Brett Garsed: Guitar Nation interview

BG: I suppose the first consideration would be whether improvisation is the goal as opposed to composing and duplicating solos in the same way for every performance which is another discipline all in itself. If improv is the direction then a deeper understanding of harmony is needed so transcribed ideas can be broken down and analyzed to see why they work. Also, the whole point of improvisation is to be free and not constrained by a lack of ideas or an understanding of the instrument so that work in itself will lead to more personal ideas and the development of a personal and unique voice. I felt that the time I was putting into learning other people’s ideas could be better spent developing my own. I could transcribe solos from albums but it was the deeper understanding of why those players used those particular notes that eluded me so I figured I could devote more time and effort to trying to understand my own concepts at a deeper level.

It helped me explore my own creativity as I forced myself to come up with my own licks and lines rather than looking to others. I should mention that this approach was part of my own personal experiment and I continue on that path to this day but this avenue may not be suitable for everyone, I just feel it works for me. I don’t think I have the huge vocabulary that a lot of other players do but I really believe that what I play is largely unique to myself which is a good thing considering I’ve appeared on albums alongside some of my biggest influences. more

Comments