Guitar Nine Focus: Phrasing

Phrasing notes on a guitar is similar to telling a story - it is presenting notes and licks separated by appropriate spacing, while also using picking dynamics (soft to loud, fast to slow, clean to muted) to create emotion and interest. Using the story analogy, when you speak, you could emphasize certain words, or speed up and slow down, in order to make the story sound more interesting; phrasing on a guitar allows you do the same thing when playing.

Here are some great columns that will help you to understand phrasing and how to master it to enhance your playing.

Dan Keller
Dan Keller

Need more ways to make a simple melody more interesting? Let the Sultan of String show you how.

Scott Allen
Scott Allen

Scott`s tackles the unteachable, and talks about adding bends, slides, and killer vibrato to your solo work

Tom Hess
Tom Hess Opus 2

Many guitarists play truly inspiring guitar phrases without playing in a very technical manner, and you can do this to when you follow the steps in this article.

Tommaso Zillio
Tommaso Zillio

You might think that the pentatonic scale is just an easy scale but with no depth - well, you are wrong.

Tommaso Zillio
Tommaso Zillio

See how one of the least exciting concepts in music theory can actually help you create awesome licks.

Tommaso Zillio
Tommaso Zillio

How to breathe new life in your licks and prepare for real-life playing at the same time.