METER PIVOTING:
Now here comes the fun part.
Pivoting on the meter is crucial and revealing of your understanding of time using the lick you are playing. Time is the only way to play anything, and any thing can be played in any time as long as you possess a high level of rhythmical context.
Too many of us guitar players get caught up in whether or not we can play a certain lick (fret playing or mimicking) than understanding the vibe or context of the "phrase" that is being played (the story). Therefore, we can execute a line but we can't use it when we jam or improvise. Listen carefully to how these licks sound from start to finish on each and every beat we explore here. Feel how the same phrase can be spoken when placed at a different point in time. I dare you to emmurse yourself in each and every variation and see if the phrase doesn't say something entirely different to you each and everytime.
Now, this isn't to say that you'll like or "agree" with what's being said in every way. However, familiarizing yourself in this way WILL take your playing to the upmost maximum level. You'll be able to see this image and project it in 3D instead of just one side.
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In this exercise we're going you purposefully start a lick on the first, second, third, then forth beat and play straight through the lick. After that we'll do the very same only this time start on the 'and' of each beat. You'll also find that you land on a different part of the measure each time.
You never know when you'll need to whip out a particular lick out your trick bag. With this exercise you'll build your sense of the bar and not only that, you'll eventually have no problem starting this lick at any point in time.
1. You'll start trusting yourself more in different musical situations
2. Increase your sense of phrasing and rhythmic placement
3. Start making the licks you learn more of your own by integrating them into your playing much, much faster than usual.
This is my favorite thing to do when transcribing and getting in the process of owning a particular lick as part of my own vocabulary. Practicing in this way is simply a part of life. Don't miss a single day exploring these aspects of time.
Happy Shredding,
AJ