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Originally Posted by wzpgsr
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05-18-2022 06:26 PM
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I think there are two critical skills, both of which need polish and alignment to make a great player. I know a lot of players who have much to say musically but don't have the chops to say it as they want to. Then there are those with serious chops who simply have nothing new to say. They blow through scales and rote lines like Katrina through the upper ninth, and they impress a lot of people. But they're not saying much in the process.
Consider how much Paul Desmond said in his spare, laid back style. And although Miles was not the slouch his detractors claim, he rarely showed off his chops and favored subtlety over speed. Guitarists like Ron Affif, Randy Johnston, and Jack Wilkins have chops to hang with anybody - but they only call on them when required to say what they want to say.
In the opposite corner, a lot of early Jimmy Bruno was a blur of notes that said little more than "I can play faster than you". I've been very pleased that he started playing thoughtfully and with much less grandstanding over the last 20 years. He turned out to be a very tasteful player, but I did not predict that from his first few albums.
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Originally Posted by grahambop
Last edited by John A.; 05-19-2022 at 11:11 AM.
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Originally Posted by John A.
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Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
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Originally Posted by John A.
I guess my approach would be to try and practise that locked-in feel at a tempo where I can sustain it, then very gradually increase the tempo. I think Pasquale Grasso said that’s how he improved his speed, i.e. just increasing the metronome by one beat every day or so.
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Originally Posted by grahambop
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This is my last blast. Sorry, but it's slow. It's the way I'm made :-)
For those, like Mr. never, who've never been exposed to my ghastly videos, the quality is what it is. It wouldn't matter so much if it was genius playing but I can't claim that either. I'm not even sure it's in tune.
But it's a contribution, that's what counts :-)
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Originally Posted by John A.
Also, anecdotally, I've seen certain people develop impressive technique very quickly. For instance, my neighbors daughter is a bit of a piano prodigy and has developed incredible technique in the space of a few years and she doesn't practice that much, under an hour a day.
Even with something like typing there is a wide variance in speeds.
I just think that for some people these motor skills come much easier.
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I see that posts have been removed so I won’t get too into it. I had a family function yesterday and couldn’t respond timely. Just want to give my perspective on playing the repertoire, including all of it. I hate the idea of jazz being some codified bag of bones in a mausoleum. It is very much alive and very much a creative process. It is here for the taking and all are welcome. I used to post in Facebook’s jam of the week but I stopped doing that for several reasons. There was one fellow who constantly complained about how “we were ruining the great songs of Charlie Parker” which was laughable since CP ruined those songs before him to make them what they are for us today. Peterson called Donna Lee and got such grief for it and now he’s gone. I know I only pop in and out and I may cheer some videos on or not but from my experience as a jazz jam player in the Philadelphia New York suburbs there are some sessions where people vibe and others where everyone is very cool and inclusive. I can only hope this group continues to thrive on those who enjoy the company of those who join and take the banter light hearted and not as a platform to preach.
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