Improvising: Blues scale and Solo Blocking
1. How do the blues scale and solo blocking work together? The solo blocking is too boring on its own, but the blues scale has "illegal" notes in it, which is the point, but doesn't that invalidate the solo blocks? How come the solo blocking has to be so particular for each chord, but the blues scale is the same for any chord? I want to play the blues; I don't get it. Very frustrating.
2. Chorus forms don't seem very bluesy. And learning songs doesn't seem to support learning to improvise....to PLAY THE BLUES!!!!!! The licks get stuck in the song. I am not interested in putting licks INTO a context. I want to know how to unleash them OUT OF the song context they are stuck in.
Thank you, David. I will try again. Sorry, for being so whinny......again. My new place is taking a lot of me to get settled in. When I get back to regularly working on creative, left-brain stuff, I'm sure it will all be more obvious again.
No worries. Again, keep in mind that these are concepts to help... if they don't help... don't do them.
Very broad statements here... I will do my best for you...
1. The Soloing Blocks concept simply restricts your range so that what you do play... study... you get to know that range of your harmonica very well. Use the available non-bent notes, the bent notes, the notes that sound good over chord changes (i.e., chord tones), etc. You can play all of the notes, in whatever combination sounds best to you... or you could use a portion of the Blues Scale that fits in that range if the it's a bluesy track you're playing to... Major Pentatonic if you want a lighter feel (or the jam track you're playing to has a lighter feel, which necessitates a lighter approach)... chord tones ONLY... it all works... in the end it's just an exercise to get to know that range of the harmonica.
2. Repetition... which is THE MOST IMPORTANT element in melodic development... is at the core of Chorus Forms. If you want your music to be memorable... if you want to have a musical conversation with the listener... then use Chorus Forms. Is "My Blues" (Bending Study 4) bluesy?... I think it's VERY bluesy sounding... and it has Chorus Forms all over it. "Blue Midnight" and "Sad Hours" by Little Walter... "Blues for Big Nate" by Jerry Portnoy... "Minor Mambo" by Gary Smith (Blues for Mr. B)... all have Chorus Forms all over them and VERY bluesy. I only used slow blues songs for my examples here, but I think you get my point. So... I disagree... Chorus Forms phrasing is bluesy.
Solo Blocks... Blues Scales... Chorus Forms... are all concepts to help you understand the music better... to give you ideas... something tangible I can offer for you. If they help you, wonderful... if they don't, throw them out the door...