My own personal improv troubles.

[Lucky13pck]

Just a few quick notes, when i play over a lot of backing tracks ( blues especcialy) and yea rock....i feel that i get repetative...and also like im not really putting EMOTION into my playing. I dont know how to! i can hear cool licks in my head but im far from being able to rattle them out. I feel like if i could play what i heard in my head i could be a lot better,but that just seems out of the question.

So my main concern is not sounding repetative. I feel like i normally end up having this sound that i dont really like, which is sustained Bends on the G string...it makes my playing too bluesy for my taste. Anyone have any idea or patterns that could help me break this vicious cycle? I feel like ive already posted this kind of thread before...but i just cant figure it out.

I feel a lot like im stuck in 12 bar blues timing kinda, even if i go faster it will still cater to the timing that 12 bar blues is in. Its really frustrating cus i dont wanna play blues! im sick of it! Somebody help me break this once and for all, ill work with you 100% on it ,please.

[Strat Rat]

LOL
I have the other problem.
If I can hear it in my head I can usually figure out how to play it,
(Or close enough)

Its the creating cool sounds that I struggle with, So IMO
your problem is not really all that bad, All you need to do is build the technique to play what you already hear. Of course that requires a TON of time.

To answer your question I would suggest you try listening to
some different players than you normaly listen to. Check out the way other players phrase their
stuff. Also you mention always bending the G string ect. The answer there is
very simple (To Say). STOP allowing yourself to go on auto pilot for a while.
Breaking out of default patterns takes time.
Again I suggest you listen to many different styles and players.
Sorry I cant offer more help but if you come up with something let us all know, LOL

[Fendershredder]

Originally Posted by Lucky13pck

Just a few quick notes, when i play over a lot of backing tracks ( blues especcialy) and yea rock....i feel that i get repetative...and also like im not really putting EMOTION into my playing. I dont know how to! i can hear cool licks in my head but im far from being able to rattle them out. I feel like if i could play what i heard in my head i could be a lot better,but that just seems out of the question.

Try this.

Load up your backing track, and try to sing over it. Don't worry about the quality of tone, or anything vocally, just trying to sing the notes and rhythms you hear in your head. That should be fairly simple.

Once you can do that, try to play the lines you just sung on the guitar. What you, ultimately, need to do is understand the fretboard on such a level that you can play anything you hear.

[CDguitar]

Don't bend, surely you can control that.

Also certain "licks" phrase better at certain areas of the fretboard.

So exploit the whole fretboard. Take licks you know and play then in other
areas with different combinations of strings.

Instead of bends, try sliding.

Listen and transcribe as much as you can.

Transcribing is so good because it puts you in someone elses shoes.

But whatever you do, take control and don't do what you don't like.

Of course I don't like breaking strings but I continue to pick hard
close to the bridge 'cause I dig the tone there (digging in)
and it pops strings. So...

[JonR]

Originally Posted by Lucky13pck

Just a few quick notes, when i play over a lot of backing tracks ( blues especcialy) and yea rock....i feel that i get repetative...and also like im not really putting EMOTION into my playing. I dont know how to! i can hear cool licks in my head but im far from being able to rattle them out. I feel like if i could play what i heard in my head i could be a lot better,but that just seems out of the question.

Not at all. But it does take practice. I don't think anyone ever gets to the stage of being able to play EVERYTHING they can imagine. Great jazz soloists may get close, but I think our imagination always stays ahead of our knowledge and our fingers.

Originally Posted by Lucky13pck

So my main concern is not sounding repetative.

Repetition can be good . But I know what you mean...

Originally Posted by Lucky13pck

I feel like i normally end up having this sound that i dont really like, which is sustained Bends on the G string...it makes my playing too bluesy for my taste.

In that case, stop using those blues backing tracks!

Originally Posted by Lucky13pck

Anyone have any idea or patterns that could help me break this vicious cycle? I feel like ive already posted this kind of thread before...but i just cant figure it out.

Listen to some other kinds of music. Look for some country backing tracks, or disco, or jazz, or anything. (You don't have to like it, it just has to be different.)
Learn some melodies. That means (if you can't read notation) listening to singers and trying to copy them (on the guitar, that is...). Tab out the vocal lines, or the horn lines, not the guitar lines.

Limit your material. Rein in those fingers! Try playing only chord tones. Try just one note on each chord.Try just (say) 3 notes for a whole solo, however many chords there are.
IOW, force your imagination to work in different areas: rhythm, dynamics, articulation, tone, etc. (Some of those old 1950s rock'n'roll sax players could play a great solo with just one note...)
Think before every note. As you're about to play, take a breath, maybe wait till the next chord, then play the note. Stop and think before you play another one. Try not to play any note that you couldn't explain afterwards. (Is your journey really necessary? )

JAZZ POLICE OFFICER: "Hey, I noticed you put a passing F# in there. What was that for?"
YOU: "Uhhh...."
JPO: "OK, it's not illegal. Just slow down and use your mirror next time..."

(Listen, I'm not saying this is easy! Most of us would struggle to play like that... It's a principle to think about, a practice exercise to get you out of a rut.)

[Kulyeh]

Originally Posted by JonR

JAZZ POLICE OFFICER: "Hey, I noticed you put a passing F# in there. What was that for?"
YOU: "Uhhh...."
JPO: "OK, it's not illegal. Just slow down and use your mirror next time..."

(Listen, I'm not saying this is easy! Most of us would struggle to play like that... It's a principle to think about, a practice exercise to get you out of a rut.)

haha, that reminded me of a story my guitar teacher told me. He ran into a complete music theory snob that told him he couldn't use a particular note in his solo over the chord because it wasn't a chord tone or extension and thus was wrong. His response was it was used because using the "correct" note sounded bad (because it accented a m2 in the chord) and by sharping it sounded better because it made it a M2 instead (even though the note wasn't in the chord). Still the fact this guy went off like he did made me think of this story when you said "Jazz police officer".

[Lucky13pck]

haha,jonr that police offier thing was hilarious. okay guys! thanks for all the help, i think i know what to do. with a good attitude,some new exercises, a strong will to change and all that happy ********, i think i can get over this hill. i just gotta keep at it. I read all of your posts very thoroughly and id like to thank each and everyone one of you.