[Trombone-l] Improv in daily routine

[Jeff Albert]

On Jan 2, 2008 2:48 PM, Oscar Utterström <oscutt at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Here are some questions for you improvisers out there:
>
> - What material(s) do you use to develop your improvisation skills (such as Crook, Bergonzi, Neumeister etc.)?

I tend to not look at materials as helping my improvisational skills,
but I look at materials as tools to develop my instrumental skills,
which help my improvisational skills.  My thoughts on improvising are
that if one has great command of their instrument, and great skill at
translating the sounds in their head to that instrument, then one can
be a great improviser.  I do like the Neumeister book, and I like the
JJ book also.  They are good as etudes, and also as a means of getting
cool sounds in your head.  From a more academic jazz dogma angle, i
like the Snidero Jazz Conception books too.

>
> - Do you incorporate improvisation as part of your daily routine? If so, what do you work on? Standards, licks, progressions, free, etc.?

Yes.  I tend to do lots of free playing, but that's what I do on my
band as well, so it makes sense.  I also like to practice improvising
within rules.  Those rules could be a tune, or a set of notes, or some
rhythmic limitation.  Something to make me behave differently than
last time.  It's really all just ways to teach our musical minds to
function as musically as possible in improvised settings, whether
those settings are standard jazz tunes, or total free for all mayhem.
>


Jeff



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