PlayJazz

In response to:The Power of Positivity

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:21:05 +0100

I agree Chris - when you're playing with people you see as being better than you, it's easy to play defensively. That's why I think my new mantra helps - it's all about focusing on doing what you can do rather than trying not to suck!

However, playing with better players is also one of the best ways I know to improve as it can force you to 'step up'. At the very least it will show you what you need to work on so I'd never want to discourage anyone from doing so.

In response to:The Power of Positivity

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:34:11 +0100

One thing where I realize the truth in these words is the circumstances under which you play. If you consider the skills of the group/band you play with at the same level or even lower than your own skills, the solos seem to stream out easily (you are confident). If you play with a band which is far better than what you can do, it's harder to get a good solo out (you try not to play too bad).

In response to:Beware Of The Web!

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:16:41 +0100

Hi Tim. Thanks very much for the kind words about the blog - I'm really glad you enjoy it.

Yes I do teach jazz piano. Funny you should ask about videos actually as I'm in the process of trying to get something sorted at the moment but am actually a bit rubbish with technology. However, I can't really bang on about people not walking the walk and then never let anyone hear me play to judge whether I know what I'm doing can I!?

Watch this space!

Btw, are you the same Tim that I went with to see Terry Butters playing in the Living Room a couple of years ago? If so are you still playing on the ferries? Feel free to email me at the address at the top of the page - it'd be good to catch up if you're one and the same!

In response to:Power Tips - Record Yourself

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:03:08 +0100

Interesting comment Rafa, thanks.

Good point. As you improve as a player, your ability to evaluate your playing will doubtless improve because you'll be more aware of the details that need work and you will be familiar with the sounds you're trying to make, even if you aren't quite there yet.

Also, you'll have more of an idea of the style you are trying to play in - that could be anything from a more modern fourth-chord+pentatonic McCoy Tyner sound to a classic Red Garland mainstream sound or a sparse, early Ahmad Jamal sound or whatever.

When we're starting out, it's probably more a case of thinking it's just not sounding good or even not sounding like jazz. At this stage we may not have the ability to say why.

Nevertheless, figuring out the 'why' can help your development enormously and I'd encourage people to record and analyse their playing as early in their development as possible.

As to the perceptions of the audience, I'm not sure I agree with you on that one. I think any audience, no matter how 'uneducated', would be able to tell the difference between, say, me and Bill Evans! ;-)

However, the question of what audiences perceive is an interesting one and I was only talking to someone about this the other day. I think I'm going to hold fire on that point here for the moment as I'm planning to post on the topic in future.

Thanks, as always, for taking the time to comment - you always give me food for thought or highlight something I hadn't necessarily thought about and I really appreciate your input.

Barry

In response to:Beware Of The Web!

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:04:38 +0100

Hi Barry, I really enjoy reading your posts - they always make a lot of sense to me. I was wondering - do you teach jazz piano ? and are there any videos of your playing anywhere on the web ?

In response to:Power Tips - Record Yourself

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:04:36 +0100

Definitely, I need to record more, and I need to practice more... When I listen to own recordings, I feel 'the rush' (the rush to improve that you explained some posts ago).

Don't you think the better musician you are, the better you can evaluate yourself? Probably, most uneducated audiences can't tell the difference between an average jazz musician and a better one (excepting that the better one can play faster).

In response to:Quick Tips - Jazz Blues

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:32:13 +0100

You're welcome Tim - glad you found the post useful...

In response to:Quick Tips - Jazz Blues

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:47:53 +0100

Thabks very much for this tip - it taght me something new about reharmonizing tunes - can't wait to try it all out when I get to a keyboard.

In response to:Quick Tips - Jazz Blues

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:56:25 +0100

Yes, the Parker changes are usually played at quick tempos. One of the main goals should be to be able to play ideas that travel through the key changes rather than having to stop the idea when there's a change - easier said than done I know!

Playing in this kind of style, I often find a 'chord-tone with chromatic passing notes' approach works better than a scale-based approach on be-bop changes.

And thanks for spotting the tagging error Rafa - I'll go and fix that now!

In response to:Quick Tips - Jazz Blues

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:37:22 +0100

I've been playing for a while through Parker changes, and found them challenging! Those changes are complex, so they sound best to me when played at a fast tempo.
Usually I like putting effort in rhythm and melody rather than reharmonising a lot. Perhaps this will change over time...

PS: you tagged the post as "reharmonsation".

Rafa

In response to:Getting Better Faster (Part Two) - Power Tips

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:41:16 +0100

Thanks Rafael, I hope you find the tips useful.

Btw, I published the first tip straight after this post but some of my email subscribers don't seem to have been notified.

If this applies to you, please be aware there is a new post with the first tip now available so log onto the main blog page (http://playjazzblog.co.uk) and you'll be able to see it there.

Thanks,

Barry

In response to:Getting Better Faster (Part Two) - Power Tips

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:40:33 +0100

It's nice to see the new section coming out! Surely, jazz musicians are in a hurry --it's the most difficult kind of music, and it isn't easy to wait and work through all those years. Of course, fast and noticeable improvements help us to get the strength of will we need... I'll be looking forward to learning new tips!

In response to:The Power of Perception

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:21:50 +0200

Very true Rafa - It is funny how things seem much fresher if you haven't been able to play for a day or two.

I'm wondering if that's because the time away from your instrument stops you obsessing over the little details and allows you to be more aware of the 'big picture' of your playing...

In response to:The Power of Perception

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:34:26 +0200

That totally applies to me, I manage to be "in the zone" every once in a while. It happens to me often when I've been a whole day or more without playing at all. Then, when I come back to the ivories, I miss it so much that every musical idea I have looks great to me. It's like when one drinks fresh water after being very thirsty. Music is a vital need!

In response to:Find Your Voice

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:41:58 +0200

Django is definitely an inspiration and proof that if the music is in you, it will come out - regardless of supposed limitations.

Thinking about your last point, could we then say that technique is defined by personal taste? In other words, your technique will only develop to the level of your musical preferences?

I hadn't considered that angle but it's certainly interesting - think I need to go and have a lie-down in a darkened room as my head is getting full...

Which came first, the chicken or the egg, musical style or technique!

In response to:On not finding a teacher (Part 1)

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:36:29 +0200

Thanks for commenting Kurt. That's a good point, I'm a pianist myself so wouldn't necessarily think about that.

I try not to make my posts piano specific, but sometimes I will inevitably talk about voicings and pianistic things without even realising it! Nevertheless, I do hope my articles are mostly useful to players of any instrument.

Perhaps I should also have mentioned that 'Metaphors for the Musician' contains a section about piano specifically for non-pianists. If you play another instrument but are interested in learning basic piano to work on harmony etc. that section is well worth checking out.

I should also add that if you're not a pianist, The Jazz Theory Book is definitely the Mark Levine book to go for as it's not at all piano specific.

In response to:On not finding a teacher (Part 1)

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:01:32 +0200

Thank you for your insightful review of useful jazz tuition books. I looked at both of the Levine volumes, and felt that an additional advantage of the Theory Book is in its simplification of typical passages by various influential pianists. For those of us with a less-than-stellar piano technique (or sight-reading ability, for that matter), these simplified passages allow us to more easily comprehend the specific voicing or voice-leading being discussed.

In response to:Find Your Voice

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:08:44 +0200

True, there's no point on imitation and assimilation without innovation. Innovation and creativity aren't only the fun part of jazz, but the only part with which we can do a real contribution to this music (as you said, we already have MP3!). That's why I don't like classical music.

This subject reminds me of Django Reinhardt, who played the guitar with two fingers less. He was one of the most physically impaired jazz musicians ever, yet one of the most creative (he is my favourite one, although I play piano).
In the other extreme, you have all those pop and rock musicians; they love their music despite they could easily improve a little their tecnique and then switch to technically more demanding styles.

In my opinion, all this comes to say that style is defined by personal taste rather than technique limitations.

In response to:A Call To Arms

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:39:03 +0200

Hi Rafael

Thanks very much for your comment. I don't know whether the situation here is different from in the US but I would imagine there's plenty of fine players not getting the satisfaction that they should be from their music on both sides of the Atlantic.

I've been as guilty as anyone of this but I'm determined to make a change and focus on music that's important to me. It doesn't mean I can't go and make money from wallpaper gigs - but it does mean that I will no longer have to define my worth as a musician by them.

Thanks for subscribing, hope you enjoy the blog.

In response to:A Call To Arms

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:19:51 +0200

I totally agree. I wonder why there aren't more reflections like this one. It's about the very nature of the music we love, something we all should think about. If only everybody listened to this call to arms...

Here in Europe jazz might enjoy a better condition than in the USA, at least in some aspects. Not sure, I'm still young and getting the experience I lack.

This is a very interesting blog, I'm glad I found it. Now I'm RSS subscribed to it. Thank you for sharing those thinkings with the world!

In response to:How to Practice

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:09:15 +0100

"NOBODY practices like this every day" - my pupils certainly don't, anyway!