I am a student of the ideas associated with improv and jazz improv.

This is also called tension and release. In jazz you get disonance from the chords that are in play and your use of the notes that bring about the dissonance. Flat 9, Sharp 9, Flat 5 sharp 5. I'm learning about this stuff from a guy that lives in my computer and comes out whenever I want, it's like having your favorite uncle come over and show you amazing stuff for next to noting.99centguitarlessons.com, See my post in Woodshedding for too many details.

There are other ways: take two or three notes from one of your favorite licks and play them up or down a half step as part of your like. You can simply state your lick and restate it a half step higher or lower. It should not be a very long lick people will think your lost.

As you delve into the whys and how's of jazz or just spicing up country blues licks {many class on this @99cent...] you will come across the idea of displacing a scale from it's home root. These things were a revelation to me. There is a class called Major Scale Usage @99cent. it is based in blues and pentatonics. Extra easy to learn and will change how you sound in a blues setting in an hour or so. The class is not that long but you might need to woodshed the idea a little. Check our John Scofield's On Improvisation video or DVD. There is a whole section of displaced major minor and dominant pentatonics. i.e. for altered chord X begin a minor pentatonic from the flat six of the chord. That's just a for instance I don't know the exact chord he used. BIAB is made for stuff like this. There is much more to this endless learning curve, that's what keeps you practicing. If you are not evolving you're are in some sort of stasis. What comes next is not good.

Ron

`15 Audiophile, Toshiba17", 3Mhz, 4gig ram, 500gig HD, Win7, Tascam 122mkII interface, Tascam 16 track 8 buss recording mixer, 2 Avalon747sps,CAD VX2 mic, AKG C1000s, mac and Digital Performer.