New Path

I am tired of trying to learn how to improvise by using traditional methods. I think that when it comes to progressing on guitar improvisation, I'm going to take a leap of faith and try again to use the book "Improvise For Real" (IFR) by David Reed. Tried it before but stopped. Started to get into it again and I like its philosophy. I won't repeat a lot of its standpoint here except to say that it seems to be a lot more about that intangible magic called "music" rather than the way it has been traditionally taught. I like it.

I think I may paradoxically keep trying to learn the piano using the method book.

I'm up to page 27 in the IFR book. 

Going to try to get back to the joy of music rather than the scales, licks, memorization, agony of music. That's what it's all about, anyway. If it is not a beautiful thing, then it's just another part of the drudgery, isn't it? Isn't music supposed to be something different? 

Maybe I'm hoping too much, but maybe the IFR book will help me get back to the joys of music making rather than the frustrations. 

When I would talk about improvising to a band member, he would sometimes tell me to forget the modes and just use "the force." Well maybe he is right. Maybe "the force" is something internal; something of a spiritual connection between me and music that can transcend modes, scales, and memorization. 

As a kid, I remember just laying on the floor playing my guitar along to "Muddy Waters Greatest Hits" or whatever it was called. It was great! I just played music and didn't try to analyze it. Now I guess there's a place for analysis and modes and scales, but maybe I've been focusing too much in that area and it's time to get the right brain more involved in me actually playing music.