This track has a swing feel. To compliment this, I found that a constant flowing stream of notes that moved over the track worked best, and thus improvised some wide intervallic sliding licks. As with most of my improvisations, a lot of the phrases I use are recycled and re-envisioned from previous practices and jam sessions. The trick with improvisation is to really understand what you're trying to say with your playing and with the track itself. Being aware of the context of the music is key to good writing and fluid improvisation.

To open the track, I started with an octave-based chordal idea that compliment the backing track's progression through Em-C-D. The open string melody works around Emin Pentatonic, reminiscent of Satriani and Petrucci's playing. While improvising over this track, I found a continual stream of flowing notes complimented the swing feel and created an interesting sense of movement. The use of some unusual chord tones (2nd, 6th & 7th) also helped to further develop a more mature and thoughtful sound, as opposed to the simplicity of pentatonic licks.

As with a lot of my pieces, I like to write melodies that emulate a singer or vocal-like instrument. I feel that a great lead line can be sung or hummed easily and tends to stick in your head. I tried to build intensity in the solo to reflect the gradual dynamic increase throughout the piece.

The long descending lick in Bars 89-92 is based around the Em-Pentatonic, while also using some notes from E natural minor (Aeolian). Similarly, the final descending lick uses wide interval tapping to create a smooth, rolling legato shape.

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