Some of the most important aspects about improvising and playing jazz and also just plain improvise, playing in a jazz quartet, free playing, or behind a female vocalist or playing eight measure solo are rock 'n' roll gig.
Each of your solos in the matter what the idiom… Should have a beginning… A middle and an end.
That's one of the age-old aspects of why something sounds good and has a focus personally. How somebody constructs that is as important as what notes they play and any other aspect that they apply.
Very simply-if your solo does not have a shape that includes a beginning middle and end-you're missing a very important part of your message.
If you take yourself and record 12 bars or eight bars and listen to it and listen to that shape you'll hear it right away. You can also use a solo transcription and graph it, if you do a solo by somebody like Cannonball Adderley or Louis Armstrong you'll see what I'm getting at immediately just take your pencil and graph out to solo.
You can hear this type of sound in anything from Louis Armstrong solos, Steve Douglas solos on early rock records, Steve Lacy solos and of course Monk solos. Of course Lester Young and Bird!
The ability to create space with others in this way has deepened as I’ve learned to be more present and aware within my own body and self. As I take time to connect with the whole of who I am on a daily basis, my mind has becomes quieter and I feel more in tune with my authentic self. From this space, I’m naturally able to be more present with others without loosing that inner connection to myself. Being present to someone in this way may not always seem ‘easy’. If you let yourself, you can easily become distracted by your thinking: including devising what you’ll say next; mulling over your judgements about the other person (or worrying about what they think of you); feeling a need to interrupt their speaking with your own opinion; or thinking about something else entirely. I’ve fallen into this trap too, many times.
Have you ever considered at what time are you the most creative or when is your mind highly productive? For some people it is when they just wake up in the morning or when they are about to go to sleep. Others find that they are most creative in the shower or when relaxing in the bath. I have also found that people are creative when they are driving along the highway or going for a relaxing walk. Interestingly, not many people actually state that they are most creative when at work, which could be the reason why our abilities to solve problems. The key to achieving a highly creative and productive mind is to move into a relaxed state of being, that is, when your mind enters the alpha state. Relaxation, music and mind set all equal a high creative state of mind.
I'm about not just playing jazz, or rock, blues,funk but making the music something lager than any word could describe. After all-the music is bigger than all of us! To get to a good train of thought requires practice and being aware of the world. You already have the answers...keep on your dreams and work hard. There's no quick fix or gear that will replace books, CDs and shed time. One bedroom video is only that, go out and play for REAL people.
I practice everyday, and I practice for at least 2 hours before I do anything. I don't do it because I think that Warren Haynes or Mike Stern or Bjork is going to call. < I wish they would > I do it because it's the one thing in life that has been a constant for me. So few things in life ever remain the same, if any. But the saxophone < and my woodwinds > is the same every day.To me, it's the best ever deal you can make in life. If you work hard and practice at your saxophone , you get better. It's that simple! Think about it. Still grateful to be playing and learning. Looking forward to each gig and rehearsal and student, trying to stay in that vibe. And learn what I can from it. All human beings are linked together through the timeless, universal chain of history and events.The musician links to the practice room and the bandstand. Various life developments have been born in both environs. ~ The first stage of the artistic process involves absorption of principles and techniques that have already been accepted as standard in the field , the artist personalizes past and contemporary styles, meaning active participation in real world. This is why, I've always felt the need to play with all kinds of musicians, any age and of course working heavily with students to develop their "real world" skills. So- till next week - practice hard and eat more vegetables and fruit. Don't forget to do something nice for somebody too, remember compassion is essential with each other......Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario Woowinds.
PS- Some stuff to shed below if your interested ;
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