This is typical of jazz musicians as has been commented before. They
often don't seem to know how they actually do what the y do. I think
your language analogy is a good one. You learn the grammar and
vocabulary then forget it and just talk.
Ian.
> >
> Many on this list know a lot more than I do aboutthis subject, but it
> does seem to me that there is a valid distinction between drilling to
> learn basic technique and soloing. It is well known that Charlie Parker
> did spend a long period of his early career practising scales after some
> humiliating bandstand experience. He also drilled on the upper chord
> tones while working at an eating establishment in which Art Tatum
> played. Likewise there are things one does in learning a language as an
> adult (grammar drills, vocabulary memorization, etc.) that have to be
> left behind to gain fluency, but there is no avoiding them at the
> learning stage. On the other hand, some language programs focusing on
> usage have shown that it may not be as necessary or helpful to drill
> every point in the traditional way as was thought. Maybe some of the
> "formula" approaches to soloing are like traditional grammar and
> vocabulary drills-training wheels that you start with, but must move
> beyond.
>
>
> --
> \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////
> Lawson G. Stone-Asbury Theological Seminary-Wilmore, KY
> ////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
> Prediction is very difficult, especially of the future.
> --Niels Bohr
>
>