KW Guitar Society Tip #14, Moving Beyond Box Patterns Part 2

Remember when I wrote we will be revisiting our New Years Resolutions?  January 1, feels like a very long time ago and as with all resolutions whatever I said has been mostly forgotten.   This happens to me every year and I suspect it happens to most everyone else.

Except for one difference!!!

Feb. 2, known as ground-hog day has always been my marker to get myself back on track.  This is the day I jump right in and rescue my resolution from a month before.  I have done this year after year with surprising success.

I floundered around in January trying to be consistent with practicing but a funny thing happened,  as of last week I felt a difference in being more relaxed in my playing.  Enough that it motivated me to practice a heck of a lot more and this week I am back on my game again!

I recommend that you do the same and to resurrect your goals this week.  With some tweaking you might just be able to surprise yourself as I did.  If you don’t you might flounder into May wondering what ever happened to your practicing.

The goal that was most popular was to stop playing in box patterns.  See last weeks post as to the number one reason we all fall into that.

I could write a year of posts on this, but here are some unique and helpful hints:

1. Within your box pattern find a note; any different note that sounds okay to you and try to incorporate it into your playing.  That note is called the colour note and it is how great players like Eric Clapton, BB King or SRV differentiate themselves because they go to that note quite often at certain times in the blues progression.

2.  Find a pattern a few frets away and try to merge it into your box pattern.  Bend the note, slide to the note, do anything you can to make it your own and practice it over and over until it becomes a natural part of your playing.

Stay Tuned,

Stephen Zurakowsky

Artistic Director