Example7 bluesy IMPROVISATION with speed bursts

EAllen starts by setting the tone with a neat blues lick, after which the same phrase is played slowly in quavers (8th notes). We then repeat the lick twice using semiquavers (16th notes), adding a twist at the end – Allen pulls off from 14th fret of the first string, down to the 12th, then 10th, and ends on the root (D). He then plays a slightly modified and much speedier version, showing how this type of lick can be used as an exciting ‘burst’ of notes. Finally, we develop the pattern using various parts of the same scale, sometimes only retaining fragments of the original idea. Don’t forget to experiment with other combinations as the permutations are endless. What starts out as a bunch of exercises can, with a little work, become a whole new lick bag.