Colin the Bear
Well-Known Member
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- Burnley bb9 9dn
I think improvising eludes everybody. Unless it's a solo you've worked out before, you have to listen back to what you did to see if it was any good. That feeling of going wrong that you sometimes get when recording has to be ignored. What felt like a desperate struggle to find your way through can turn out to be an innovative, atmospheric and expressive piece.
I don't feel any better at improvising now than I did the first time I tried, though I obviously must be. It's just a case of trusting your training, listening to what you're playing, while you're playing it and ignoring the red light.
It always sounds rubbish on first playback because your brain is still registering the rich sound and feel of the instrument in your hands and mouth. When it comes out of the speakers how could it compare. The best time to play it back is when you haven't been playing for a few hours or the day after before you practice. You can hear it for what it is then, with no comparisons to what's stored in your short term memory.
I don't feel any better at improvising now than I did the first time I tried, though I obviously must be. It's just a case of trusting your training, listening to what you're playing, while you're playing it and ignoring the red light.
It always sounds rubbish on first playback because your brain is still registering the rich sound and feel of the instrument in your hands and mouth. When it comes out of the speakers how could it compare. The best time to play it back is when you haven't been playing for a few hours or the day after before you practice. You can hear it for what it is then, with no comparisons to what's stored in your short term memory.