The purpose of the following article is to provide the guitarist with some approaches and resources for increasing their listening, practicing and improvising skills. Trying to describe how musicians improvise is especially difficult because it doesn't translate well into words. Experiencing an art form is always better than talking about it, and with music in particular, hearing it is better than reading descriptions of it. It is for this reason I put such a strong stress on listening. Listening Improvising is a language through which musicians communicate ideas, emotions, and images to each other and to listeners. When I sit down at the guitar and improvise I am speaking a language I have developed over the course of decades of playing and listening — a language I have inherited from the musicians I am influenced by. The way a musician learns the language of music very much resembles how an infant learns to speak. You aren't taught in a formal sense. First you listen, without much ability to speak, and then start trying to make sense of what others are saying. After a while you say your first words by imitating the vocal sounds you've heard. Soon imitation gives way to real expression. Speaking is no longer a matter of simply repeating what your parents and others say, but of using words to express your own needs and ideas. The language, with its rules of grammar and expansive body of words and expressions, serves as the common ground of communication, but it is still just a tool through which we express our individual thoughts. Like the spoken language, many musicians develop a set of personal expressions or "licks," that are based on a generation before them. For example, a great jazz or rock (Miles, Hendrix) luminary will originate a lick in a particularly inventive solo, others come along who admire it and they redevelop the lick to make it personal (Winton Marsalis, Eric Johnson). Thus, the torch is passed from generation to generation. The important point is: great improvisers make the things they play stylistically personal. They aren’t trying to play exactly like their musical heroes or gods. The great jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelilli, once said “Great improvisers are like priests. They are thinking only of their God.” What Grappelilli meant by “God” was great improvisers think of their own true spirit — not the easy imitation of those they greatly admired. Still, for any improviser the first place they must start is by listening to other great musicians. If you don’t listen you’re not going to learn much, plain and simple. Without a steady stream of learning we don’t really improve. Thoughtful listening provides ideas for approaching music from a different place so that certain preferences you have can be 'put on hold' while you try and have an objective listening experience. Yet many musicians seem to place little value on exposing themselves to a wide range of music outside of their preferred style. But listening is our true teacher. Listening shapes the other tools (such as harmony, melody, rhythm) we use to create music. By listening closely and objectively music's passion and logic will begin literally to speak to you. You'll start to hear new music as a marvelous, impassioned conversation. You'll hear players telling their stories, being eloquent or scattered — serious or funny. You'll become more attuned to the communicative quality of improvisation and new sounds. Like trying new foods, listening to new music often demands an acquired taste. Sure you can buy a 'new' CD and become entranced right off the bat, but for more difficult music you need to take the time to learn the basics of the ideas, focus, style and players behind the music. Listening is so central to improvising, composing and practicing that without a wealth of listening experience to draw on one can very rarely add to this growing, living thing called music. I recommend listening to unfamiliar music as often as you can. With repeated contact, new music can be accessible, even in its most abstract forms. It can speak to and move listeners with the same force as any concerto or rock song. For example, what a majority of jazz lacks is not inherent appeal but the comfort of familiarity. Most people have not heard as much jazz as they have a popular group such as "The Beatles". When a new form of music becomes familiar to people, it invariably wins many of them over on some level. Similarly, certain music, such as contemporary classical or film music, can be immensely complicated and brooding. As often as it can sound sweet or shy, it also can be abstract, remote, and even upsetting. Some of my favorite music is anything but pretty, in the accepted sense. But that breadth of it's emotional expressiveness and creativity are part of why this music is so important to hear. With a little preliminary interest and willingness to listen, anyone can understand and respond to new music. As is the case with any art, familiarity and a little knowledge and understanding of how the message works will greatly enhance your appreciation of the form and make you want to hear more. If you follow this line of thinking is seems obvious that you have to spend a lot of time really listening before you can play, improvise, compose, and practice in a creative and rewarding way. If you listen closely to all kinds of different music and sounds it will help you put a new spin on your soloing, compositions and practice methods. I've been fortunate in my life to meet many great musicians — some famous — some unknown — some destined to be heard. In my discussions with them, the common thread among all of these great players was that they had listened intently to a lot of music, covering a whole range of different styles. So for you Jeff Beck fans go listen to Debussy and you Debussy fans might want to check out John Zorn — or listen to some Buddy Guy to put a little fire under your ass. Tools Of course listening is only one musical tool. Other important musical tools include:
Reading the above list might sound like a major snore — something you’d find on a dental exam. But each element can be really rewarding if approached in a creative learning environment. In the future, I hope to talk more about this area on my instruction page and in other articles. All in all, combing the above tools with the inspiration and knowledge you've gained through creative listening will improve the things you say on the guitar dramatically. Return to the main guitar page or use the link below to read my article on improvising. parts used by permission ©2000 NE improvising musician-Steve Albrecht |