[Trombone-l] Fwd: Improv in daily routine

[ALEX ILES]

Hi all,

For the improvisor, scales are like vocabulary to a writer or colors  
on a palette to a painter. They are really useful once they represent  
a sound to the user. Improvisors practice them with the goal of  
hearing ideas and creating sounds from those notes. Yes, one starts  
by playing them "do, re, mi" fashion, but also, in 3rds, in patterns,  
etc.

But, just as for a composer who writes music down, improvisors learn  
to play with, embellish and manipulate scales to the point where they  
generate ideas with that given series of notes--in real time.  
Improvisation is not all math and analysis. Too many inexperienced  
look at scales as the "answer". They are merely a suggestion.

DanP, you summed up my thoughts perfectly with this....

> I shun the mentality that you can't get started until you know X, Y  
> and Z.  That's the same mentality that got them to the point of  
> having to ask how to get started on improvisation.

I don't think this goes against what you say here at all  too much,  
Wayne. Scale practice is beneficial to learning your instrument. It  
helps solidify the connection between the sounds in your head and the  
right place to stick your slide and chops to get 'em to come out. It  
also gives players the ability to hear/read music in bigger chunks.

But in terms of improvisation, the benefit comes when that chunk of  
information becomes real sounds [not just a bunch of notes to apply  
to a chord symbol]. And in order for that to happen, the player  
really should have been listening and experimenting on his/her horn  
without any "knowledge"  and have open ears and the curiosity to play  
with the knowledge once they acquire it.

Tying things back to Oscar's original post...

I recommend infusing your daily routine with the "spirit" of  
improvisation as well as including specific "improv-specific"  
exercises. Maybe this is more of an idea of "flexibility" or  
"curiosity". Whichever....

Everytime you say to yourself, "Gee, I wonder what this Rochut would  
sound like up a 4th", or "What if I played Bolero right now like  
Tommy Dorsey?"  [which a conductor actually asked me to do in real  
life!!] you are infusing this spirit into your practice. DON'T IGNORE  
THAT LITTLE VOICE.

It represents an attitude of open-minded musicianship that nearly  
every great player I have ever spent time observing possesses and  
expresses. [This includes orchestral players like Joe Alessi!]. Take  
some risks in your practice room. It also keeps you from falling into  
that practicing-only-what-you-know syndrome.

Besides, if you are in a practice room...

What have you got to lose?!

And when you bring this musical/improvisational/flexible spirit to  
your outside musical world, you start to experience music on a whole  
other level!!

To quote Sam Burtis...

"HAVE FUN"!!

Alex Iles

On Jan 3, 2008, at 9:12 AM, Wayne Dyess wrote:

> I didn't read your response closely enough, Dan.  Re-read it just
> now.  I think we can agree that one has to practice improvisation in
> order to become a good improviser (and player).  Right?
>
> I certainly agree with ya on that one.   But I also think there is a
> methodology that can get you there, just as in all other practice.  I
> bet we would agree on that, too.
>
> I responded on list too soon.
> Sorry.
>
> Wayne
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: Wayne Dyess <texastbone at gt.rr.com>
>> Date: January 3, 2008 11:00:06 AM CST
>> To: Daniel Pliskin <daniel_pliskin at hotmail.com>, List Trombone
>> <TROMBONE-L at server5.samford.edu>
>> Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Improv in daily routine
>>
>>
>> On Jan 3, 2008, at 10:34 AM, Daniel Pliskin wrote:
>>
>>> I shun the mentality that you can't get started until you know X, Y
>>> and Z.  That's the same mentality that got them to the point of
>>> having to ask how to get started on improvisation.   And surely, in
>>> order to get good at improvisation, you need to practice
>>> improvisation.
>>>
>>> DanP
>>
>>
>>
>> Maybe.  But ya gotta start somewhere.  Same is true whether it is
>> jazz improvisation or an orchestral transcription.  There is a good
>> bit of legwork needed before one can be successful.
>>
>> So I guess we will have to agree to differ on this one.  I think you
>> do need to know A, B, and C before you get to X, Y and Z.
>>
>>
>> With all due respect,
>> --Wayne
>>
>>
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>
> Dr. J. Wayne Dyess
> Professor of Trombone
> and Director of Jazz Studies
> P. O. Box 10044
> Lamar University-Beaumont, Texas 77710
> Visit our alumni jazz band website @
> http://www.ndotex.com
>
>
>
>
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