Slidemeister (Chromatic & related only - no Diatonic discussion) > Chromatic Playing Techniques

Improvising jazz and blues

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STEFANOS:
Are people who improvise or play jazz special or can anybody improvise by practicing?

Stefanos

Bluesy:

--- Quote from: STEFANOS on September 28, 2011, 09:44:16 PM ---Are people who improvise or play jazz special or can anybody improvise by practicing?

Stefanos

--- End quote ---
Both.
Bluesy

hvyj:
Personally, I think the ease with which one is able to improvise depends on whether one "hears" music in their head--do you "hear" stuff in your head that you would like to play improvisationally over particular music?  If you "hear" it in your head, then it's only a matter of developing the technical knowledge and ability to make it come out of your instrument. To a certain extent, I suppose this comes from listening to  a lot of music and practicing on one's instrument.  If you can "think" it or "feel" it, you should be able to get to the point where you can play it.   But, if one does not naturally have that sort of inspiration, I suppose improvisation can be learned in other ways.

On the other hand, it certainly requires more technical knowledge of music to improvise on jazz material than most other styles.  Also, in order to improvise or solo effectively, one needs to understand the idiom of the particular style of music being played, whatever that style may be--blues, reggae, funk, R&B, etc.

robertpcoble:
Improvisation can be done in any genre of music, and is not limited to jazz. I agree that (to some extent) it is a matter of playing what YOU hear as you are playing a particular song. There are techniques that can be learned to assist the process. Knowing some music theory helps (ME!) in figuring out what works and what doesn't work.

One of the most important things IMHO is to know your instrument. Know where and how to play the instrument to make  the sound you hear in your head. If you are struggling to simply play the instrument, you will have nothing (or very little) left over to use for improvisation.

Ripping off a lot of notes in a short period of time is NOT improvisation. Learn how to use the instrument to make a "statement." If you don't have anything to "say" musically, spewing a bunch of notes won't make up for it. Silence is a very important part of improvisation; sometimes, less is more. Don't feel obligated to fill all of the musical space; leave room for the other instrument(s) or voice. Too many players approach playing as "all or nothing"; they feel obligated to play non-stop throughout the entire song.

Don't be afraid of playing "wrong" notes. Don't be afraid of stepping outside of the "lines" and "spaces." There is no reason to be slavish about following the exact notes in a song. If YOU like a different note at a particular point, then play it. That's a first step toward improvisation.

Approach playing as a fun experience which allows you to develop and explore your own inner "voice."

Realize that good improvisation does not occur immediately after picking up an instrument and beginning to make musical sounds with it. It takes time to develop a sense for the instrument, regardless of the blessing of natural talent.

My older brother has stated that the difference in skill levels of musicians is "50 years." It is unreasonable in the extreme to expect to be improvising like someone who has played for 10-20-30-40-50-60 years after only 1-6-12 months of playing. According to the tenets of "Effortless Mastery", it takes approximately 10,000 hours of dedicated focused practice to reach mastery in anything. Enjoy the journey. It's not a competition with anyone other than yourself.

Regards,
Crazy Bob

Bluesy:
My brother, a professional jazz pianist, was sitting at the piano one day playing some really beautiful chords and progressions on Round Midnight. I listened for a minute or two, then said,
"Hey Richard, that's some really beautiful stuff you're playing on that tune."
In that casual, reluctant way professional jazz musicians have, he said,
"Yeah, thanks. I've been working on this tune for about ten years now."

I agree 100% with Bob.

One very cold and windy winter day in Manhattan I was walking down the street with Lee Konitz and we were bundled up to the max, noses running, caps pulled down, hands shoved deep into our overcoat pockets. New York City winters can have some really arctic winds blowing through those canyons. We were kind of pressed together to fight the cold and I sort of leaned towards him and said,
"The other day I told somebody that I have music running through my head every waking minute and he looked at me like I was crazy, Lee."
Konitz looked up at me and said, "Gees! No wonder I can't get a gig in New York!"
We absolutely dissolved right there on 68th Street.

Tom/

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