https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:26:01 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204896 Sun, 22 Oct 2006 02:53:49 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion Ricochet https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204896 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204892 Sun, 22 Oct 2006 02:04:00 +0000
Take a pattern (scalar, arpeggio, lick whatever); make 2 o 3 variations of it; memorize them all until they become single thoughts; combine them; and finally start improvising with them into different sequences as you play.

"The most important advantage by far is that you gain a certain "liveliness" of ideas. You´re practicing to think more quickly and creatively, calling on these patterns instantly and incorporating them into improvised licks." -Troy Stetina-

This is so cool! just what I wanted to know!!. Thanks anyway for your help. :D]]> Guitar Players Discussion Snakepit https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204892 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204879 Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:22:16 +0000
Well, I just want to make something clear, I don´t wanna be a mindless shredder playing notes here and there without any sense of phrasing and stuff, as I said earlier I´m pretty satisfied with my improvisation skills, but I want to do the extra mile, I want to go next level and start playing (or doing whatever it takes for that matter) fast lines to add intensity and that dramatic effect to my playing as Steve Morse, Frank Gambale, Pat Metheny or Al Di Meola so tastefully do, so as you can see I don´t want to be the next Yngwie or Petrucci or whoever mega speed rock star, I just want to take my playing to the next level.

I don´t know I think I just want someone to tell me: what you´re doing is right, keep at it, and not waste time practicing the wrong way.]]> Guitar Players Discussion Snakepit https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204879 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204845 Sat, 21 Oct 2006 19:16:16 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion Anonymous https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204845 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204837 Sat, 21 Oct 2006 17:23:12 +0000
It's true - in order to play fast phrases, you do have to think differently. I'm not god with guitar by any means, but I generally can improv fairly well because I know what notes I want to play in any given situation. (finding them on the fretboard, though, is the problem. :P)

If we're taking it slow, or at a moderate speed, I can think of a melody and play it, generally; you're able to think note by note, so you can plan out your improv as you're playing. It's quite nice.

When you're playing fast, though (and I haven't really had much experience with this) I'm pretty sure you can't go by a note-by-note basis. Instead, you have to have a good idea of where you are and where you're going; in order to get there, you're going to have to have an intimate knowledge of scales and riffs, and you're going to have to be technically proficient to pull it off with any skill. I don't have the skill to do this (yet) but I wa splaying with a friend when I realized this; I tried to do a couple of fast licks but you can't plan it note by note at blinding speed (unless you already know what you're goin to play beforehand). You'll find yourself falling back on all those riffs you learned, the scales you practiced over and over and over every day...it will come in handy.

I can't think of a good analogy for it, but I hope that made sense. Instead of thinking "G, A, B, G, C" you'd be thinking "G scale run, puase on B, chromatic scale run back down to C, then C major arpeggio for two octaves" or something like that. Exept not in words. :D]]> Guitar Players Discussion lunchmeat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204837 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204779 Sat, 21 Oct 2006 01:14:39 +0000 http://stetina.com/ and while I didn't stay around there long because it was more metal-oriented than I was, I exchanged a few messages with Troy Stetina. I thought he was a very nice guy and very helpful to a brand new player. There are some good lessons and learning resources on his site.
8)]]> Guitar Players Discussion Ricochet https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204779 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204778 Sat, 21 Oct 2006 01:09:00 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion Fretsource https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204778 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204776 Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:45:03 +0000
Lots of solos are memorized, but not always. I read an article by Yngwie, he said he never plays a solo the same way twice. I also read an interview with Stevie Ray Vaughn (not Metal, but plenty fast), he said he could never play a solo the same way twice, that would bore him.

NoteBoat has it. You have to go for a more overall feeling and mood.

I used to own that Speed Mechanics book by Troy Stetina. Yeah, it would take about 2 years to learn all those licks. I practiced a few before loaning the book to a friend and never getting it back. I did increase in speed and control quite a bit. It's a good book.

But I don't really think you want to have 1000 memorized licks. What you should aim for is technique, the ability to play what you hear in your head. I think the only way you can practice this type of thing is actually try to play what you hear in your head. The more you do it, the closer you get. I am really pretty slow, and that's ok, I don't really get a lot out of speed playing. But I can usually get pretty close to playing what I hear in my head. I practice this type of thing constantly. Just make up a little melody and see if I can do it. You kinda have to guess intervals at first, after awhile you get pretty good at getting them right.

While speed is a great thing, I think phrasing is a far greater gift. Listen to David Gilmore. He always plays slow, anybody can play that fast. But man, try to play those great phrases and hit those perfect notes!

So even if you love to play fast, you have to have good phrases, and play with lots of feeling. Gotta hit those good notes. Nothing is more boring than hearing somebody play a million random notes. About as interesting as listening to a typewriter.]]> Guitar Players Discussion Wes Inman https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204776 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204761 Fri, 20 Oct 2006 23:25:43 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion Anonymous https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204761 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204757 Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:49:28 +0000
welcome and for what it's worth I'm not an advanced player but I think it's more than just knowing scales etc., or memorizing licks. Yes I'm sure they do know hundreds of licks and maybe they can string them together on the fly but I think it's more that they have a total grasp of the fretboard and internalized every sound from each note and when they improvise they are hearing those notes in their head and can instantly translate that to notes on the guitar..

Or I could be all wrong.]]> Guitar Players Discussion cnev https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/improvising-fast-phrases/#post-204757