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Tenor Viol's musings

Another jazz improv class tonight. I put alot of hours in for it this week, not that you'd notice. Tonight we all had to solo using chord tones over 40 bars. Despite knowing what the chords were, you woudln't have guessed from my playing. The first 4 bars or so were just random noises. It did settle and improve a bit, and I did get the changes in the right place, but mind went blank at one point as to what I should have been playing... Give me dots to play from any day, I stand a chance...
 
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tenorviol said:
Another jazz improv class tonight. I put alot of hours in for it this week, not that you'd notice. Tonight we all had to solo using chord tones over 40 bars. Despite knowing what the chords were, you woudln't have guessed from my playing. The first 4 bars or so were just random noises. It did settle and improve a bit, and I did get teh changes int eh right place, but mind went blank at oen point as to what I should have been playing... Give me dots to play from any day, I stand a chance...
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I know exactly how you feel. My teacher tells me that improvisation will get easier, and I believe him, but every lesson I am surprised and disappointed at the level of my incompetence. I want it to get easier NOW! But occasionally I get something right, so I keep plugging on.
 
Home after a very long day of orchestra rehearsals - 5 hours in total. Concert is next Saturday afternoon in Birmingham it would be good to see people there! (I know of at least one). Seems I somehow volunteered to be secretary of the orchestra today...
 
Sometimes I wonder what motivates some people. Some people's raison d'être seems to be one of kicking and stamping on people. In my experience this seems to often stem from people feeling threated for their inadequacies getting exposed.
 
tenorviol said:
Sometimes I wonder what motivates some people. Some people's raison d'être seems to be one of kicking and stamping on people. In my experience this seems to often stem from people feeling threated for their inadequacies getting exposed.
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Was that your answer to the question 'What do you think of the new manager'?
 
tenorviol said:
Sometimes I wonder what motivates some people. Some people's raison d'être seems to be one of kicking and stamping on people. In my experience this seems to often stem from people feeling threated for their inadequacies getting exposed.
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Sounds as if you've studied psychology. It's common, rooted in the critic's poor self image/insecurity.
 
One of the keys to improvisation for me is to have the changes and the form implanted in my subconscious so I don't have to think. After years of doing this after listening to the form a few times as long as the rhythm section isn't miles away from typical harmony somehow I just hear where its going to go. Voice leading on steroids perhaps. Lots and lots of really deep listening to the tunes one is going to play is vital to instinctively knowing what to play. Then its just a matter of having the technique necessary to play what comes out.
 
Home from a very long concert day. I was up at 6am and headed into Birmingham for 9 to negotiate the devastation where they are building the replacement of the 1960s concrete monstrosity of the Forum and Paradise Circus. I had to pick up, with two other colleagues who also have 4x4s, a mountain of assorted percussion that gets hit, smacked and walloped, incuding timps, drum kit, xylophone, crash cymbals, bass drum, glockenspiel etc.

Three hour rehearsal of music theatre stuff and prom concert stuff. Concert was at 3pm (nice to see @MandyH in the audience). I played some right notes here and there, vaguely at the right time - most of the time.

After packing up and carting percussion back, it was pub for a meal. Driving, so no beer for me... I might go and pour some wine...
 
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For most of the last year we have operated as a committee of 3 of which I am one third... Should be more people involved after the AGM last week... which ought to be a little easier, although I'm now secretary...
 

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