OT - Musically minded
Comments
-
lost_in_thought wrote:stratcat wrote:Stage Fright wrote:Well, for any classical musician with decent understanding of theory, improvisation's really very simple.
You should know what key a piece is in, and/or what the chords under your solo are, and you're away. Most sheet music has chord changes indicated where improvisation is required.
In defence of Mrs Fright - who has a degree in classical music - she was talking about pure improvisation, no sheet music etc involved, just building over someone else's playing. Seems the classical training of the time never touched on improvisation as a technique, despite going large on music composition etc..
Asking around, a professional classical oboeist we know on the London circuit has just admitted he can't improvise either!
I have exprienced both sides of the coin. As a classical musician you are 'taught' to interpret the dots and not to think too much about the compositional aspect. I know many pro classical musicians who can't impro at all. As a guitarist I was taught to improvise (basically compose on the fly) following a chord chart, adhering to rules of harmony (or not!) is no problem at all. It is all a matter of your approach to the music.
Whats really strange is I can't impro on my brass instrument and my sight reading is no where near as good on my guitar - all down to practice you see!
Totally, all down to a) practice and b) confidence. If you have a sound understanding of cadences and music theory, you can rescue your improv from even the most awful of clangers.
A lot of classical musos don't ever try. I think they'd find they'd be good at it if they did...
And if cadence doesn't work, there's always play the wrong note (or chord for, say, piano improvisation) again ploy. That way it sounds deliberate. It's a get out of jail card if used sparingly.
A great old favourite of mine, Thelonius Monk, bless him, would spend ages trying to hit the gap between two side-by-side notes. The fact that you can't do that on a piano was never going to stop him trying.0 -
deptfordmarmoset wrote:lost_in_thought wrote:stratcat wrote:Stage Fright wrote:Well, for any classical musician with decent understanding of theory, improvisation's really very simple.
You should know what key a piece is in, and/or what the chords under your solo are, and you're away. Most sheet music has chord changes indicated where improvisation is required.
In defence of Mrs Fright - who has a degree in classical music - she was talking about pure improvisation, no sheet music etc involved, just building over someone else's playing. Seems the classical training of the time never touched on improvisation as a technique, despite going large on music composition etc..
Asking around, a professional classical oboeist we know on the London circuit has just admitted he can't improvise either!
I have exprienced both sides of the coin. As a classical musician you are 'taught' to interpret the dots and not to think too much about the compositional aspect. I know many pro classical musicians who can't impro at all. As a guitarist I was taught to improvise (basically compose on the fly) following a chord chart, adhering to rules of harmony (or not!) is no problem at all. It is all a matter of your approach to the music.
Whats really strange is I can't impro on my brass instrument and my sight reading is no where near as good on my guitar - all down to practice you see!
Totally, all down to a) practice and b) confidence. If you have a sound understanding of cadences and music theory, you can rescue your improv from even the most awful of clangers.
A lot of classical musos don't ever try. I think they'd find they'd be good at it if they did...
And if cadence doesn't work, there's always play the wrong note (or chord for, say, piano improvisation) again ploy. That way it sounds deliberate. It's a get out of jail card if used sparingly.
A great old favourite of mine, Thelonius Monk, bless him, would spend ages trying to hit the gap between two side-by-side notes. The fact that you can't do that on a piano was never going to stop him trying.
Totally, and if you keep playing it long enough in an interesting rhythm, the chord will change, it will fit, and you will be heralded as a musical genius.
0 -
whyamihere wrote:I'm the worst guitarist on the face of the planet.
No, I think that might be me !
I did study violin at primary school, then classical guitar for a couple of years, then decided that I could do better on my own.
I couldn't
Ho hum
I'm planning to start playing seriously again when I'm too old to cycle and suchlike.Misguided Idealist0 -
I can get a tune out of a geetar....
Whether I can actually play it depends on whether you're me or the wife....
Bob0
