How to get more out from what you know already.

[emanresu]

Hey!

Every "how to?" post here gets "do this and that". Practice more. Practice this or that.

But...

Do you remember you all could nail a solo with almost no skills?

Whats that then?

I bet it's something important.

[Doublea A]

Hey!

Every "how to?" post here gets "do this and that". Practice more. Practice this or that.

But...

Do you remember you all could nail a solo with almost no skills?

Whats that then?

I bet it's something important.

It’s true. You can get buried in technical studies and lose sight of what brought you here in the first place. . . . Music


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[rpjazzguitar]

I am reminded of this story.

I am a huge fan of a band called Viva Brasil! I recommend listening to their album "Festa".

When I finally got to see them live, for the first few tunes there was no guitar solo. The guitarist was Jeff Buenz, who is a terrific player, just a monster soloist.

When he finally took a solo, he slid one finger up and down one string, imitating a Brazilian tunable drum called a cuica. Great solo. Probably could have been played by someone who had never picked up a guitar before.

Another time, I saw a band called Freaky Executives. Horn band, playing danceable funk that night. First guitar solo was open strings manipulated with the whammy bar. Just noise, in a way, but it worked.

Couldn't listen to either one for a full night, but maybe it puts things in a better perspective.

[AllanAllen]

Every time I transcribe something I'm amazed how simple it is compared to my improv where I'm trying to cram everything in and it sounds awful.

[citizenk74]

Every time I transcribe something I'm amazed how simple it is compared to my improv where I'm trying to cram everything in and it sounds awful.

Less is frequently more, in a sense. If you give the audience every single thing you've got, where do you go from there? Always keep something in reserve. Jim Hall is a master of this. It's like what Thomas Jefferson wrote: "Sorry for the long letter. I didn't have time for a shorter one." That self-editing process is habitual for the great players. I believe Joni Mitchell said to Larry Carlton, "I like how you edit your playing." And of course, hired him for her records on a regular basis.

[citizenk74]

Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis is a reliable method of melodic/rhythmic genesis. Has worked for generations of Bluespersons.

[Clint 55]

This is where I am. I know enough theory. I have things on the horizon that I want to work on eventually, but my priority is get to playing swinging renditions all the way through with a good right hand solo that has momentum all the way through. I tell myself just practice the stuff! Play the tune, keep it in time, solo, develop motifs etc. Can you run a scale or arp idea across the keyboard in this tonality? Why not? You know it theoretically. Practice it! Although tunes are fun for me, I know enough so that isn't a priority. I have been playing a few tunes in 1 major key and its relative minor every 2 days and that's really helping my fluency.

[Clint 55]

Every time I transcribe something I'm amazed how simple it is compared to my improv where I'm trying to cram everything in and it sounds awful.

More specifically, I'm realizing how simple their melodic motifs are. It's not this super advanced thing, only a group of notes that anyone can do. What is advanced is that they make a motif in the first place instead of wanking like a noob. Then they develop it and repeat throughout the solo without screwing up. That's what's advanced.