Klarinet Archive - Posting 000170.txt from 1997/06

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: Improvisation (3): ATTN: Dan Leeson
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 14:13:26 -0400

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.69
> Subj: Improvisation (3): ATTN: Dan Leeson

> I realize that I do not have the "intellectual capacity" insofar as I
> have never improvised before in Mozart, Jazz, or any other style of
> piece. I am trying to gain some knowledge an insight into the subject,
> therefore let me redirect my question: what can I do to begin? In
> Mozart? In Jazz? I am addressing these two as separate entities, so I
> expect you may have separate answers.
>
> Craig

Craig, I am not deliberately trying to give you a hard time. The
matter of how to begin to learn about improvisation MUST take
a back seat to understanding your intentions. I sense from your
note that you are very anxious to do it (and therefore, you
seem to say "Hurry up and tell me how"). But I am interested
in what it is that is on your mind so please slow down and answer
the questions that I asked in the previous note. They included
what it was you read, who wrote it, what your teacher thought,
etc.

If you simply want to learn how to improvise with no understanding of
the limitations placed on you, then I am unable to be of any
assistance. There are several good books on learning jazz
improvisation, and there are none for classical improvisation.
For this latter act, you are going to have to deal with this
matter in a very careful and intellectual manner.

If I were to even suggest what you might consider doing at this
juncture of your musical development, I believe what would come
out would be so awful as to scare people away. And that is
not because you are necessarily a poor musician, but because
(as was said in "Cool Hand Luke"), your mind isn't set right.

It takes a lot more to do it than just wanting to do it or
hearing from someone that it's nice to do it.

=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================