How to break out of a blues solo rut

I have posted on this exact topic before, but didn't feel that it got the credit it deserved. Whenever I am practicing and tag on a blues lick to whatever I am doing, I notice that I tend to end the lick with a short, downbeat punctuation. It gives a lot of authority and he-man-ness to my licks. (I don't know many real licks, so I just wing it.)

I figured out a year or so ago that I was doing this punctuation a lot, which gave my playing a kind of predictable quality that I didn't care for. My solution was to stop playing before hitting that last note. Wow, does this open my phrasing vocabulary.

Give it a try, and see how it feels. It makes me feel like a different musician.

I suffer from the same problem (along with many other problems) in my playing.

Not so much the last note issue you mention per se, but the blues solo rut generally. Still, I'll give your suggestion try . . . mixing things up and changing around a bad (or repetitively boring) habit can only be a good thing . . . .

Heck, try jumping into a different rut. If that doesen't work, just give up and realize you're stuck in a rut. Enjoy!

I broke out of my Blues playing rut by listening to Louis Armstrong. Best blues player I ever heard.

Good topic and food for thought!

My main selling point in the OP is that breaking out of a rut can be incredibly easy to do. In this case, all you do is leave out the last note of what you are hearing, internally.

There are many other effective and fun ways to break out of ruts, too, of course.

My way is too learn something new. (I've related this here many times before)
I figured this out 25 years ago when I had to start learning a bunch of songs for original artists in several styles. I found that while I was in the process of working on their stuff I would 'discover' something that I could incorporate into my own thing (or one of the other artists thing) and that would take me on musical trip that sometimes lasted for days.
Since I discovered that that's what works for me now when I feel bored and uninspired I force myself to learn something new. Anything, a song, a solo, a lick, etc.

*I like the idea of purposely NOT finishing a phrase. Many of my favorite players seemingly employ that idea(?).

I like how some one like Slash will take the blues scale,runs and licks and then morph in and out of it with another scale in this case the Harmonic minor scale on like the main solo of "Sweet Child of mine"..this helps to break up the cliches of blues licks,from ho hum to Hot Damn!

I've always been a fan of guys like Ritchie Blackmore he would really craft his solo's..his classic ones like "Man on the silver mountain"..I just learn that one..and it was hmm..pretty tricky. he has a lot of clever little twist he does with the blues. Buck Darma is another favorite..lots of cool moves in his stuff..

the blues ....is a rut you'll never get out of

Base your solo around a different key than the band is playing in. Say if the song is in E, base your solo around a Bm7th chord. Got that from Danny Gatton.

It's easy to get stuck in any stylistic rut eventually. A couple of years ago I started really focussing on the style of Peter Green and by studying what he was doing quickly realised that he was a much more melodic player than most blues players. His riffs and solos have so much more to them than simple pentatonic noodling and to capture even the bare essence of some of his solos really opened up my playing.

I've always enjoyed more melody based music rather than songs based primarily on riffs so I've been getting back to that again and I feel it has helped me develop as a player rather than getting stuck in the pentatonic rut.

Good point, it's good to sometimes leave a hole for a dramatic pause and leave them hanging, but audiences probably won't notice a player's "ruts" and may like our pet licks. When we practice, we repeat stuff so much to nail it, then it starts sounding boring. It's a good idea to mix it up (I've added alot of "jazz" chords and licks to my blues stuff, which has been very helpfu), but don't give up licks that work and are effective.
Mi dos centavos,
Swang on,

Larry as always you have some great suggestions for all level players. I'd like to share a couple of tips that I've found helpful. Hopefully you will too! Here's a great one and really simple one from Paul Gilbert. When playing a solo and you hit your final note (whether that one will be the intended final one or one before it lol!), shut your volume on your guitar off. Trust me just try it y'all. It gives you the appearance that you know what you are actually doing.

Second tip is for those of us who are stuck playing the same old, same old pentatonic shapes. Try this flat or sharp every 4th note in the scale. For example your traditional A minor pentatonic scale starting from the 5th fret high E string or actually the 8th fret high E string, start your descending run on the 7th fret then all the other notes are the same until you hit the G string then flat the D (7th fret G string to 6th fret G string). The next note you flat will be the E on the 7th fret 5th string (play the 6th fret 5th string.) then finish out regularly on the 6th.

I hope this is clear. I realize that it seems kind of mathmatical and non-musical, but look at it this way ... it's a strategy. Sure it doesn't work on every pentatonic shape. Some sound better than others. But it is a great way to never run out of some ideas. And you can let your ear be your guide. Melody is always king, but I've found that most players I like always add at least some florish to those melodies. This is an idea I use to add some spice to my playing. I hope it helps y'all.

Something I read in a Bob Dylan biography may help. He may have been playing around with the interviewer, but he spoke of sticking to phrases with an odd number of notes. I.e. 3,5,7,9 etc. The idea is:
If you're playing, say, in 4/4 time for instance, playing a 5 or 7 note phrase or riff forces you to carry into the next measure(s), and leave anticipatory spaces where you may not have before. It can work with creating hooks or riffs, too.
***Caveat*** This is no substitute for rock solid timing, playing with emotion, or keeping a tasteful melodic element to one's solo. It can be the fresh slate you need to get out of the "rut", is all...

Muscle memory. If you practice the same stuff, you'll play the same stuff. I'm as guilty of this as the next player. As far as phrasing goes, listen to Frank Sinatra. His phrasing is impeccable. Listen to sax players, like Plas Johnson, Steve Douglas, King Curtis, Jr. Walker, Jim Horn, etc.

Muscle memory. If you practice the same stuff, you'll play the same stuff. I'm as guilty of this as the next player. As far as phrasing goes, listen to Frank Sinatra. His phrasing is impeccable. Listen to sax players, like Plas Johnson, Steve Douglas, King Curtis, Jr. Walker, Jim Horn, etc.

Great suggestions, fezz! I learned plenty from Chet Baker this way. More phrasing in his little finger than any noodly-noodly guitar store player I've seen....

More phrasing in his little finger than any noodly-noodly guitar store player I've seen....
Never listen to guys wanking in the guitar store ...
unless you actually see Pat Metheny or Robert Cray or Larry Carlton, etc. trying out a guitar.

Muscle memory. If you practice the same stuff, you'll play the same stuff. I'm as guilty of this as the next player. As far as phrasing goes, listen to Frank Sinatra. His phrasing is impeccable. Listen to sax players, like Plas Johnson, Steve Douglas, King Curtis, Jr. Walker, Jim Horn, etc.

It's muscle memory that causes me to add that final note on the downbeat. It feels almost unnatural to end the phrase before that. Kind of like having an itch but not scratching it.

Someone mentioned phrases of different numbers of beats. When I was studying jazz years ago, I was very focused on hitting the guide tones. So much so, that I would always put the note on the downbeat of every bar, without being aware of it. My teacher one day realized this and said, try not playing on 1. Wow, rarely have a simple piece of advice had such an effect on my playing. I with music had more simple things like that to offer for improvement.

Plas Johnson worked with your dad, n'est ce pas?

Second tip is for those of us who are stuck playing the same old, same old pentatonic shapes. Try this flat or sharp every 4th note in the scale. For example your traditional A minor pentatonic scale starting from the 5th fret high E string or actually the 8th fret high E string, start your descending run on the 7th fret then all the other notes are the same until you hit the G string then flat the D (7th fret G string to 6th fret G string). The next note you flat will be the E on the 7th fret 5th string (play the 6th fret 5th string.) then finish out regularly on the 6th.

That is a very good tip!!!

You may want to consider incorporating modes to your phrasing.

Plas Johnson worked with your dad, n'est ce pas?

Yep. Sweetest guy in the world. Loved my Dad's Gumbo. And my Grandma's cornbread.:lol:

Someone mentioned one time (Larry it may have even been you) the simple concept of intentionally not landing on the root note at the end of a solo or even a phrase. I have tried this in practice and live and found that it was a great way for me to break out of my rut! I wound up doing all sorts of different things and liked the sound of it.

Maybe we could use this advice from a freind of mine
(harmonica player, but I think this applies to blues guitar too :lol:) Just change a few words.

'Ok, for all of you who have been asking me to teach you to play harmonica, here is my freebie lesson. Once you get this down, come see me and I will give you the advanced course.
You start out by having the one you love rip your heart out of your chest,stomp on it and leave it layin' in the cold November mud while they pack up their things and never comes back. Then buy a good blues harp (key C bends easily) then play to forget and play for better times to come. After all that, repeat process as necessary to achieve a broken soul sound via vibrating metal reeds. There really is no better teacher than time. Good times'

Adding in ghost notes are really cool too. I do that all the time

Something I read in a Bob Dylan biography may help. He may have been playing around with the interviewer, but he spoke of sticking to phrases with an odd number of notes. I.e. 3,5,7,9 etc. The idea is:
If you're playing, say, in 4/4 time for instance, playing a 5 or 7 note phrase or riff forces you to carry into the next measure(s), and leave anticipatory spaces where you may not have before. It can work with creating hooks or riffs, too.


That was a great trick of Charlie Parker's. I scanned the whole Omnibook by Charlie Parker and I think I found one phrase that was actually an even numbered phrase. I found the same thing with Charlie Christian's solos, nothing is even numbered. That's one of the tricks of the greats whether they know it or not. IMO, it helps to keeps the solo from having a consonant, predictable quality to it.

Excellent to see others take on being in a rut.. Being stuck to the point where you actually ANNOY yourself is a real pain, and I get so hopeless. I will try the "leave out" thing tomorrow when I have fresh energy.

I've noticed though, that when I'm missing a string on my guitar, and I'm forced to play for a long time without it, I seem to find a new way about licks, it's kind of ironic, but cool, and it has gotten me out of the rut several times. (Not saying you should pull a string to get fresh ideas, hehe..)

(Not saying you should pull a string to get fresh ideas, hehe..)

Mais oui, au contraire, mon frere.... :)
That's fancypants talk for "Well, why the heck not?"
But seriously, let's say you were dealing with a serious bout of writer's block. How much are strings? That one technique could spawn a whole new song/album/style.... (Right, Keef?)

This song is interesting, as Danny is playing "outside." The band is playing in the Key of E, but his melody/harmony (luscious double stops) is based around Bm7 and D chords. About 1/3 of the way in, he slips into E licks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLsXib4VFdA

Ummm..you could try embracing your rut by learning a bunch of SRV and Angus Young solos,you know reinforcing those blues box patterns to the point you'll never get out of the rut!! haha:twisted:

Or you might even try fooling with another instrument. I've been fooling with the piano for a few years and writing stuff on the piano roll in FL studios, and I'm finding new ideals that I transpose back to guitar.
Just new note patterns mostly,but it's stuff that I would of never of thought of because of the layout of the fretboard of the guitar.Cause's me to think a certain way, but the layout of the piano get's my brain thinking out of the box, or so to speak.
I have hand arthritis/problems too and I don't know it helps to try something else like drums for example where you're still playing and improving,but just not blowing out my hands.

Base your solo around a different key than the band is playing in. Say if the song is in E, base your solo around a Bm7th chord. Got that from Danny Gatton.

so dorian, right?

"so dorian, right?"

I have no clue. I don't think like that. All notes are vulnerable to my attacks!

"so dorian, right?"

I have no clue. I don't think like that. All notes are vulnerable to my attacks!

that works too!

"that works too!"

Yes it does. But it's taken quite awhile. I hear what I hear, and I play the notes I want to hear! Modes be damned!

The Gatton tune is not really in the 'key' of E (as in E major) because it's an E7 that he's playing. The song modulates around a bit as well to other tonal centres.

The reason Bm7 (which is not the dorian mode of E, F# is) works over E7 is because of their relationship to the key of A. E7 (mixolydian) is the V in A and Bm is the ii (dorian) in A. So you could think of E7 and Bm7 as being the V and ii in the key of A. That's one way to explain their relationship.

The Bm7 arpeggio is B-D-F#-A which are the 5-b7-9-4 scale degrees over an E7 chord. That could be thought of as a nice mix of E maj and min pent scales.

However you wanna dice it, it works.

"How to break out of a blues solo rut"

Stop listening to SRV!

Look at the relationship between , say D6th and E9th. Lotta shared notes there. The harmonic double stops are wonderful! As I said, I could care less about modes. Whatever works, works.

The Gatton tune is not really in the 'key' of E (as in E major) because it's an E7 that he's playing. The song modulates around a bit as well to other tonal centres.

The reason Bm7 (which is not the dorian mode of E, F# is) works over E7 is because of their relationship to the key of A. E7 (mixolydian) is the V in A and Bm is the ii (dorian) in A. So you could think of E7 and Bm7 as being the V and ii in the key of A. That's one way to explain their relationship.

The Bm7 arpeggio is B-D-F#-A which is the 5-b7-9-4 scale degrees over an E7 chord. That could be thought of as a nice mix of E maj and min pent scales.

However you wanna dice it, it works.

I know Bm7 is not the dorian mode of E. I was saying that playing E dorian would work over Bm7. My thinking was that over Bm7 you could play B natural minor, which = D major, which = E Dorian. anyway, there's a bunch of different ways you could think of it

Great idea, Larry!

Okay, here's something fun to try:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GOqznXGfwQ&feature=fvwrel

Maybe it'll give someone a spark......

Well,,, worry about modes all you want. Just consider that Danny's favorite E7th chord was a D major with an E in the bass!
I know nothing about modes, but my friend , Neil Zaza says I know them all, and mix them when I need to. Just the way I play, but Neil knows his stuff!
http://neilzaza.com/
I have recorded with him on pedal steel and lap steel.

And,,,, I certainly endorse the study of music theory. It's just not the way I developed and learned!