Tips for guitar improvisation?

Question

I've been playing for about two and a half years, I mostly play classic rock [Stuff that sounds like Led Zeppelin, Clapton etc], blues [John Mayer, Erroll Garner etc], and whatever John Frusciante's genre is called.

I know the pentatonic scale, blues and regular. I know about hammer ons and bending and all of the regular technique, but all of my improvisation tends to come out sounding the same; boring and repetitive.

I would much appreciate some tips on techniques.

Answer 1

I had already guessed you were self taught and couldn't read music before you even mentioned it, because you appear to lack a knowledge of the BASICS and theory and harmony and THOSE are absolutely necessary for playing good solos and for improvisation.  If you don't know how chords are composed, then how can you expect to build them in real time as you are playing?

If you are adverse to hiring a teacher, then at a MINIMUM get some books on MUSIC THEORY and MUSIC HARMONY and use them to build on what knowledge you already have.

The bad thing about being self taught is, you only zero in on those things you find interesting and ignore the BASICS that a teacher would insist on.  It works for a while, but eventually you reach a point where you NEED that basic knowledge to advance in your playing... and you seem to be a good example of that.  The answer for you is to GO BACK TO THE BASICS until you have mastered them... then you will find it was time well spent.

Answer 2

Hi Tim

If you got that far. Here is a site to learn more minor scales and a very good site as it gives you the chords that match those scales.

http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/guitar_...

Just punch in the scale and chord and go for it. Very interesting site. Save the $100 as this is worth $1000.