One With the Music

Level: Advanced

David M. McLean
(a brief word to advanced players)

Here is a very short lesson with which my students have had remarkable success.

Sing what you play.

Yep, simple lesson...and one you should actually do rather than just read. Start with a simple C major scale played in the open position...then progress, playing the same scale in various positions, then expanding to 2 octaves in various positions, and so on.

Next, sing a few simple melodies as you play them. Slowly begin embellishing the melody with your voice and follow it with the guitar. Next, embellish with the guitar and follow it with your voice. Do this every day for several weeks until you become comfortable with it.

Now for the hard part: Record an unusual chord progression over an odd time - something you are just not at all used to doing or hearing. Don't play, just hear melodic options in your head. Then go through it again, this time playing (and singing) your improvised (perhaps "discovered": is a better word?) melody. Now stop singing, but continue to play (but hear your voice in your head) and try to freely improvise over your odd tune. After you do this for a few minutes, add your voice back in and see what happens to your playing. It may be wise to capture all of this with your recorder. You might even want to up-load the music onto a music site (or your own web-site) and invite all of us to listen.

"What you are is what you have been; what you will become is what you do now."