Hi Jalskffl,

I get asked about improvisation ALL THE TIME.

“How do I turn scales into solos?”

“How do I use all these licks I’ve learned?”

“How do I get to where I can just hear a song and take a break?”

And lately, I’ve found myself giving intermediate flatpickers an answer they probably aren’t expecting:

You might be trying to improvise too soon.

Now, I LOVE improvisation.

Being able to hear what’s happening in a song and spontaneously create something musical is one of the coolest parts of becoming a great flatpicker.

But there’s something that needs to happen first.

You have to learn the language.

Think about it this way...

If I taught you 50 Spanish words and a couple of basic grammar rules, would you expect yourself to immediately have a fluent conversation in Spanish?

Of course not!

You simply haven’t absorbed enough of the language yet.

And I think a LOT of flatpickers are doing the exact same thing with bluegrass.

They learn a scale.

They collect some licks.

They put on a backing track.

And then they wonder why they can’t create a convincing bluegrass solo.

But the problem may not be your ability to improvise.

You may simply need more vocabulary.

And one of the BEST ways I know to develop that vocabulary is to learn actual bluegrass music.

Complete fiddle tunes.

Great solos.

Classic bluegrass licks and phrases.

Arrangements that show you how those phrases actually work inside a song.

Because every great piece of music you learn gives you something else to draw from later.

Eventually you start recognizing things:

“Hey...I’ve seen that chord progression before.”

“I know a phrase that works there.”

“That reminds me of something I learned in another tune.”

And little by little, you stop trying to create bluegrass music out of thin air.

You actually have something to say.

This is a HUGE part of what I teach inside Flatpicking Mastery.

The program isn't just a collection of scales and exercises.

You're going to learn real bluegrass vocabulary, solos, fiddle tunes and arrangements that help get the SOUND of this music into your ears and underneath your fingers.

And right now, you can get the entire program for 65% OFF.

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If improvisation is one of your long-term goals, my advice is simple:

Don't rush it.

Build the foundation.

Learn great music.

Develop your vocabulary.

And give yourself enough raw material that eventually you can start putting the pieces together in your own way.

Because you don't become fluent by trying harder to be spontaneous.

You become fluent by absorbing enough of the language that spontaneity becomes possible.

And Flatpicking Mastery was built to help you do exactly that.

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Happy picking!

Aaron

P.S. Just a heads up-tomorrow is the LAST DAY to get Flatpicking Mastery for 65% off. If you've been thinking about jumping in, don't wait any longer.

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