Saxophone Forum


by jazzplayer15
(27 posts)
19 years ago

Improvising

Why is improvising so difficult? How can I improve? What can I work on to make an improvised solo sound better?

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  1. by nad1rn
    (37 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: Improvising

    aright...learn your chords inside, backwards, and upside down. I didn't and it's coming back to haunt me. i can still solo, but it takes me at least three times through before i can figure out all the notes. This can be problematic when the jazz band is trying to put together a tune on short notice. i still managed to get an outstanding soloist award at state and the jack oatts jazz festival, but it took way longer than it should have to figure out the solo. also, USE THE BACKGROUND HORNS. the climax of the background parts should be be your climax as well. when they aren't playing you need to be filling up the empty space. Hope this helps- Nadir

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  2. by jamterry
    (573 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: Improvising

    Just practice relentlessly !!!! Work out your solo piece by piece. It has to make you feel good. Then you will practice it. If you don't feel it, don't play it. There are only three ways to spell a chord. You have root, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion. All this will come over time. Get your horn and explore. I was a kid and i found some notes that i liked. My teacher said "wow, you know your diminsh runs. I found it because i felt good with it. Sometimes it's good to throw the rules out and feel it. I could play in 12 keys before i knew the reason why. When i went to theory class , i learned the reason. Someday you will wonder why it seemed hard, but only if you practice. You have to jam. Ideally , with people that can blow you away!!!! When i was 19, i got introduced to Gene Ammons. It just so happened that Sonny Stitt showed up. It was a humbling experience, but i learned more that night than i could have learned in a year on my own. I hope this makes sense. I know sometimes i tend to ramble. Best of luck to you :)

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  3. by Lotus54
    (32 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: Improvising

    Improvising came naturally to me, I would just play what I heard in my head. I still do that. Of course, I've learned a few things along the way over the last 38 years. Learning and analyzing Coltrane's 'Giant Steps' was a big opener for me in tunes that I don't know, or have more chords than the blues. For the entire tune (that goes all over) Coltrane basicly played in three 'keys'. Much later I learned others call this 'Tone Centre'. So for quite a number of chords you really don't need to change, just play in the 'note group' or 'key group' that fits. The next batch of chords will work with another. Does this make any sense to you? Another way to look at it, find the notes that DON'T fit. Stay away from those. Also, listen to what others are playing while you are playing. If youare playing with good players, you can get tons of ideas that way. I get a lot from drumers. Anything that comes into your head, take that idea and work it around a bit. Mess with it, change it- make mistakes. Find what you like to hear and what you don't. Another thing that taught me a lot was recording. Listen to what you play (especially a few months or years later). Try and listen for things you like (and keep) and things you don't. Analyze your tone, intonation. Mostly, learn how to play what you already hear in your head!

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    1. by kneejerk52
      (397 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: Improvising

      find the notes that don't fit, wow i never thought i would hear somebody say that, i agree all the way this is what i do, i don't care about chords, it's what sounds good that matters. and i also agree that listening to yourself, i learned this in the recording studio, is a real eye opener, the smallest screwup stands out like a sore thumb. makes you step back and look at what you're doing.

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  4. by Tenor_Guru
    (25 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: Improvising

    I find that just being able to listen to the chords while you play can help. I have trouble playing a solo with a rythme section or bass or piano, but when I do and they are good at distinguishing the changes from each other, it makes it easier. And knowing what is in the chord helps alot, too.

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    1. by connsaxman_jim
      (2336 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: Improvising

      The reason why improv is difficult for many people is that they either do not listen carefully, or they have no idea what they are listening to. The key to improv is listening, but you need to know your scales and chords! Practice your scales, and listen to some of the artists that you want to sound like. Practice their solos and learn their licks. Then, develope your own. The fun thing about improv is that you never stop learning. I am constantly reworking solos, changing licks, etc. and finding new ways to play the same songs. It's one way to keep from getting board with them. Our band doesn't seem to want to learn anything new, so I have learned to re-invent the old songs! Good Luck! Jim

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      1. by daonlybg
        (8 posts)

        18 years ago

        Re: Improvising

        I think Jim is right on. However, I would like to add my 2 cents... If I was you, I'd go get a Jamey Abersold book. They are very good because they usually come with a CD that will accompany you (the CDs got drums, guitar, bass, piano, ect...) and in the book they will have scales and chords you can practice from to fit with the backup tracks. Very useful...it's not how I learned to improvise, because they didn't have that kind of stuff back in the day, but my friend's son uses them and he's...to keep it simple, he's impressive. I would recommend the "nothin but blues" book, by Jamey Abersold. Oh, and one more piece of advice- dont worry about improvising. Just take your time learning it, be calm and relaxed, and do it right. If you worry about it you're gonna suck like hell man. Good luck.

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