Guitar Study
Richard Lundmark's Improvisation Study
Instructor: Richard Lundmark
Total lessons in study:
Richard takes us on an in-depth journey on how to unlock the fretboard to help maximize our improvisational skills.
1. Unlocking the Fretboard
Greetings Guitar Slingers!
The goal of the ”Unlocking the Fretboard” tutorial is for you to be able to break free from the stereotypical ”box”-playing and be able to have our playing and ideas flow all over the neck.
Before launching head on into this tutorial I want to to review the order in which...Read More
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2. Unlocking the Fretboard - Part 1, The key vertical exercises
Exercises
Any Style
Intermediate
So how do we get from A to B? How do we go from strict ”box” thinking, to literary thinking “outside the box”?
Well as the great Miles Davis said “First learn the rules, the break them”.
What does this mean then? Well, first we need to learn the boxes you’ve seen in the introducti...Read More
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3. Unlocking the Fretboard - Part 2,The key horizontal exercises
Exercises
Any Style
Intermediate
In this exercise we will start to expand our thinking, and start to see the scales horizontally, and begin to truly break out of the box.
In the first one we do the same 4-note, 2-string idea as in the vertical exercises, but this time we move across all positions. You will also see that I have shown what this would look l...Read More
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4. Unlocking the Fretboard - Part 3, The key diagonal exercises
Exercises
Any Style
Intermediate
Well guitar slingers! Now we’re starting to go places!
In these exercises we will start connecting the boxes diagonally, which is a great way to open up the fretboard by moving more naturally across the neck. Once you got these down, you will have the starting point to go in any direction. To have this kind of holist...Read More
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5. Unlocking the Fretboard - Part 4, The key holistic exercise
Exercises
Any Style
Intermediate
In this exercise will we take a short sequence or ”lick” if you may in the A blues scale and pay that in varied fingerings all over the neck. The scale parts we will use are… the whole thing:
The line we will use is a five note idea, starting on the fifth, ending on the root, descending the A blues sca...Read More
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6. Unlocking the Fretboard - Part 5, Putting it all together
Exercises
Any Style
Advanced
So, without further ado, here's the example promised in part 4. As with previous things, do not just practice this as a lick, but try to think about how the lines pass through the positions of the boxes, and also how other scales are utilized throughout.
Well guitar slingers, thanks for joining me in this tutorial. Now, I ...Read More
2. Pentatonic Finder
Welcome guitar slingers!
The goal of the ”Pentatonic Finder” tutorial is for you to be able to improvise freely across any key changes, anywhere on the neck, and learn how to conceptually visualize scales and keys, and using scale superimposition.
Before launching head on into this tutorial, I must advice you ...Read More
So, to start off with, we need a chord progression to play over that changes keys. For arguments sake let’s say the progression is A7, D9, C9, G7. Remember, we want to treat this chord change as 4 separate keys, not all part of the same key of A and just play the Amin blues scale on top of it (which could work as well...Read More
Next, we will look at the next change in the progression, which will be from D9 to C9. We were in the 4th box of the Dmin Blues Scale, so which box must we utilize to keep ourselves within the 4-9 fret area? Right you are, the 5th box in C it is!
And here is what you should visualize over the change, D 4th position, supe...Read More
Well, you know the drill by now. Time for the change between C and G. Here’s the correct box in G, which will be the 2nd.
And here’s C superimposed by G.
Turn the page for the final change!Read More
And finally, here’s the change between G7 and A7. You already know that the 1st box of A is what goes, so without further ado, here’s G superimposed by A
Now turn that page!Read More
Now that you have that down, it’s time to take it to the next level. You should now start practicing this method, choosing new areas of the neck to cover. Say you choose to cover the area of 10-15th fret. If we are in the same progression, A, D, C, G, then what would the corresponding boxes be? Answer is A=4th, D=1st ...Read More
3. Note Targeting in Pentatonics
Welcome guitar slingers!
The goal of the 'Note Targeting in Pentatonics' tutorial is for you to be able to improvise freely across any key changes, anywhere on the neck, and learn how to conceptually visualize scales and keys, and using scale superimposition.
Before launching head on into this tutorial, I must advise you ...Read More
Now, just as we did in the Pentatonic Finder tutorial, we need to set a 'range' of the fret board to work with.
As in that tutorial I've chosen to have you start with the first position (Box 1) of the blues scale, as 'home base'. This time however, we'll be moving in the keys of Dm and Fm.
When in that 'range' of t...Read More
The second interval we will target is the b3 in each respective key. The b3 of Dm is of course the F, and the b3 of Fm is Ab. Once again, you can see how much the keys have in common. The b3 of Dm is the root of F, and the b3 of Fm is the b5 of Dm.
Now, you can see in the scale chart below that I have not printed out...Read More
So, by now you should have the concept in firm grasp and be ready to venture out on your own, picking and choosing intervals to practise in the change. Below I have provided you with a more advanced 'hybrid' Blues scale, combining the Blues scale with the Dorian mode, BUT (important to note) keeping the POSITION within the ...Read More
Here's the backing track guys!
I've made it plenty long for you, and it's the same backing I used to play over in the tutorial.
It alters between Dm(9) and Fm(9). So go crazy and post something on the Tube if you feel like it. And be sure to share it in the forum!Read More
4. Timing and Note Value Alteration
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18. Timing and Note Value Alteration - Introduction
Improvising
Any Style
Intermediate
Welcome guitar slingers!
The goal of the Timing and Note Value Alteration tutorial is to expand your improvisational and musical abilities drastically. When you apply these concepts, I can guarantee you that you improvisational skills in all styles will increase exponentially, and you will be that much closer to unlocking ...Read More
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19. Timing and Note Value Alteration - Example 1a-b
Improvising
Any Style
Intermediate
Very well then! Let's begin shall we?
The first thing I will tell you is the no.1 commandment of timing practice! ALWAYS STOMP YOUR FOOT TO THE BEAT!
This is extremely important to help in internalizing your feel for various note values. And NO, saying 'but. but... I use the metronome?' isn’t going to cut it here Bu...Read More
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20. Timing and Note Value Alteration - Example 2a-c
Improvising
Any Style
Intermediate
So, on we go. Now that we have some major note values down, we can start exploring the possibilities of note value alteration. The first concept we will dive headlong into is to take any idea, and alternate the note values with which we play it. That is, Note value alteration! In example 2a, I have taken a familiar rock lic...Read More
So, on to example 2d then. In this example, I have mixed two note values within the same line; sixteen note triplets, and straight sixteen notes. You hear how much more random and musical this is starting to sound when compared to examples 2a-b?
You should be able to do this with any lick or idea you have, changing note ...Read More
Now it’s time for some real excitement people! Let’s look into the concept of Rhythmic Superimposition shall we? Do you remember me ranting about Scale Superimposition in my Pentatonic Finder tutorial? Well, this is sort of the same, but with rhythms. If you recall, in the previous examples, we took one exampl...Read More
Did you make it through? Warmed up yet are we? Sweet, let’s continue. One thing that most people don’t think about is that this concept is every bit as useful when it comes to riffing and rhythm guitar playing! Let’s take a look at what that might look like. In example 3d we have a rock/metal riff in E Phr...Read More
Okay then, let's dive head first into example 4. What I've done here is I've taken the rhythmic figure from example 3a, and used it in improvisation. What you see below and in the video is me improvising over a drumbeat, and whatever I play, I hold that rhythmic figure alive. This is what you want to aim for, to be able to ...Read More
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25. Timing and Note Value Alteration - Part 5 Introduction
Improvising
Any Style
Advanced
Ok, time to break out that tapping finger! Before cutting into this one, look at this video and the next one as I explain my view of, and approach to tapping. This could help you immensely when attempting these things, and especially when later on improvising yourself.
I would first recommend that you go through Sean Conkl...Read More
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26. Timing and Note Value Alteration - Part 5 Tapping Intro
Improvising
Any Style
Advanced
In this part, I discuss my approach to tapping more in-depth, and exemplify the technique I use. What I tend to do, is to tap upwards instead of downwards for several reasons. I find it more comfortable, and I see tapping as being right hand hammer-ons and pull-offs. Thus, it seems only natural to make the same type of pull...Read More
First off, we have example 5a, where I have taken an E min pentatonic tapping lick (actually not strictly E pentatonic, since I’m starting off with F#, which is the major 2nd). Follow the advice given in the video about how to play it, and then just play it! The example is in 8 note triplets, and with 3 notes per stri...Read More
Then we come on to example 5d. Here I’m using Ninetuplets (nine-what now?). This might look intimidating at first glance, but is actually not much harder to play than triplets, same feel almost, just faster. This is a note value that is not often seen outside a Frank Zappa tune☺ In the video i explain how to app...Read More
Next up is example 5e. This is another pentatonic tapping idea that I personally use a lot. You can see these types of thing in a real musical context in my Super Continental song tutorial.
Same idea here in example 5f, but using straight sixteen notes. You get the idea by now ☺.
Same idea, using sixteen note tr...Read More
Here we are, the final section!
What I will do here is similar to what I did in example 4. I will take the rhythm from one idea, and superimpose that over everything I improvise. So to begin with, here is example 6a, where you can see the same idea as in examples 5, but with two different note values intermixed.
And the...Read More
And we're at the finish line!! Time for the outro impro. Here I have improvised with tapping over a drum beat, but kept the rhythm from example 6a, regardless of what I play. Try it on, analyze it and make it your own.
After you have nailed this one, try to turn on a drum machine and keep it going with this (or another) rh...Read More