Quite a few of my recent postings have been about getting an idea and then hitting the record button. I set out with the idea of playing a melody inside the accompaniment. It may have well been that for the first few notes.
The original idea does function as a starting point for me. Once I start playing, the force of the music takes over and it's a complicated process (insert rather large book here). I did go into it to some degree here - ins & outs - scroll down to "About this music:" paragraphs 2 - 4. Here's the crucial point I want to make today: my goal is to improve on my ability to keep improvisation so pure as to only proceed to the next note(s) once I'm informed from the last note(s) played. Put another way: As I play, the notes sounding right now help determine what can come next. It's immediacy. For me, letting myself throw a riff or lick in is like giving my mind a little break. It's really difficult focusing for the entire piece, but the consequence of a lapse in focus is autopilot.
Autopilot isn't necessarily bad. It's that the line of focus gets interrupted and even the listener can likely detect this. Then what follows is anyones guess - you or the force of the music isn't making the choices anymore - it could be way out of context. Your fingers will just move and play things if you let them go. It can be like letting puppies out the front door!
The original idea does function as a starting point for me. Once I start playing, the force of the music takes over and it's a complicated process (insert rather large book here). I did go into it to some degree here - ins & outs - scroll down to "About this music:" paragraphs 2 - 4. Here's the crucial point I want to make today: my goal is to improve on my ability to keep improvisation so pure as to only proceed to the next note(s) once I'm informed from the last note(s) played. Put another way: As I play, the notes sounding right now help determine what can come next. It's immediacy. For me, letting myself throw a riff or lick in is like giving my mind a little break. It's really difficult focusing for the entire piece, but the consequence of a lapse in focus is autopilot.
Autopilot isn't necessarily bad. It's that the line of focus gets interrupted and even the listener can likely detect this. Then what follows is anyones guess - you or the force of the music isn't making the choices anymore - it could be way out of context. Your fingers will just move and play things if you let them go. It can be like letting puppies out the front door!