Transcription Set Review: Atomic Improv Vol. 1 by Nick Johnston

Atomic Improv Vol. 1 is the first of six transcription sets (or improv package, as they call it) currently available from Nick Johnston. This set collects transcriptions of 3 different improvisations. All the transcriptions are by Ryan Fisher. This particular volume was released in February 2015.

The package includes:

• Videos of the 3 improvisation (MP4 video files)
• Transcriptions in Standard Notation & TAB (PDF & Guitar Pro files)
• Introduction & Improvisation Insights by Nick Johnston (PDF files)

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Here are the vids included in Atomic Improv Vol.1 (link in bio – these are transcribed in PDF and guitar pro) This pack came out several years ago and still features my old silver Strat I used to play. I’ll be posting the videos from each pack! Hope you guys are having a great weekend! Grab this and steal some licks 🧠⚡️ ps these are all longer than 1min

A post shared by Nick Johnston (@nickjohnstonmusic) on Jan 13, 2019 at 7:33am PST

Improvisation #1 is a mix of legato, sweep picking & tapped lines along with chords breaking the lines. There’s a mix of nice harmonic minor ideas through this improvisation.

Improvisation #2 begins with nice jazzy sounds before going into some virtuosic fast lines and then into an assortment of different minor ideas. As I listened to this improvisation, I noticed many different smaller motivic ideas that would be great to study individually in small fragments.

Improvisation #3 is a highlight of Atomic Improv Vol. 1 (to me at least) as it contains a wealth of hybrid picked and legato ideas. From blues to harmonic minor (and other minor sounds), there’s a lot to unpack here.

All in all, this first Atomic Improv pack is a good collection of ideas for fans of Nick Johnston’s playing.

Pros: Great modern rock & blues based lines, transcribed for study. The additional “Improvisation Insights” PDF is valuable & yes, very insightful.
Cons: Does not include any video instruction or breakdown/demonstration of the lines. This is strictly a transcription pack. However, the additional notes are very helpful to understand the thinking behind the improvisations.
TLDR: If you’re a fan of Nick’s playing, this series provides a valuable tool to dissect and understand his playing.

You can get Atomic Improv Vol. 1 here: https://nickjohnstonmusic.com/atomic-improv

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