One of the most important soloing approaches I rely on is “call and response.” The concept involves phrasing development: I’ll start with a simple melodic idea and then develop it and try to get the most musical mileage out of it.
For me, it’s not enough to play an idea once and then move on to something else. I’d rather develop my initial phrase and then morph it into 10 different, thematically connected ones.
Using call-and-response phrasing can help give a solo balance, direction, focus, and clarity of intent. I think of it as a way of having a musical conversation without abandoning the script.
Figure 1 offers an example of how to start with a simple idea and then develop it via subtle variations.
Using notes from the E blues scale (E, G, A, Bb, B, D), I start with a two-bar phrase that moves from 8th position on the B and G strings down to 5th position on the A and D strings. In bar 3, I present a melodic twist on the opening phrase introduced in bar 1, and in bar 4, I resolve the idea with a melodic “response” to the previous three bars.
In Figure 2I twist the melody by starting on the upbeat of the pickup bar, so that by the beginning of bar 2 we’ve already established the direction of the line. On beats 3 and 4, I shift from 16th notes to eighth-note triplets, as the change in syncopation offers another aspect of musical development.
In these examples, I start off with the “call,” as shown in Figure 3which is played on the B and G strings. The “response” is delivered via the phrases on the D and A strings that follow.
As these phrases develop, I try to make them more melodic and vocal-like. Once I’ve gotten these musical ideas in my ears and head, my intention is to continually morph them in the most natural way possible.
Figure 4 offers another example of this approach. Like Figure 1, it’s a four-bar phrase built from consecutive two-bar ones. The “call” is now the initial two bars, and the “response” occurs in bars 3 and 4.
Figure 5 demonstrates how I’ll take these ideas and continue to develop them in new melodic and rhythmic directions. Here, I start with an emphasis on even eighth notes before continuing with variations played in a combination of eighth and 16th notes.
After hanging out between 8th and 5th positions for all of those licks, it feels natural to then move up to 12th position, as shown in Figure 6. These higher phrases add intensity to the solo as the lines become higher in pitch and also more rhythmically complex, with emphasis on wide bend vibratos on the top two strings.
Once the sound and vibe of these phrases has been established, they become themes that I lean into in order to get the most out of them.
This is a great way to build and develop a solo – gaining traction through repetition and familiarity – and one that will really hook and captivate the listener.
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