Improvisation (Guardian article)

What's Hot
Interesting read. I don’t tend to associate classical music with improvisation but the argument also applies to the pop/rock guitarist. I learned to play by listening to records, ruining many by repeatedly dropping the needle on the parts I couldn’t master right away, theory came much later. Are younger musicians labouring under a strict pass/fail criteria on college and university course being robbed of their ability to take chances with their music?
'Vot eva happened to the Transylvanian Tvist?'
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • GuyBodenGuyBoden Frets: 733
    Here's a link to the Guardian article I presume you are referring. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/06/why-classical-musicians-need-to-learn-how-to-improvise 

    I knew improvisation was an integral part of Baroque music, but I'd imagine most music can have some degree of improvisation, it was commonly called "busking it".

    "Music makes the rules, music is not made from the rules."
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Thanks @GuyBoden Don’t know what happened to my original link. Yes, any performed music can move beyond the constraints of its original arrangement but is the structured pass/fail criteria of music classes in schools and universities strangling the ability to ‘wing it’?
    'Vot eva happened to the Transylvanian Tvist?'
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GuyBodenGuyBoden Frets: 733
    Thanks @GuyBoden Don’t know what happened to my original link. Yes, any performed music can move beyond the constraints of its original arrangement but is the structured pass/fail criteria of music classes in schools and universities strangling the ability to ‘wing it’?

    Yes, the era of "wing it" and "busk it" seem to have been replaced by avoiding failure. As we all know, you need to make mistakes to progress.
    "Music makes the rules, music is not made from the rules."
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • RolandRoland Frets: 8591
    Scott Henderson said “if I don’t make at least one glaring mistake in a performance then I’m not trying hard enough.” We practice to avoid mistakes, but we shouldn’t be afraid of them
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • RolandRoland Frets: 8591
    True improvisation, as opposed to playing scales and arpeggios over the chords, requires an understanding of the music at both a technical and an emotional level.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • Roland said:
    True improvisation, as opposed to playing scales and arpeggios over the chords, requires an understanding of the music at both a technical and an emotional level.
    Very much +1
    'Vot eva happened to the Transylvanian Tvist?'
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.