Let the Note introduce itself.

Just play the note.

Bouncy. Contemplative. Long. Short. With quick rhythm.

The one that matches your mood. Your head. Where you are at right now at the moment of creation.

If you find the right one, the one that matches, let it introduce itself and then go on.

Don’t be in such a hurry.

Enough will happen. It’s coming.

If you let it.

Let the note introduce itself.

Then watch where it goes and play that. You are watching, but you are it, too, at the same time. Watch it.

If you do, it will invite to play with it. Play with it.

Hold the music precisely, carefully, firmly but very loose at the same time. Just like the pick.

Don’t squeeze the life out of it.

Don’t become attached.

Let it come and let it go.

For it’s sister is right behind and she’s come play, too.

Dancing in circles

to bring us all the shades of being a human

the depths of the inner world speaking to us

in vibration, tone, patterns and shapes

somehow connected to emotion

let it play/speak/dance

How is that emotions are conveyed by the subtle sliding of a note? What mechanism is this?

Improvisation

Don’t always finish the idea.

Or not right away.

Sometimes not at all.

Then you can finish it, or go somewhere else.

What is this idea?

It is the beautiful math that presents itself.

Math I don’t understand but can just follow.

And, somehow I can play with this math.

I am built for it.

We are built of it.

Let it unfold.

No Ego – All of Me and the secret of playing in 2.

the secret to improvisation – discovered today –

You have to play with no ego.

No thoughts of what’s cool. To you or anybody else.

No thoughts of what you’re “supposed” to play.

Listen. Stay focused on it. Follow the line.

You only half create it. It comes to you.

Let it.

Kill the Censor.

Let the sound and emotion lead you.

Beautiful Math will happen.

Let it.

Beautiful shapes dance around.

Let them.

Play.

Joy. Sorrow. Melancholia. Frantic. Contented.

Let the note introduce itself. And then it will tell you where to go.

Play.

Smile and be happy.

and sad.

Play what you are. As you are. Whatever level, it is good. Just be honest. If you are deeply immersed play with no judgement and striving to impress, focus, letting things create themselves and playing with them, you make great music. It is not mindless, it is many minds. You have to know the shapes, but you can discover them bit by bit. Just play and smile at the wondrous things that happen.

play

play

listen to lots of good music. listen deeply.

play

play

play

Thoughts on improvising

Imagine you’re a symphony orchestra. Imagine you’re playing this scene from a movie. Imagine you’re an ancient folk instrument. Imagine you are a whale song. Imagine yourself other than what your instrument is, and here is sound in your head as you play.

Play something new everyday.

Read something new everyday. Try to explore something new everyday. It’s easy for me to get carried away with this, and spend 90 minutes on some violin etude book. But just trying something new helps open the mind, and maybe you get even more out of the rest of your practice or playing.

Thoughts on Ear Training

Listen to music. Listen for when the lead line seems to come “home.” That’s it. Don’t analyse, just observe. When you hear things you recognize, take note. Again, don’t analyse, just take note. Just observe, like a little child sitting on the floor listening to rest of the family talk. Take it in, and observe. You can’t analyze, you don’t have the frame of reference. Learn to hear natively. At any age.

Analysis will come later.

Believe in the power of your right hand.

It is precise. It is powerful. It is relaxed. It can do the job. It is the life force. It is the Dionysian. The left hand the Apollonian.

Believe in the power of your right hand. It is strong.

(if you are left-handed guitarist, believe in the power of your left hand.)

Play something pretty.

To start the day or practice session, when you first pick up your instrument, play something pretty. Play a note, just let is soak in for a bit. Listen to your inner ear and try to find what it is telling you. Imagine you a full orchestra. Imagine you are tiny solo instrument in a big hall. Imagine you are an ancient folk song. Imagine you are the orchestra playing a movie score. Imagine and follow it. Don’t try to impress. Just play something pretty.

Be honest. Play where you are.

Play what actually understand. What you are hearing and feeling. Don’t play things you can’t hear. You can practice them, to learn to hear them. And you can go for things that you hear, and miss them. But, stay present, stay honest. Play what is true to you, at this moment. Simple and true will sound better than complex and dishonest or fake, or approximating, as Bill Evans calls it.