Tips For Better Guitar Phrasing Part 2

This article is only a tap into topic of phrasing. I will mention some of the options you have, and go deeper into them with other articles. This is part 2 of how to learn proper guitar phrasing. Please refer to part 1 of learning guitar phrasing if you had not seen the lesson.

"Take 2 notes – the note from which you begin, and the note on which you end a phrase. Those notes will be your referance points, while you focus on everything that happens between them, in order to enhance your phrasing diversity and vocabulary. In this article, I'm going to point out 20 things you can work on to make your phrasing more interesting and colorful:"

11. Dual melody

By dual melody, I don't refer to polyphonic melody, meaning, you get only 1 note playing at the time, but you make 2 melody lines.

12. Tapping

Tapping may sound really exotic. You can tap on the same notes you already played, you can tap on the notes next in the scale, you can tap on notes one octave higher, or any other.. There are many options on this.

13. Chords

It is really powerfull to put a few chords on higher notes when you're in the middle of the solo, but this has to be really carefully worked out.

14. Open string notes

If the notes of one or more open strings fit your key, be sure to try using them.

15. Same notes

Try playing same notes on different strings, or same notes on same string. Try playing them in various speeds. Tremolo pick them, slide to them, bend to them, play them with your teeth! ;)

16. Octaves

You can play up to 2 octaves in the same time (if you have enough wide fingering range). Adding octaves to your melodies is really powerfull.

17. Harmonics

You can play artificial, natural or tapped harmonics instead of regular notes. Even try playing several natural harmonics on different strings at the same time. You will get really interesting sound. See where do you have natural harmonics available on your guitar, and how they can fit in your phrase.

18. Prolonging the notes

Try prolonging the note into next measure of your phrase, and then resolve it.

19. Intervals and multiple melody lines

Having more than one guitar playing certain melody line, in different intervals, is really effective. Be sure to try how each interval sounds, and think of where you'd like to hear it.

20. Whammy bar

Whammy bar can be your source of really intense, emotive and innovative phrases. See what you can do with it when transitioning only from one note to other, as well as when 'whammying' whole phrase. There are countless things to do with whammy bar – dive bombs, screams, weird vibratos, artificial chorus.. really anything!

Mix all of those tips. Don't get held on only one of them. Of course, when you learn, you should have all of your focus on only one, but when you actualize the phrase or solo, have all of those options in mind!