How to Practice Musically - Elevator Etudes - Series Intro

This is a series of lessons on how to turn exercises into pieces of music, and take simple pieces and expand them into music you can play for hours. Practicing and performing at the same time.
If you find this lesson helpful, consider supporting me on Patreon so I can make more things like this.
/ jonmichaelswift
Link to the rest of the series:
• The Romanza Improvisat...
...and all my other social media goodies. If you want to learn more about structured improvising, you can follow the series by subscribing to my channel to get updates on video releases and other projects I'm doing.
jonmichaelswift...
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[@orpheus8944]

The melody is so beautifull ❤️❤️❤️

[@Tdawg117]

Exactly what I need to learn based on where I am right now musically. Thanks man! Keep up the work!

[@jonmichaelswift]

Thanks. Feel free to let me know what types of pieces you're working on and I can try to address where you're at.

[@RogueGameplay]

Great series topic! Will be looking forward to what is in store here.

[@jonmichaelswift]

I'm playing a Yoga class in a few weeks, and I"m working on refining some pieces I've done before. Mostly the classical piece Romanza. If you have any songs you think would be cool to expand, feel free to pitch them.

[@samirkshirsagar4654]

Pretty interesting. I have always been interested in the chord scale relationship especially when it comes to songwriting. I have tried to work out different approaches like creating a melody and then working out the chords or take a set of chords and constructing a melody. But I have stumbled because I probably cannot find a link between the chord changes and the scales I am playing over it. That might be a good topic to explore. Would be great to get your suggestions on improving on it theoretically with some discipline as so far it has been trial and error and looking for what sounds better. Thanks!

[@mwk1979]

This is really sweet! What song would you recommend for a blues genre??

[@jonmichaelswift]

Depends on your level. Are you doing fingerstyle or lead?

[@mwk1979]

Fingerstyle

[@jonmichaelswift]

My personal favorites are ones that use a simple travis picking pattern and let you improvise over a drone of sorts. "Treetop Flyer" is my top pick, but the Robert Johnson tunes played with a pulsing drone bass one the A and E strings are also good choices. Take a look at those and let me know what you think.

[@mwk1979]

I've been working on "Baby Please Don't Go." See kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX7UgaiEYq6Uhq8 (Acoustic fingerstyle guitar studio: Baby Please Don't Go by Bluespreachers). Any suggestions of how to applies your ideas to that?

[@jonmichaelswift]

That's actually a perfect choice. Notice how he drones the bass and plays a melody with it? Well, can you now improvise a solo over it? Maybe start by looping the bass and making sure your e minor pentatonics are strong, then slowly work back in the bass. My later videos in the landslide series speak to the fingerstyle improv techniques you would need. At that point, it's a matter of finding a performance environment and designing a structured jam that lets you work on your skills while also performing. I will explain all of that in due time, and I could say a lot more about this particular song but this hardly seems the place to do it. Post some videos of what you're doing with the song and your challenges. I could answer them in this series.

[@justinnguyen3600]

So awesome! what would you recommend for travis picking stuff? I have a few etudes that I have under my belt but would like/need to fill out more time.

[@jonmichaelswift]

Yeah definitely. I take chord scales like triad chord scales or open string boxes, you can travis pick forever. It is magic and dead easy. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

[@justinnguyen3600]

thanks! You're the best.