What kind of music do you improvise to and how?

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It was difficult in the 70's when I was asked to improvise in the studio. I would be improvising on guitar and pulling off something that would cross between Jean Luc Ponty and John McLaughlin over top of a definite Funk groove and I would be told to stop. I would cut the fast notes, rearrange in my head what I wanted to do in the solo, and add in more of what the guitar players on Steely Dan albums often produced and they still didn't like it. The musicians in the band loved it, but the recording engineer and the people in the control room did not. 

Back in the early 80's I stayed with a female progressive Folk artist and her husband in this mansion ...somewhere close to Bethlehem P.A. and asked to improvise on certain tracks of her new cd. I did and my body submerged 7 years later when I heard my guitar playing on the radio. I never received credit. I crossed paths with her when I played a festival. I said hello with a pleasant smile and said nothing as she kept her head in the down position feeling sympathy for a freak. 

One time..I was asked to fill in and be a sub for the guitar player who played in the band "Witch". "Honest Jerry" ..the agent..called me on the phone and asked if I would do it. He said all I had to do was improvise over a very "Heavy Rock" style of music. I arrived with my equipment to this festival..(open field), where other bands were already waiting around to do the show. The female vocalist was a driving force like Janis Joplin or Ann Wilson and the band was tight. Half way through the set, I saw a man lighting a bonfire in the center of a medium sized pile of rocks. Men and women then began to strip, hold hands and dance around the fire as I improvised around an Arabic scale. I was paid 500 dollars , tore down my gear and left. I called the agent the next day and told him to never ask me to improvise again.

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TODDLER Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: August 28 2009 Location: Vineland, N.J. Status: Offline Points: 3126	Posted: June 05 2015 at 12:51
	It was difficult in the 70's when I was asked to improvise in the studio. I would be improvising on guitar and pulling off something that would cross between Jean Luc Ponty and John McLaughlin over top of a definite Funk groove and I would be told to stop. I would cut the fast notes, rearrange in my head what I wanted to do in the solo, and add in more of what the guitar players on Steely Dan albums often produced and they still didn't like it. The musicians in the band loved it, but the recording engineer and the people in the control room did not. Back in the early 80's I stayed with a female progressive Folk artist and her husband in this mansion ...somewhere close to Bethlehem P.A. and asked to improvise on certain tracks of her new cd. I did and my body submerged 7 years later when I heard my guitar playing on the radio. I never received credit. I crossed paths with her when I played a festival. I said hello with a pleasant smile and said nothing as she kept her head in the down position feeling sympathy for a freak. One time..I was asked to fill in and be a sub for the guitar player who played in the band "Witch". "Honest Jerry" ..the agent..called me on the phone and asked if I would do it. He said all I had to do was improvise over a very "Heavy Rock" style of music. I arrived with my equipment to this festival..(open field), where other bands were already waiting around to do the show. The female vocalist was a driving force like Janis Joplin or Ann Wilson and the band was tight. Half way through the set, I saw a man lighting a bonfire in the center of a medium sized pile of rocks. Men and women then began to strip, hold hands and dance around the fire as I improvised around an Arabic scale. I was paid 500 dollars , tore down my gear and left. I called the agent the next day and told him to never ask me to improvise again.

Dayvenkirq Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 25 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Status: Offline Points: 10970	Posted: January 02 2016 at 11:07
	An extension to this thread. Edited by Dayvenkirq - January 02 2016 at 11:10

Dayvenkirq Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 25 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Status: Offline Points: 10970	Posted: February 16 2016 at 10:43
	Been tinkering with some fancy jazzy chords, so this is just something I'm throwing out there: Ab7add11 -> Bb-add9add11 What do you think? How would you improvise to that? Do you think this tiny chord change could be improved? How would you expand it? Is it too schmaltzy? Edited by Dayvenkirq - February 16 2016 at 10:50

Ozark Soundscape Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: October 20 2014 Location: not here Status: Offline Points: 2360	Posted: February 16 2016 at 11:43
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