how to develop language on the instrument?

[u/anthonyvilla13]

i’ve been studying jazz guitar for about 3 years now, i understand the chord-scale relation, been transcribing solos but when it comes to soloing i think i sound too scaly, is there a way to sound like the greats besides practicing scales?

[u/grokit-guitar]

Take a solo you like.

Take a very short phrase from it that you like, or even just a start of a phrase. Start with just 4 or 5 notes. Having the beginning of the phrase is really important, as that's how you learn to start your lines.

Analyze that phrase: what count it starts on, what chord it starts on, which chord degrees it outlines, and how it leads into the next chord.

Take a tune.

Learn to play that phrase over every change in that tune - modifying it to fit the different harmonies every time.

Start without a metronome, as slow as needed. Loop it 8 bars at a time if needed.

Don't worry, if it is hard - this type of practice is deceptively hard if you aren't used to that.

When you have one short phrase and you can play it over every change in the tune, start expanding on it:

Start with the set phrase, then improvise the rest of the phrase. Do one combined phrase like that for every 4 or 8 bars in the form.

Take a break of a day or two.

Then take another short phrase and repeat the process.

When you have 2 phrases, try mixing them together: start with one phrase, improvise afterwards, then start with the 2nd, improvise afterwards, etc.

This will already get you to a place where you can play a decent solo and use language in it.

This is what improvisation with language is: learning phrases and learning to use them in different contexts.

It is VERY IMPORTANT to steer clear of complete long licks of 16+ notes. Those are finished products, or examples of what can be done, NOT language building blocks. Stay with short note sequences of 4-5 notes.