| Intro to Music-Improv.com |
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Introduction to Music-Improv.comOver the years, I've been frequently asked about what path I would advise for musicians learning to improvise. And when challenged, I've always felt powerless to point them towards an organized process that holds musical integrity. While there is plenty of material that teaches music theory or technical study, there just isn't much that ties all this together as a singularity, for musicians that have facility and an interest in becoming improvising musicians. In particular, I have been struck by the need that (so-called) "classical" pianists have expressed.The Gift of Classical Training As someone who has directed my energies into jazz and other areas of popular music, I have a great admiration for the brilliance and gift of classical piano. My own practice and discipline involve the use of classical repertoir as a vital part of technical and musicalogical study, but perhaps more important than this, I am a devoted fan of the music. I believe that Chopin piano music is as important today, as it was when it was written. The good news is that classical musicians have tools and abilities that, with proper direction, can be turned to very powerful advantage where improvisation is concerned. Further, I would submit that there are areas in which classical musicians are currently using improvisation related techniques - although they might not be aware of it. The Music Continuum Key to being a good improviser is knowing how to balance between forms and stuctures on one hand, and inspired choices on the other. In life we find this balance -- we work, we have fun, we balance the needs of the moment against long and short term commitments we've made. Form and inspired choice. Similarly, classical musicians balance between the demands of the written page, the tradition, and musical choices that can only occur in the moment. I would propose that this is related to improvisation and -- approached this way -- can offer a window of opportunity to greater degrees of freedom in the melodic and harmonic realms. I call this paradigm "The Music Continuum" because it demonstrates the connective tissue between performances of written music and performances of improvised music. I think we can all agree that music is music is music. Why then, has there been this artificial bifurcation of the two fields? Didn't many of our favorite classical composers also improvise? The purpose of this site is to suggest that we can all be the improvising musicians we are destined to be. That does not mean that all of us should be playing beebop or the blues. The kind of influences we express will reflect the focus and time we have spent on the music we love. For me, it has been experimental classical, jazz and R&B. I can "play at" classical music, but I would not consider myself to be a classical musician, because I have not spent a sufficient amount of time studying it. Because I am a pianist, many of the articles are written from that space. I do not want that to stand in the way of your participation if you play a different instrument. Most of the ideas we are discussing are universal enough, that, with a little creative extension (something every improviser could use), they will be useful to other instrumentalists as well. We are what we focus on... The study of music -- and classical piano in particular -- has traditionally been a pursuit in catching up. There is so much information, history and repertoir involving the piano that it is just not possible to master what has already been accomplished in its full history. Entire lifetimes can be spent studying just the works of Chopin, or Bach, or Beethoven. And while this is true of classical music, it is also true of the improvised music from John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Art Tatum, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Jelly Roll Morton and many others. There is one common thread shared by virtually all the luminaries mentioned above, which is that all of them were more concerned with their own creative mission than in the study of others. This is not to say that studying didn't continue as a practice in their life, but that at some point, these composers and improvisers decided to take their own path, and be true to creating within their own musical realm - often breaking long held traditions. So part of what this site is teaching is a way of thinking that produces original thought. Yes, we will review many different theoretical underpinnings and approaches to improvised music, but perhaps more importantly, we will address the underlying thinking that limits the classical musician in an improvised context. Remember, it's taken years of disciplined work to get the classical musician's structures organized in their current form, so it will take a little effort to look at what has been gained and what has been lost - such that a new direction can be taken. In the end, improvisation is a study and application of the creative mind. Therefore, it is vital to extend our awareness to include musical form and structure, while exercising the mental muscles that allow for inspired choice. Our work will be balanced between applying music theory and creating a space where inspiration can assist our musical choice making. In short, this promises to shake things up a bit. But then, change rarely happens without testing the limits of old thinking. The world seems to fall apart just as something new is emerging. I hope you find this path as exciting and fulfilling has I have. It has filled my life with joy, intelligence and a passion for excellence.
Creatively, FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following author bio/blurb at the end of the article: ©2000-2006 Ben Dowling, the author of "The Metaphysics of Improvisation" - is a pianist, composer and an authority on music improvisation and publishes Music-Improv.com, a web site that provides useful paradigms and practices for musicians interested in expanding their ability to improvise. Learn more about "The Metaphysics of Improvisation" by visiting http://www.music-improv.com |
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