How To ‘Groove’ Like a Pro!

(master this and 10x your soloing power!)

Welcome to another Improvisation Bootcamp lesson!

In this video we’re going to look at possibly the most important and overlooked area of playing guitar – rhythm.

Simply put, how good your rhythmic feel is determines how awesome your playing sounds – so it’s a good idea to focus on nailing the groove when you play.

But think about it, when was the last time you saw a guitar magazine or YouTube video all about improving your rhythmic feel?

Probably never!

Flashy, popular topics like sweeping, tapping and ‘celebrity’ licks get all the attention…but without a great rhythmic feel none of that stuff even sounds any good.

In this lesson I’ll show you how to get ahead of the game by nailing the rhythmic groove in your playing.

You’ll learn:

• • How to practice with drum loops to help you really ‘zoom in’ on your rhythmic feel
  • The three most important rhythmic groupings you need to focus on to supercharge your rhythm
  • How to make the leap from rhythmic exercises to soloing with great rhythmic feel every time

So dive in now and hear the difference in your playing…straight away!

Play along to the DRUMLOOPS I use in the lesson! Listen here:

Here’s a breakdown of what we look at in this video:

• • 0:45 What is meant by ‘groove’?
  • 1:17 Here’s a great way to develop your groove and rhythmic feel when you solo. See me demo the general idea before we look at how you can use this in your playing.
  • 2:45 Quarter notes. Playing common rhythmic ‘groupings’ can super charge your groove. Here I demo this by improvising just with quarter notes.
  • 3:46 Here I demo the same approach using eighth notes.
  • 5:30 Now we’re going to look at playing tripet rhythms and groupings.
  • 6:49 Now it’s your turn! Here’s a short workout you can do over the drum loops I give you with this lesson.
  • 8:32 Now we’re going to break out of this ‘mechanical’ approach and see how we can start to mix things up a bit. This is more like how you’d actually play on a gig or at a jam session.
  • 9:15 Here are some general practice tips and ideas about how you can use this in your practice routine.

 Expand Your Soloing Power

with

‘The Octave Shift Technique’

Use this simple ‘octave shift’ device to play over more of the guitar neck, create better phrasing and catchier, more interesting solos!

It’s a simple trick…and you might know something about it already…but do you use it in your improvisations?

And if you are…could you do more with it?

In this EXCLUSIVE Members Only lesson you’ll learn:

• What is the ‘octave shift’ technique?
• How you can use it easily and straight away to create more variety and interest in YOUR solos
• 3 simple ways you can start using it today (with what you already know)
• How you can use it to create a ‘mirroring’ effect in your solos (sounds great!)

So check it out now and see how this simple trick can really open up your playing…

Here’s a breakdown of what’s covered in this lesson:

• 0:42 The ‘Octave Shift’ Technique is basically the idea that anything you play on your guitar can be duplicated 12 frets higher or lower on the guitar neck. Scales, licks, arpeggios – anything!
• 1:11 See how you can move a simple lick up an octave to make it sound different.
• 2:09 One cool exercise is to practice playing a whole solo up an octave. You probably wouldn’t do this on a gig or recording but it’s a great way to focus on learning this skill. Here me demo this here.
• 2:52 ‘Mirroring’ Phrases Up an Octave – exercise and demo.
• 3:53 Start Low…Then Move Up – exercise and demo.
• 4:42 Switching Freely Between Octaves – just experiment with the general idea to learn how you like to use it in your playing.

Remember…

No James Shipway Guitar Member is left behind!

Any questions or confusion…leave it in the Members Only area question box!

Have fun and see you next time 😉

 How To Use

‘Call & Response’ Phrasing In Your Solos

(like all the guitar legends do!)

A big hello to all Members,and welcome to another Improvisation Bootcamp lesson.

In this lesson I’m going to show you how you can start to get some super cool ‘call and response’ phrasing into your playing.

‘Call and Response’ can make a HUGE difference to the sound of your solos…and it isn’t hard to do!

In this lesson you’ll learn:

• What is meant by ‘call and response’ phrasing?
• How you can start easily getting some call and response phrasing into your playing.
• How using short phrases of a similar length can help you to create call and response in your solos.
• One simple device which can help you become a ‘call and response’ maestro!

PLUS more…

The approaches I teach you in this lesson made an enormous difference to my playing after a great teacher I had explained them to me a few years back.

I’m pretty sure you’ll find the same…so dive in and discover the wonderful world of call and response..

Here’s a breakdown of what’s covered in this video lesson:

• 0:23 Call and response is a tried and tested way to give your solos structure and identity.
• 0:52 What is meant by ‘call and response’ phrasing?
• 1:35 Here’s a quick and spontaneous example of what call and response sounds like!
• 2:33 Hear me demo this over a 12 bar blues in G. I’m going to ‘overuse’ it here to make it super clear.
• 4:00 Here are 3 guidelines and suggestions for easily getting some call and response into your playing. Here me demo each one.
• 4:08 Start by using short phrases of a similar length. This makes it much easier to create call and response.
• 5:10 Use repetition in your ‘call’ phrase to set up ‘expectation’ that an answer is on its way. A repaeted note or bend works great.
• 6:26 Play contrasting phrases. For example a low phrase answered by a high phrase. See demo! This can really set up the call and response effect.
• 8:00 Here’s what to do to get the most out of this lesson and start playing great call and response ideas of your own.

 Play More Powerful Solos

Using Simple Repetition!

Do you want to play guitar solos that:

• sound more musical?
• tell a story (instead of just rambling)?
• sound more like your guitar idols when they play?

Repeating phrases, licks, rhythms and ideas can transform a guitar solos from a series of rambling, random notes…into an awesome sounding ‘mini composition’ which shows of your musical creativity!

In this Improvisation Bootcamp lesson you’ll learn some simple and straightforward ways to harness the power of repetition in your solos…right away.

So dive in and prepare to be amazed by the difference you’ll hear in your guitar solos…have fun!

Here’s a breakdown of this video:

• • 0:00 In this lesson we’re going to investigate how you can start to use repetition in your solos. Simply repeating a phrase in your solo might sound basic, or stupid – but the results can sound amazing.
  • 0:58 Why you should use repetition in your soloing and what it can do for your solos.
  • 2:00 Repetition exercise.

I’ll demo this over a 12 bar blues in the key of G. Basically I’m playing a phrase, leaving a little gap, and playing it again. This gets you used to using repetition in your playing.

• 3:25 Here’s the exercise demonstrated over a rock backing track.
• 4:55 How to start getting a bit more creative with repetition. Here’s how you can stop it sounding ‘like an exercise’.
• 6:15 Here’s what to do next.

 Introduction and Lesson 1

‘Telling A Story’ With Your Solos

Jam along with the backing track here: