recognise where certain notes are replicated on another string and into a second octave. It will also help your playing immeasurably if you can start recognising which note is the flattened third or whatever. 


Below is the tab for the licks I took you through in the video. Whilst I tabbed it as one long section onscreen, here I break it down into smaller, discrete licks. Learn to play them as such, as well as linking them together as I do in the video (see 3:00-4:20). Then change them ~ adapt the phrasing; how long you spend on each note, as I do in the video (4:20-5:20). Try to break the pattern by spending far too long, or far too little time, on notes as and when you feel it appropriate. Play over the below backing track. It will help you keep time, whilst allowing you the freedom to create whatever melody you wish, because it has no chords and is simply a minor third interval played on a bass. To be honest, you'll learn the most if you get your fingers around these licks - so that you know them, then watch the video (in particular 3:00-5:20)


---10b12--------10-------------------------------
-------------------------------8---------------------
------------------------------------9----------------
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------


--------------7---------------------------
----8-------------8----------------------
---------9-------------9--------7h9----
-----------------------------9------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
---7h9p7--------7----------------------------------
---------------9--------9p7p5---7p5--------5----
---------------------------------------------7---------
--------------------------------------------------------





Most of all ~ enjoy yourself as you learn and develop. Forget having to get to a certain standard and, in the process, drop all the judgements about how good you are - or are not.....simply give yourself the quality time to enjoy your journey of learning and developing on this wonderful instrument :)

Comments appreciated.