RE: What jazz improvisers think
So many jazz improvisers are asked what they are thinking about when
soloing. Are they thinking about scales, guide tones, motivic devices. Most
say "no" to all of these things, and in my own case it would be true also.
However, it might be a better question to ask them what they think about
when practicing. At sometime these artists have spent time thinking about
these elements that they are using to make outstanding music. The actual
terms they use, or whether their personal way of verbally expressing what
it is that they do may be interesting, but not necessarily the important
thing. When I learned most of what I know about jazz improvisation, it was
from sitting in front of a tape player and picking out things I thought
sounded good. I learned all the scales, guide-tones, theoretical concepts
long before I learned the conventional names (which are not all
standardized, even in traditional theory).
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Bert Ligon
Director of Jazz Studies
_______________________________________
School of Music
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
Voice: (803) 777-6565
Fax: (803) 777-6508
bligon@mozart.sc.edu
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