Play more melodically with this simple technique!
The sound you create with your instrument is the vehicle that the idea- that is, the music- uses to communicate itself. When you listen to an instrument playing a melody, can you hear the “words” that are being sung? We can begin to think about music as if it was language (which it is) and so consider it “syllabically”
Think about a common word… how about “kitchen”? If you were going to describe the sound of that word, you might say it has two syllables – a short, percussive one: “kit” and a longer one that starts off sharp – “ch” – and sort of trails off the “n” sound till it’s done… “chennnn”. Also when you say the word “kitchen” is the first syllable higher or lower than the second one? Higher, right? So how might you represent those two ideas on your guitar? How about playing a short, sharp note and then a slightly lower one that kind of trails off? Does that sound like the two syllables in “kitchen”?
This kind of thinking about music in a different way needs to be practiced for sure, but look: the tiniest change in the way you think about something can have profound effects in the way you perceive it. Thinking about musica “syllabically” might be the change that drives your playing to the next level!
