How would you improvise a solo over this? Part 2

[ukudancer]

So, two weeks ago I asked for a little help about improvisation.

https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?150576-How-would-you-improvise-a-solo-over-this-Applied-theory-question

I took a lot of your advice, in addition to Reddit. I learned more about where the notes to a C major scale reside and kind of went to town and recorded so many different variations. Some parts were better than others. I then took the parts that I liked and made them work together and tried to make it somewhat cohesive.

Does it work? I think it does...I feel like I need more theory and technique than I can fit in 15 days of learning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6lk_scJxuQ

Anyway, constructive criticisms, pointers, hints, tricks and little nuggets of wisdom you care to share are always welcome.

*Note - if you want to solo over it, I can provide the rhythm track since it's saved on my looper. I would honestly love to hear your takes as well.

 

[clear]

So, two weeks ago I asked for a little help about improvisation.

https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?150576-How-would-you-improvise-a-solo-over-this-Applied-theory-question

I took a lot of your advice, in addition to Reddit. I learned more about where the notes to a C major scale reside and kind of went to town and recorded so many different variations. Some parts were better than others. I then took the parts that I liked and made them work together and tried to make it somewhat cohesive.

Does it work? I think it does...I feel like I need more theory and technique than I can fit in 15 days of learning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6lk_scJxuQ

Anyway, constructive criticisms, pointers, hints, tricks and little nuggets of wisdom you care to share are always welcome.

*Note - if you want to solo over it, I can provide the rhythm track since it's saved on my looper. I would honestly love to hear your takes as well.

I just heard rhythm uke in the video (well, at least the first 5 seconds of it only has that). If you embed youtube link with an offset into the relevant section, then it'll help us find hear it easier.

Anyway, I read a bit of your part 1 post, you've got some decent advice. I don't think there was any advice about making it more interesting by adding some notes not on the chords; this can give your music more grab on the listener. The major scale is constructed with push/pull tension, and if you only use notes from the chords, you miss this. For example, if you play the C major scale like C,D,E,F,G,A,B and stop there, there is a strong desire in the listener to hear a C, so the listener sticks around until you play the C. If you use some D and B on a C chord, you can create this tension that needs to be resolved and the listener will want to stick around until you bring him/her home to C.

Another common thing with creating melody from chord progression that I don't think your part 1 covered was the voice leading. Say you have C chord and then an F cord, and you want to string a melody between the 2 chords. Normally, the notes in those 2 chords aren't just randomly picked, they are picked to flow together.

There are many more ways to make the music more interesting. For example, you can make the pitch go up and down, up only, skip and come back.

 

[ripock]

First of all, I have no criticism. There is no bad music; there's just other choices you could have made. I think one choice I would have made would be to end on a high note. Before going back to the chords, I would have zipped up to the 8th fret and played some higher pitches. Again, that isn't a criticism. It is just a path you could take to put some variety in between the chords and the solo...if that's what you want to do.

 

[ukudancer]

I just heard rhythm uke in the video (well, at least the first 5 seconds of it only has that). If you embed youtube link with an offset into the relevant section, then it'll help us find hear it easier.

Done.

https://youtu.be/f6lk_scJxuQ?t=178

First of all, I have no criticism. There is no bad music; there's just other choices you could have made. I think one choice I would have made would be to end on a high note. Before going back to the chords, I would have zipped up to the 8th fret and played some higher pitches. Again, that isn't a criticism. It is just a path you could take to put some variety in between the chords and the solo...if that's what you want to do.

I absolutely could have made other choices. The main thing limiting me right now is I need more knowledge, technique and licks. If it's not too much trouble, is there a way for you to illustrate what you mean exactly?

 

[ripock]

Done.

https://youtu.be/f6lk_scJxuQ?t=178



I absolutely could have made other choices. The main thing limiting me right now is I need more knowledge, technique and licks. If it's not too much trouble, is there a way for you to illustrate what you mean exactly?

well on the 8th fret is a C and on the 7th there is a G and a E. Together they comprise the C major chord. Separately you can use them to make a riff that's in your key but has a higher pitch than the chords which are played lower on the fret board. The higher pitch is useful because it gives the riff a distinction while still staying in your key.

I don't have any licks to offer just methodology. The C on the 8th fret is, as I said part of the C major scale, but it is also the high note of the C major scale or the C pentatonic major scale. I don't want to overburden you with details, but what I would do is pick a few notes from the C major chord, or scale, or major pentatonic scale. Then I would play those notes with some repetitions or a bend, and then be sure to play the C last to punctuate the lick. Then I'd return to the chords. Yes, I know it is kind of vague but that's how I approach things.

 

[ukudancer]

Gotcha. I'm sure you noticed that I used the 8th fret c tons of times. That's where I started most of my melody lines in fact.