What is ad-libbing? How can I learn to do it?
Ad-libbing is an essential skill for musicians, not just guitarists.
When a blazing ad-lib solo bursts out during a live show, the atmosphere heats up in an instant—and it’s so cool.
How to start improvising
http://o-dan.net/ja/
For people who are about to try improvisation for the first time, it probably feels like an unknown world to figure out what to do and how to do it to be able to play cool improv.
In short, you could say: use a scale that matches the song’s key, and combine phrases based on the feel of the moment.
However, even with this explanation, beginners will probably find it completely baffling.
So, using an analogy I explain to people who are about to start improvising in Skype guitar lessons, I’ll now go over the summary from earlier.
To learn ad-libbing is to learn a new language.
Imagine the process by which a baby learns to speak.
The first words children usually learn and say are simple, very important ones like “mama” or “papa,” which are easy to pronounce. After that, they steadily learn more words, become able to say their own name and remember the names of their stuffed animals, and when asked “How old are you?” they can answer, “I’m three.”
Improvising on the guitar is the same as this.
Learn one short word (phrase) and play it repeatedly until you can play it smoothly.
And then it’s a repetition of memorizing the next phrase.
Increasing the number of these words (phrases) is the first step toward ad-libbing.
A I U E O, ABC, and scales
I understand that words (phrases) form the basis both in language and in improvisation, but there are also the sounds that can be used in that language, aren’t there?
In Japanese, it would be the 50 sounds (gojūon), and in English, it would be the alphabet like ABC.
There are things that fall under this even in ad-libbing, and that is the “scale.”
Perhaps it’s easiest to understand “scale” if we think of it as the alphabet we learn first when studying a foreign language.
When we studied English, we were first made to memorize ABCDEFG… right? It was probably very important for understanding that English is built by using these sounds in various combinations.
Just as Japanese and English differ in sounds and pronunciation, the tones that can be used in music also vary depending on the piece.
In blues there are sounds (scales) that fit the blues, there are sounds (scales) that suit bright, pop songs, and sounds (scales) that suit darker songs. On top of that, each song can be in a different key, so even phrases you worked hard to learn won’t fit if they come from a scale that’s drastically different from the song’s.
It wouldn’t make sense to speak Thai to a Russian just because they’re a foreigner from our point of view—the meaning wouldn’t get across, right?
Put words into sentences
Words alone are not enough to carry on a smooth conversation.
If you're abroad and want to find a good restaurant, won't people just look blankly at you if you go up to them and say, “Restaurant! Delicious! Restaurant! Very nice!”? (In my experience, if you persist and speak with enough enthusiasm, you can sometimes get your point across, though… )
What’s important here is to combine words to give them meaning.
If you say, “Could you recommend a nice restaurant near here?”, I think they’ll tell you about a good place to eat nearby.
We’ll start by learning short phrases for ad-libbing and then learn how to combine them and in what situations they’re best used.
And based on phrases and scales, you’ll be able to construct lines on the spot and improvise in a way that truly conveys what you want to express.
Through that repetition, you'll be able to develop your own phrasing and a distinctive way of speaking.
The purpose is conversation, to convey my feelings.
The reason for learning English isn’t to be able to speak it, is it?
Isn't it about communicating with people from other countries using English?
The goal of improvisation isn’t just to be able to play it; it’s to sense what the atmosphere and the piece are calling for, express your own feelings and what you want to say, and communicate with the music.
To do that, things like words (phrases) and the alphabet (scales) become important, but at the same time, what you want to convey and what kind of communication you want to have are also very important.
The discussion is getting a bit complicated, but ad-libbing is about enjoying a conversation through music.
If you remember them and master them one by one, you will definitely be able to move people with your improvisation!