Philosophy: July 2007 Archives

A few notes on last night's jam session at Dos Gringos.

But first, please know that I won't be here for the next jam session.  If the jam "sessioners' want to get it together, feel free to use the comment feature on this site to communicate, or use one of my previous emails to send to everyone on the list. To comment on this weblog, you'll need a "TypeKey account". It's free, and secure. It's needed so that this site doesn't get comment spam. Anyway, I hope you all still get together.

I was asked the age old question again last night, "what do you think of when you're soloing."  I've seen this answered many ways:

• "try not to think"
• "think when you practice, don't think while you perform"
• "practice from the head, perform from the heart"
• "play what you hear"

In my opinion, when I'm playing my best, it feels "effortless".  It would be erroneous though to say, "I don't think of anything while performing."  I may not be trying to conjure up every chord/scale change, but I am (again, when at my best) conscious of:

• where I am in the form/structure of the tune (including the over-arching plan of the tune... e.g. who played solos already, and who's next)
  
• the idea that has occurred (and is occurring) to me related to the chord/scale, phrasing, and overall composition of my improvisation
• what others in the group are contributing to the improvisation
• the room (who's listening, what are the acoustics like)

I feel like if someone stopped me in the middle of the tune, I could verbally account for each of those items listed above... that's what I mean by "being conscious". It's different than thinking about what notes are correct or not correct, whether or not I'm in tune, etc. Another way to state that list is that (when I'm at my best) I know and am confident about the tune's particulars (melody, harmony, rhythm), about how to execute ideas clearly over the tune, and about what's appropriate given who I'm playing with, and where we're playing.

I told everyone last night, that I'd like to hear more of the "bebop scales" within your improvisations.  When I hear you all playing, I miss the melodic flow that chromatisism gives to the line.  The bebop scales are a great way to introduce that chromatisism, and along with it, some meaningful direction in your lines.

Finally, please know that if I tell you something about what I hear (or don't hear) in your playing, I mean it to be only constructive.  I may be right, or wrong in what I say to you, but that's for you to find out.  I'd advise that you just take it in (without quick judgment) and let it "bake".  It'll either stick, or it won't... and that'll prove it right or wrong.

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