1) There isn't one best way to teach improvisation because, at least in part, it means so many things to so many different people. for some, improvising means ornamenting a straight-ish melody. For some, it means playing off the chords like they do in fact teach (among many other things) at jazz schools like Berklee (I wish I had gone there! Man, do I wish it). For some it means noodling in scales. For some it means having a killer set of licks. For some it means having your own tone and style (think Albert Collins or Robert Cray or BB King - you can recognize those guys from a single note) and you just do it and make it sound right in whatever context.
For my own part, I have been working (for the last decade or so) on phrasing (which is mostly irrelevant in some styles) and playing closer to the melody, which is harder than I thought it would be. I also have been exploring swinging melody lines a little more, and like the result so far, when I remember to do it and can pull it off which is not as often as I'd like. I admire other styles very much. I really admire the tremolo-speed lines that bluegrassers get. I like the drive and power. But I can't do it. 2) Maybe if you play music for a living, you need a hobby like, oh, say, painting my house. I'll buy the paint. 3) But I bet you can hear a recording of one of your solos and know it's you. I know I can at least sometimes. And I also know I don't sound like anybody else 95% of the time. More to the point for me: why is nobody copying MY style? Heh. That's a joke of course, but it's because my style, such as it is, isn't all that exciting. I don't play gobs of fast notes. Well I never will. 4) I'll pass on the recipes. Beans and me are too fragrant for the wife, and peanut butter pie would kill me quite dead. However, I can offer an excellent recipe for oatmeal pancakes (which I modified from Betty Crocker cookbook), and a good pork and kale soup which is my own recipe. On Sun, Nov 8, 2009 at 11:18 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Limitation? Boy do I have them. Vienna Sausage fingers, I'm old, lazy, you > don't need the > high-speed camera to study my right hand, I started late (48), I'm lazy, I > have a job, only know > three licks, I don't hate Ricky, speed gives me nosebleeds, never practice, > and I'm narrow minded > about music, really narrow minded. With all that said, I still feel I can > join the conversation in > most jams, I don't dazzle anyone but that's not my intent, I sometimes make > the better pickers > just laugh and shake their heads but I'm okay with that. I actually like my > playing, heard it many > times, warts and all. I decided some time ago to quit playing for the > musicians in the audience and > play for the little old lady in the front row, she always loves me and buys > a ticket. The musicians always get in free. > My Grandaughter, Hannah, thinks I'm the best. > > Clyde Clevenger > Just My Opinion, But It's Right > Salem, Oregon > Old Circle > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
