Musical Improvisation tips
-
- Improvisation is always a hot topic among
musicians.
- Usually players will hear an inspired improviser and
ask themselves:
-
"how'd they do that?" or: "where did they get that
line from?"
-
-
Well if you haven't realized by now, the answer is often as different as the
improviser.
-
It always cracks me up when I am backstage and hear a budding music
student analyze
-
the improviser's playing (at times correctly) only to hear the
improviser say
-
"Oh really, I never thought of it that way..."
-
- Moral: there are so many different ways to look at
and explain the same thing!
-
- The
beauty of improvisation is that its inspiration is always as individual as its
master.
- Unfortunately, true improvisation cannot be taught.
- The term
"improvisation" is debated in some circles, but I consider it to be
unrehearsed
- non-notated expressions that are performed in the context of a
musical piece.
-
- But heck, what do I know? If it sounds good and produces the
desired effect, then
- that's all that really counts in music. To
me however, improvisation means "seat of the pants!"
- You are flying along
"riding the wave of energy underneath you"
- creating, playing, and responding to feel as you go.
-
-
True improvising is when you hear, feel, and produce spontaneous musical ideas.
-
This cannot be taught. Much like your daily conversations cannot be taught.
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You
hear what is spoken to you (or among your group), form ideas
-
based on what was
said...and then respond appropriately.
-
- I have yet to meet anyone who has scripted
their entire life's conversations,
- and even if it were possible...how sad would
this be?
- To have all of one's words measured and dictated is a truly
uncomforting thought.
- Musical improvisation is a dialog -- a
conversation with the music, your fellow musicians
- and your listeners. It is
rewarding, stimulating, and liberating like any great conversation.
-
- I
only hope that every musician can be a great improviser,
- because listeners are
drawn like to a great conversationalist at a party.
- No one really knows what will be said
next
- but they do know that it will be interesting and
rewarding.
-
- It flows, so they listen. Can this be taught?...I don't think so!
-
What the accomplished conversationalist or improviser has are a multitude
-
of
ideas on a subject (or music piece), plus the confidence and forum to express
them.
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By forum, I'm speaking mainly about key musical circumstances, like style.
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Anyway, back to the original question: how'd they do that, and...can
I?
-
- The answer is: yes, you can!
- In fact you should. There is hope
for those aspiring to improvise.
- The good news is that improvisation is the result of a process, and this process can be learned.
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Notice I did not say that this an easy process.
-
- Be prepared to work for the
duration of your music career to develop
- and improve your improvisational, as
well as all other fundamental musical skills.
- This said, there are three basic steps to the
process of improvisation:
- 1. Gather ideas:
- Like a good conversationalist, improvising
well requires a base of relevant ideas on a subject.
- Musically speaking, I
consider the "subject" to be the theme of the piece being
-
played as composed by its underlying rhythms, harmonies and melodies.
- Generally
there are three ways players gather ideas...
-
- a) Learning
and practicing the lines of influential musicians over chords or
- This is an okay start,
but not enough. You must go a step further to analyze the dynamics
- of the line
and why it works, then apply this analysis to create your own lines over
- similar
types of chords and progressions based on feel.
-
- While there are many players whom I
respect immensely, the act of improvisation
- is so personal to me that I avoid
copying other's improvised lines intentionally.
- Doing so has helped me to develop and
retain a pretty unique style, and I am happy about this.
- It is good to have some
distinction to your style, for musicians and listeners
- will seek you out for
"your music". Your artistry is the draw!
-
- My view has always been: why have a "clone" when you can
have the original.
- In terms of improvisation, I don't want anyone putting
"notes on my fingerboard"
- any more than I want someone putting words
in my mouth during a conversation!
- Improvisation means spontaneous creativity to
me, nothing less.
-
- Make sure that you create, and play from the heart.
- Try
to develop your own "style" to some degree, and
- do not under any
circumstances let anyone take it away!
-
- b) By ear. "By
ear" is a bit simplistic and misleading since there is a
- little more involved. To improvise effectively on even a basic level requires
- at
least some small degree of instrumental as well as aural proficiency.
-
- This type of proficiency is usually developed through the practice of many
songs
- scales, and
musical phrases such that the player develops an innate musical tendency
- "feel", or "ear". The "ear" that I'm speaking of is not so much "relative pitch"
- (where the player can
naturally identify the interval relationships between notes sounded)
- or
even "absolute pitch" (ability to identify the tones sounded by pitch and name).
- While these are great tools for any player, I'm
really speaking of "ear"
- in describing one's natural melodic ability.
Their sense of musicality.
-
- Some individuals can hear music and begin to
improvise immediately.
- They seem to have the gift where musical ideas just flow
freely without inhibition.
- Do yourself a favor and try not to be fooled.
-
- When
others make it look easy, it is usually because they worked incredibly
- hard to
make it seem so. If it appears that you are not blessed with the gift of
"ear"...and things
- come hard, do not quit. You may as well realize that a successful musical career has many costs.
- Hours of long, hard work are
among them.
-
- Develop your "ear" for improvisation by improvising.
-
Wherever and whenever you hear music, try to improvise over it.
- Start by humming
or singing basic, simple melodic lines that fit how the music makes you feel.
- Don't be afraid to let your ideas come out.
- They don't have to be fast, complex,
loud or even good right now.
-
- As you develop your sense of "ear" and musicality,
better ideas will come.
- Take practice time daily to play improvised lines that you
hum on your guitar.
- The goal is to develop both a good
"ear" and the instrumental coordination needed to improvise music.
-
"Sing" through you instrument, and "feel" the notes that you
play.
-
- Once you develop these capabilities your confidence and playing will
excel,
- and your improvisations will soar.
-
- c) Scale studies. A greater number of musicians
are experimenting with scales as a basis
- for improvisational and compositional
ideas. The thought is to take a particular scale and try
- to find interesting
musical ideas by creating melodies and harmonies using the scale.
- One might
experiment by taking a favorite line, riff, chord, or progression from a known
scale
- and apply it using the interval sequencing that the experimental scale is
built upon.
-
- There is gold in this approach! I really enjoy using scales studies
to create generate fresh
- new ideas and sounds for compositions and especially
improvisation.
- To me it is exciting just to discover the musical potential of
-
different scales because so many great lines and sounds have come
-
from my
experiments, and I'm far from through!
-
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If you find that you lack ideas or
inspiration, find a scale and experiment.
- Listen to the interval qualities and
relationships...then use your ear to
- create some cool melodies and harmonies.
-
Scale studies and experiments will open both your ears and mind musically for
sure.
- One of the best ways to develop "your style" is from
ideas
resulting from creative scale experiments.
- Try this method, it will change your
musical life forever!
- My own experimentation and work with scale studies were
-
the genesis for the M.A.M.I. Musical Scale Atlas Reference Texts.
- I needed a system to help me analyze and understand how to apply the
-
hundreds of scales that peaked my curiosity.
- Then use them in musical ways (along with their
modes, chords and potential harmonies).
- M.A.M.I. does this, and it also includes
fingerboard note and interval charts for each scale as well.
- It is a
totally unique system, and the ideal tool for improvisational scale studies.
- Be sure to check out the free sample to see why it has become the
modern day musician's
- and instructor's "must-have" reference.
-
-
-
- 2. Practice applying those ideas: Okay, here I go harping on practice again.
-
Sometimes becoming a better musician can be frustrating because
- there is so much
practice involved, and in so many different areas.
- Unfortunately even though we
are in the 21st century, there is still no way to get around this reality.
-
- The key is to
make the process interesting, challenging and fun.
- Use care not to always
practice the same things in the same ways or you will limit
- your development,
not to mention become bored pretty quickly.
- Once you discover creative material
for improvisation, practice your ideas sincerely.
-
- Pay special attention to the
timing, rhythm, dynamics, and phrasing of your lines
- as these elements all
contribute toward its effectiveness.
- Be sure to purchase, and always keep a tape
recorder running while practicing.
- to serve as harmonic and rhythmic
guides for your improvisations as well.
-
- It is possible to purchase backing track CD's
or better yet, you can go a step further
- using a number of different software packages available on the market.
-
Unless you already possess a relatively advanced degree of skill
- it is best to
develop your ideas and fluidity at home (or some safe confine) for now.
-
- By
eliminating the variables that a live backing band can create (not to mention the impatience
factor)
- it becomes easier
to hone in on specific ideas and
experiment without haste.
- Plus it is easier to duplicate the sessions as necessary until your ideas are fluid, refined, and spontaneous.
-
- Once you begin
to "think on your feet" musically and your improvisations begin
- to
"sing", live playing won't be far away. If you find yourself getting
stuck while practicing
- the process of improvisation to the point where the ideas
or phrasing just will not flow smoothly...
- then for crying out loud, it is time
for the blues!
-
- Whoa...wait, before you get too depressed and trash your
guitar...I'm talking about playing the Blues.
- Without equal, no music lends
itself to pure and sincere improvisation than the Blues.
-
that you intend to study and perform.
-
- As contradictory as this sounds, let the
Blues serve as your "emergency improvisational anti-depressant".
- Play
a track and just let the flow of the music get into your head at first.
- Begin
the process by creating simple lines, paying close attention to timing and
phrasing.
-
- Use the space that Blues music affords to emphasize improvisational
elements such as repetition
- volume dynamics, and even silence. Try to build
ascending as well as
- descending lines to create musical tension and release. Be
"real" and be patient.
- Sincerity is key. Feel the music,
then try to play what you feel.
- The key to improvisation is to play meaningful
creative ideas in expressions that
- support your interpretation of the main
musical theme.
-
- Regardless of the style(s) of music that your choose to play,
practice building your base of ideas
- and developing the instrumental skills
needed to make those ideas flow like a good conversationalist at a
party.
- Don't expect miracles--have faith, strive for consistent progress...and
never, ever, give up learning the instrument.
-
- 3. Develop confidence and find a forum:
- You're starting to get into the
swing of things. Your practice sessions are going fairly well, meaning that
-
every now and then a gem comes out of the instrument that is good enough to
actually please you.
- Unfortunately still, more often than not
the process is pretty difficult.
- For every one gem of improvisation, you come up
with about three ideas that are lacking.
- This is a scary time for
every musician:
- because it means that you are almost ready for "your
public".
-
- Before I go much further, let me remind you of one important fact:
no one is perfect!
- Certainly not any improvising musician, no matter how
accomplished.
- With true improvisation there are going to be great ideas
- and
days, and not-so-great ideas and days. The reason why we practice the
improvisation process
- is to generate ideas, refine them, and develop the
instrumental facility to execute these ideas with fluidity.
-
- By doing so, we
raise our ratio of good playing to bad over time.
- Don't wait to become
perfect before you get out and share your music.
- You could end up on your third
incarnation before this happens. Once you begin to raise the ratio
- of good
playing to about 1 to 1 and better, have confidence in your ideas and skill set.
- You've worked hard to get this far, and intend to keep improving.
-
- Don't deprive
yourself any longer...get out and play with other live.
- Take your musical ideas and go out and converse.
- Play with other and have fun!
- Find the music woodsheds ("sheds") in your
area and get to know the "regulars".
-
- One really strong advantage
to being in music school is that finding "sheds" are pretty easy.
-
Musical friendships and groups form from the very first moments on campus.
-
Ask
about the styles and tunes that are usually performed
- and whether they allow the
recording of sessions.
- Listen to a couple of sets first to get the feel for the
participants
- as well as their ability levels, then squeeze into a tune.
-
- Relax and don't
overplay. Take your time and add ideas that fit into the tune being played
- just
like when joining a party conversation. There are few better joys than to play
-
good tunes with other musicians, especially when there is an opportunity to add
-
your own style and ideas into the mix through improvisation.
-
- Record as much as
possible, and be sure to spend plenty of time listening to
- and evaluating what
is heard. Is your sound good? How well do your ideas fit?
-
- Are the lines and
phrasing fluid?
- It does take work, but becoming an good instrumental
"conversationalist" is one of the most
- valuable skills that a musician
can possess. You will find that very few things are more
- rewarding in life than sharing one's own style
and ideas among an appreciative audience!
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