Klarinet Archive - Posting 000171.txt from 1997/06

From: Douglas Sears <dsears@-----.org>
Subj: Re: Improvisation (3): ATTN: Dan Leeson
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 16:55:11 -0400

On Sat, 14 Jun 1997, Craig E. Countryman wrote:

> 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.

I would suggest, as a completely different issue from what seems to
be Dan Leeson's approach (how to do it right and why), that an
indispensable prerequisite for any kind of improvisation is to
be comfortable with playing music as you think it up. Many of us
have developed such a direct connection from the notes printed on
the page to the fingers that it's hard to play any other way.
Learning to transpose is one small step in getting away from that
direct note-to-finger connection. Playing tunes by ear helps.
I'd suggest spending some amount of practice time on noodling
around, focusing your attention not on whether it sounds "right",
rather on whether the music you played corresponds to what
you intended to play.

--Doug

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Doug Sears dsears@-----.org/~dsears