LifeandMusic

Theunderstandingofmusicshouldalwaysrelatedirectlytoreallife.Ultimatelyevery
aspiringmusicianhastofindtheirownwaytothelevelofexpressionthatsayslisten,thisis
meandnoother.Thisisahighlyindividualprocess.Itsoftensaidthattheabilityto
improvisecantbetaught.Manyaspiringmusicianslistentogreatimprovisersandwonder
howtheydoit.Manymusicianstrainedthroughtheclassicalapproachknowallthemusic
theory,alltheirscalesandarpeggios,canreadanywrittenmusicyouputinfrontofthem,and
yet,theystillcantimprovise.Letitbesaidthatknowledgeandtechniquealonearenot
enough.Thesecretofhowtoimprovisefluentlyliessomewhereelse,butwhere?Letslook
atlife.
ThefirstaspectwehavetounderstandisVocabulary.Inoursocialinteractionwith
othersweemploytheprocessofimprovisationineverydayspeechwithoutknowingit.We
learnedthewordswespeakbylisteningandabsorbingtheirmeaningfromthosearoundus,
inotherwords,byear.Overtimeweacquiredenoughwordstobeginputtingsentences
together,andwetoowereabletocommunicate.
Welearnedwhatthewordsreallymeantbythewaytheyweresaid.Asachildwhen
youwereabouttoputyourhandintheflamecomingfromtheburneronthekitchenstove,
andyouheardyourmothersay NO!!!Itwastherawemotionsheputintothewordthat
madeyoulistenandtaughtyouthetruemeaningoftheword.Itwasalsotherawemotion
shefeltwhenshereactedtowhatyouwereabouttodothatmadeherinstantaneouslychoose
thatparticularwordfromhervocabulary.
Feelingintheartisticsense,isknowinginstantaneouslywithouthavingtoprocessonan
intellectuallevel.Knowing,reacting,andchoosingthroughfeelingissomuchfasterthanthe
processofintellectualthoughtthatitslikecomparingasupersonicjetplanetoanoxcart.
Thelefthemisphereofourbrainistheanalyticalintellectualpart,andtherighthemisphereof
ourbrainistheintuitivecreativefeelingpart.Thelefthalfisanecessarytoolintheprocess
ofacquiringamusicalvocabulary,butitsmainvalueisasanorganizingandexploringtool.
Whenintuitiveinspirationfailsus,thelefthalfcanbeusedtofigureoutawaytoreviveit.
Hereisalefthalf,righthalfexampleofwhatImean.Supposetherewasabeautiful
mountain,andyouwantedtotodiscoverhowitlookedinautumn.Theorganizinglefthalfof
thebrainwouldbeusedinreadingaroadmaptodecidetheoreticallythebestroutetoget
there.Onceyoumadethetrip,makingsurethatyoufollowedthemap,andhadtakenallthe
rightturns,andyouhadarrivedatthemountain,youwouldthendispensewiththelefthalf,
andlettherighthalfofthebraintakeover.
Youwouldsenseafeelingofaweatthesizeofit.Themultitudeofthecolorsofthe
autumnleaveswouldbeinspiring.Thesunthroughthescatteredcloudspassingoverthe
mountainwouldaddanotherdimensionofsubtletytotheview.Youwouldhearbirdscalling
eachotherinthemajestyofthestillness,andfeelasoftbreezecaressingyourface.The
creativerighthalfofyourbrainwouldallowyoutotakeitallin.Yourspiritandfeelings
wouldembraceit,absorbit,anditwouldbecomeanexperienceyouwouldalwaysbeableto
recall,nevertobeforgotten.
Inacquiringamusicalvocabularytheprocessisexactlythesame.Ifthereisachord,a
rhythm,oramelodiccombinationofintervalsyouwanttoaddtoyourmusicalvocabulary,
youusethelefthalfofyourbraintosearchfor,organize,andsetthemup.Thenthereal
processoflearningcanbegin.Youputthelefthalfofthebrainaside,andlettherighthalf,
andwhatyoufeeltakeover.
YourfeelingsCanthenbegintoabsorbthemusicalelementsonanemotionalintuitivelevelso
theycanalwaysberecalled.Absolutelyeverythingandanythingintellectualhastobeput
asidewhileyouredoingthis.Whatdoesarhythmicphraseyouwanttoabsorbsaytoyou?
Doesitremindyouofakittenpouncingacrossthefloorasyoudragastringinfrontofhim?
Inshort,whatdoesthemusicalelementyouwanttobecomepartofyoumakeyouasan
individualfeelandimagine?Thisishowyoudevelopyourpersonalvocabulary.
Ineverydayimprovisedcommunication,ifwearetotallyinvolved,andlistening,we
reactemotionallytowhatssaidbyothers.Ouremotionsautomaticallychoosethewordswe
respondwith,andtherhythmicintentionoftheirdelivery.
Therefore,intellectualrecognitionofthemeaningofawordaloneisnotenough.The
wordshavetohaveanemotionalimageforyouthatyoupersonallyidentifywithbeforeyour
feelingswillautomaticallyreachforthem.Theprocessoflisteningtochordprogressions
goingbyinrealtime,reactingtothem,andhavingthosereactionstriggeremotionstoselect
notesthatcreatemelodiclinesasaresponse,isexactlythesame.
Throughrhythmicaccentandtoneofvoice,athousanddifferentemotionalmeanings
canbeconveyedusingasingleword.YoureComing!Isacommand,andYoure
Coming?isaquestion.Itsthemusicinthewordsthatconveystheirtrueintenttothe
listener,notthegrammar.Someonedeeplyconnectedtothecoreoftheirfeelingscanconvey
theuniversewithafewsimplewords.Otherscantalkalldayandsaynothing.
Theexactsameparallelistrueinmusic,arhythm,achord,amelodicphrase,asingle
note,fullyfeltandabsorbedintothepersonalvocabularyofamusician,canbeusedto
conveyathousanddifferentmeaningsinthousandsofdifferentmoments.
Nextcomestheconceptof KnowingYourInstrument. Letssupposethatwithin,youhavea
magnificentemotionallyjustifiedvocabulary,andyouhavegreatthoughtstoconveytoothers.
However,youarentsureofhowtomakeyourmouthworktoformthewords.
YouareunsureofhowtotouchyourtonguetotheroofofyourmouthtomakeaT,
orpressyourupperteethtoyourlowerliptomakeanF,orpressyourlipstogethertomake
aP,orallowairtopassoveratensedtonguetosoundanS.
Eventhoughyouhadalottosay,Youwouldnotbesureofwhatwasgoingtocome
outofyourmouthwhenyoutriedtospeak.Doubtwouldrule.Doubtimpedesorkillsthe
creativeflow,andyoustillwouldn'tbeabletocommunicateeffectively.
Weneverthinkaboutthephysicalactionsthatourmouthsperformduringspeech,and
thatsthekey.Wecantthinkorworryaboutthemechanicalprocessofspeechaswespeak,
orthetechnicalaspectsofgrammar.Whenwedo,theleftsideofthebraininterfereswiththe
rightside,andwelosetheemotionalconnectiontoourtrainofthought.
Theexactsameparallelistrueinknowingtheinstrumentyouplay.Whenyourfeelings
chooseanoteyouhearbecauseitstherightexpressiontoplayatthatmoment,yourfingers
havetofindandarticulatethatnoteautomaticallywithouttheintellectualpartofthebrain
gettingintheway.Itsexactlythesameprocessasspeech.Ifdoubtmakesyouhesitate,you
havetofightthroughthatfeelingofdoubttogetyourideasacross.Yourmusicalthoughts
willbeimpededorstifledcompletely.
Fearanddoubtaretheexecutionersofcreativity.Icanhonestlytellyouthat
nothingspontaneouslycreativehappensinlifeormusicunlessyouhavethecouragetotakea
chance.OK,butwhatgivesusthiscourage?Itsconfidence,confidencethatifyoujustgo
forit,itwillhappen.Confidencethatifyoucanthandlewhatyougetyourselfinto,youll
findanotherwayinthemomenttomakeitworkout.Justkeepdancing.
Confidenceisgainedthroughexperience.Experienceisgainedbytrial,error,anddeep
emotionalconsolidationofknowledge.Ifyoufallonyourface,getup,analyzewhat
happened,regroup,modifyyourapproach,andtryitagain.Whenyoufinallygetit,youwill
haveearnedit. Thatwhichhasbeenearnedisthecorebasisofconfidence.
Greatimprovisersarenotpeoplewhonevermakeamistake.Greatimprovisersare
peoplewhocanrecoverfromamistakeintheverymomentthattheymakeit,sofast,thatno
onerealizesthattheyevermadeamistake.Greatimprovisersdonotcondemnthemselvesin
themomentfortheirmistakes.Theyneverletonebotherthem.Theoldphrasegowiththe
flowhitsthenailonthehead.
Commentinginyourhead,orjudgingwhatyoureplayingduringanimprovisation,in
wordlanguage,willalsoblowupthemusicalthoughttrain.Youcanthinkthatsucked,or
wow,thatwasgreat!!Andeitheronewillpushtheplunger.Nointeriorwordlanguagewhile
youreplayingplease.
Askingagreatimproviserhowdoyougetyourfingerstodothat?getsyouInever
thinkaboutit.Askingwheredoyougetyourmusicalideas,getsyouIjustplaywhatI
feel.
Askingwhatdoyouthinkaboutwhenyouplay,getsyouIneverthinkwhenIplay.This
leavesthepersonwhoaskedthequestionsbelievingthattheabilitytoimprovisecomesfrom
LimboLand,andyet,theimprovisertoldthetruth.
ThenextconceptthatmustbeunderstoodisTime.Musicaltimehasnothingtodo
withclocks.Musicaltimeisbiologicalnotmechanical.Thebestwaytobegintounderstand
Time,istolistentoanytwopeoplehavingaconversation.Listenwiththerightsideofyour
braintothemusicmadebytherhythmandaccentuationofthewords,andhowthepitchof
theirvoicesrisesandfalls.
Thefirstthingtoperceiveisthetempooftheconversation.Ifyoulistendeeply
enough,youcantapyourfoot,orpatyourhandtoaconversation.Ifthetwopeoplearetruly
interestedineachother,thespeedoftheirtemposwillbeexactlythesame.Iftheyarenot,
youwillsensetwodifferenttempos.Onewillbeslower,theotherfaster.
Listen!whenonepersonendsasentence,andtheothercommentsonwhatwassaid,theother
personwillcomeinrightontime.Itoldyuhitwasgonnahappen!RightKnow
whatImean?.Yup.Thisistheconceptof compinginjazz.Thesoloistendsaphrase,and
themusicianlisteningandsupplyingtheharmonicsupportmakesanappropriaterhythmic
responsewithchordsthatcomplimentswhatwasjustmusicallysaid.Inspeakingtoone
another,werecompingeveryday.Justlisten.
Thereisanendlessflowofrhythmicvarietyinhumanspeechanditsallemotionally
justified.Organictimegivesandtakes,peoplecanlagbehindthetempooftheirbeatasthey
speak,andthencatchup.Uhhhhhhhh..yeah!Igetit.Itsallthere,justlisten.
Thebodylanguage,accentuation,andvocalinflectionsthatapersonusesinspeech,
expresstheiruniquelyindividualpersonality.Doyouwanttobeoriginal?,thenbeyou.I
guaranteeyouthattheresnooneelseontheplanetexactlylikeyou.Learntosenseyour
owntempoandyourownverbalrhythmsasyouspeakwithothers.Youllbesurprisedby
yourownrhythmicvariety.Listen!youonlygettobeoriginalbyknowingandbeingwhoyou
are,andyoureworthlisteningto.
Theterm playingmusicmeansexactlywhatitsays.Musiciansareplayingwiththe
notesthesamewayagroupofguyswouldplaywithabasketball.Thespiritofplayhasgot
tobethere.Inshort,ifyouwanttoplayandbewiththegroup,themoreemotionally
involvedwiththegroupyouarethebetter.Thisishowyousynchronizeyourtimewith
theirs.
Concentration isanotherimportantfactorinplayingmusic.Concentrationinmusic
translatesintocaptivationbyenjoyment.Thereisnoforcinginvolvedinmusical
concentration.Doyoueverrememberwatchingamoviethatwassogoodthatyoufeltthat
youtoowerealivingpartofit?Yourfeelingswentupanddownliketheywereridinga
rollercoasterasyouwatched.Enjoymentandemotionalinvolvementmadeitimpossiblefor
anythingelsetoenteryourmind.Thisiscaptivationthroughenjoyment,anexperiencethat
youcantwaittoreexperience.
Theonlydifferencebetween improvisingmusicandcomposingmusicisthatimprovisingis
likesayingitoffthetopofyourhead.Yousayitinaninteractivespontaneouscontext,and
itsgoneunlesssomeonerecordsit.Eventhoughthestylethatspersonallyyoursiseternal.
Compositionislikewritingabook.Youcanrewriteamusicalpassagelikeaparagraph
ofwordsuntilyoufeelitspresentingtheexactfeelingsyouwanttoexpressperfectly.Its
alsopossibletoplanthearchitecturaldesignofthecompositioninadvanceinthesameway
thatawriterwouldcreateanoutlineforabook.Otherthanthat,theprocessofunderstanding
andexpressinglifethroughmusicisthesame.Ihopethatthesephilosophicalexplanations
providesomeinsightintotheprocessoflearningandexpressingyourselfwithmusic.
Allsuccessfulguitaristshavehadtoworkouttheirownconceptsandindividual
creativeapproachestotheGuitar.Thequestionishowandwheretostart.JazzGuitar,
StartingRightshouldserveasanindispensableguideinhelpingyoutofindyourownwayto
accomplishthis.
DaveWoods11/08/2006Copyright2006CallicoonMusicASCAP,AllRights
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