RESTRICTIVE PRACTICE (SHORT POST)

 

Lets take a blues. 

1. Play a chorus with the blues scale only
2. Play a chorus with major pentatonic only
3. Play a chorus with chord tones only
   
4. Play a chorus of melodic phrases only 
5. Pkay a chorus of be-bop phrases only 
6. Play a chorus of pentatonics with side slipping only. 

You can add your own restriction - like a chorus starting from the third on each chord, or an octave chorus, or a chorus of chromatic bypasses or a chorus using the arpeggio going up and the bebop scale going down.

 

Or, for example, a repeated riff or even a note repeated rhythmically. 

 

The important thing is to "limit" yourself to one specific improvisational principle at a time, and try to explore all its possibilities. This method - which I have tried on myself and my students - is incredibly effective.