Improvising!

[JonZ]

My personal experience with language. I took French for 8 years in school. It was mostly a balanced class except for the first year or so where there wasn't much in terms of conversation. I was never able to speak French. The little that I do know is all grammar and vocabulary with no ability to converse.

A few years back I planned a trip Central America and did the Pimsleur Method for 3 months leading up to the trip. Each day I did 15-20 minutes of listening and responding, following the course. On my trip I was able to actually use the Spanish I had learned and improvise (speak to people).

So we have an hour a day for 8 school years vs. 20 minutes a day for 3 months; one balanced, one focused only on speaking. I have a much larger vocabulary in French. I can conjugate French verbs into various tenses that I don't even know in Spanish. Yet I can access and freely use the Spanish that I have because of the way it was aquired.

As a child, I played Oboe, played in several orchestras and learned many classical pieces. I was taught all the "grammar" of music. I knew my scales, triads, modes, intervals etc. Yet, I couldn't improvise. I couldn't work out simple tunes. I couldn't play anything off the page. This seems very similar to my French education, on written tests (with time) I could work everything out and get the correct answer, but I couldn't communicate at all.

The fundamental issue here is that we want to circumvent the conscious mind. Music, like speaking, happens too fast to think about all the rules, scales, modes etc. before choosing what note to play. Those scales etc. have to be "in your fingers". You need your subconscious to be in charge of all of that. Reasoning doesn't help.

Reasoning absolutely does help. If I am in Mexico and hear a new verb, and I know the rules of conjugation, I can use that word immediately in all tenses, rather than having to randomly wait to hear the word used in every tense by a native speaker.

The thing is--if you read the articles--no one is denying that conversation with native speakers is an essential component, and can be difficult to replicate in the classroom. That doesn't mean, though, that other tools are not also essential to optimal results.

[JonZ]

I want to say something about scales. I have a son who is a bit of a wunderkind on the jazz double bass. He is 18 and plays challenging music at a professional level. He was offered scholarships from major conservatories. All the bells and whistles. He started playing at age 12, and made really rapid progress.

He knows his scales and arpeggios, but never practiced patterns. Once he had a basic understanding of where the notes he need were, he started using them to make music.

Also, he never copied anyone else's solos or licks. He listened constantly to music. He learned melodies. But all of his practice was focused on creating.

Finally, he started gigging right away, when he barely knew how to play, but was still young and cute enough to entertain an audience.

So this is one way that someone got good fast. He was always using his knowledge to create, and always had a reason to learn.

[catmandu2]

Ya, jazz pedagogy is thorough and a good way to go for someone looking to improvise at that level/in that idiom. And jazz bass is a particularly good way go, if you want to improvise - since most of the playing is like that. Christian McBride said he was taken by the DB right away - when he learned he was at liberty to play "any" note he wanted. That approach is common with (jazz) bass - it's somewhat different in that it's less patternistic/idiomatic but individualistic (Mingus hated "figured" bass) and can be approached entirely theoretical/analytical.

Congrats to you, and son - DB is my favorite expressive instrument.

*My local station just did an hour of Esmerine - there's a section in Aurora where cellist drones on open 5th...I was tapping on tailpiece and strings below the bridge - it's a fantastic percussion instrument, its resonance.. When i saw Chris Dahlgren do that I was captivated forever. What an awesome instrument.

[JonZ]

Thanks!

I should add that he had a good teacher, so he had good feedback. Also, he completed the first Simandl book.

[mattonmando]

The key to improv depends on one thing: your ear. Being able to listen to and internalize what other players, or even other instrument players are doing will significantly help your improvisation.

A tip that has made my improvisation more "free" is by not even trying to play within the chord. In other words, start and end the solo on a chord tone (1,3,5, or even 7), but play whatever you want in between (Needs to be musical though, not random notes).

Good luck with your musical journey into improvisation!

[T.D.Nydn]

The key to improv depends on one thing: your ear. Being able to listen to and internalize what other players, or even other instrument players are doing will significantly help your improvisation.

A tip that has made my improvisation more "free" is by not even trying to play within the chord. In other words, start and end the solo on a chord tone (1,3,5, or even 7), but play whatever you want in between (Needs to be musical though, not random notes).

Good luck with your musical journey into improvisation!

This is what I do I beleive,,and sort of what I said before about people remember the beginning and the end,,what is played in between almost doesn't matter...

[JonZ]

If you have internalized a lot of music, you will probably emphasize chord tones throughout your solos, intentionally or not.

[Toycona]

He was always using his knowledge to create, and always had a reason to learn

...that's the deal, right there. As a high school English teacher, I find this to be the case in my subject area.

[JeffD]

If you have internalized a lot of music, you will probably emphasize chord tones throughout your solos, intentionally or not.

This is a good point. The more music one is exposed to and plays and "internalizes" the more choices and possibilities one has at hand. Voracious listening and bottomless curiosity can only help.

[JonZ]

I think it will be interesting to hear what direction the younger crop of musicians take things. It used to be that, if you wanted to play a genre like jazz, you had to make a huge investment in the recordings. Now kids have a low-cost bottomless well to draw from. On various whims, my kids have gone on listening binges into Scandinavian folk, djent, the Rat Pack, Tuvan throat singing, and numerous other sub genres. I wonder how it will all filter in to what they play.

[catmandu2]

They will continue to draw upon all these resources in creating new music. Especially as freedoms, rock, pop and jazz, proliferate around the world, where reigning classical traditions are seeing transformation, we're hearing artists from all backgrounds drawing from their heritage, exploring traditional sources, co-mingling old with new in fresh approaches. In traditional quartet ensembles - since Kronos, Arditti, Balanescu, Ethel, et al have been doing this for decades. Bela and Abigail exploring TCM; the Savall's and Orient/Occident; revivals and reinvisioning everwhere. And look at all the women in new music too - Silvia Bolognesi, Tomeka Reid, carrying on since Meredith Monk, and so many others. The music has liberated so many. Drawing from the well of tradition, melding with new vision, so much exciting music.

Youtube and digital media and communication generally has a profound influence.

[catmandu2]

Heres an esemble, GY!BE, whose "bio" description seems to epitomize what we're talking about - "avant classical, experimental rock, multimedia, and poltical expression" - and "modern chamber music" group Esmerine who deal in "drone music, post-punk, and Turkish folk." With such varied resources to draw from, anything is possible. One of my favorite improvising musicians, Joelle Leandre, specializes in presenting Cage works. As a bassing family, Jon, yours might enjoy: https://youtu.be/paQXL1f3_UA
https://youtu.be/-N_ji3BALL0

And Mr Guy https://youtu.be/XVGERPBdy0U