How Pros Start Their Solos
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- My favorite jazz players don't show me everything at once. They have the courage to leave me wanting more...waiting to see what they will do next. Finding truth in your improvisation is KEY.
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Of course, if you only have 16 or 8 bars to say what you’ve got to say, by all means, blow!! :)
Aimee Nolte Music What if “being true to yourself” means I overplay and beat the hell out of every note in the scale?” Asking for friend, LOL.
Oh wow very impressive, Thanks for your advice
Due to the rise of streaming (as opposed to radio), you have about 15 seconds to hook a listener before they hit SKIP. A consequence of that is the elimination of intros. Now it's just straight on to the first verse.
What you are seeing is the fracturing of the music audience into those who have an attention span longer than a goldfish, and those who do not. Unfortunately, those who do not are the majority.
@@mal2ksc umm i hear today's made-for-streaming music simply has tons & tons of repetition. they play one sparse motif then repeat it 7 more times. to drill it into peoples heads. super annoying. even vocal melody is like this, even lyrics. just repeat repeat repeat.. one change then back to repeat repeat repeat.. ugh
superblonde repetition is how songs are created. Two things make up a good song are a strong melody and a good hook.
What Aimee said :)
I love Aimee's stuff as well as yours Rick. Great pleasure to say hello and thank you. Best wishes from England.
Yup......what you said :)
I totally agree with you but the prob, i see, is that an Instagram post doesn't allow the time neccessary to show how you build a solo over several choruses. As a result players choose to take that time to showcase their chops.. (BTW: Once again - thx for your vids.!!)
Beato makes no sense because his favorite solo is ERUPTION which has no breathing room or space. fundamentally here it seems the point is "find a motif and play with it using space for the listener to digest the motif". which is a musical technique with its own limitations. Do whatever is appropriate for the Song and for the Audience at the time. so there :-P
@@superblondeDotOrg = *talker
My brain: Ope. It's the lick
Aimee 0.02 seconds later: yeh. You're darn right it's the lick.
The thumbs up win! Improvisation should be like when you speak, in a conversation, when you do that in music you get those emotions out to the heart of the listeners!
True of all music-making, Dustin Hoffman was a fan of Aaron Copland and once interviewed Copland, asking what was the great composer's most satisfying moment as an artist. Was it when audiences listened to his music and applauded? Was it when a performer gave an insightful reading of one of his scores? No, said Copland. The most satisfying moment for him as a composer was "deciding that some particular note had to happen next, and not any other."
So very true. Thank you. A lot of singers could also learn from this. Sing the freaking tune before you show us what you can do.
When you're soloing over a good tune you should be making love to the tune, which involves actually understanding & responding the tune itself (and playing it) and then taking your time to show your appreciation of it, how it absorbs into your consciousness and how this excites you. If you're really excited your ego will disappear. And the tune will be happy. It's a celebration. A solo without structure based on a deep sense of time is lifeless.
As a classical violinist finishing my bachelor this year. I always find ur videos so interesting. whenever I have tried to listen or understand jazz there seems to be so many big personalities. Often people who are really passionate try to talk down or be sarcastic. For many years I liked listening to jazz but couldn’t find a way to understand it. You are a talented musician and videographer. I’m so glad you take the time to explain your opinions and tips in a constructive and helpful way.
Ur a great educator and have totally opened up another side of music to me. Thank you.
All the best in 2019 X
Jazz is your own experience. To learn you just gotta dive in and pursue your own jazz whatever it may be
A solo, even one that shreds, has to have an “arc”
I was wisely told once, "Improvisation is just composing very fast..." So there must be actual compositional principles used. A theme or motif introduced that is developed, brought to a climax, then resolved. A story. But YES much of the focus can be on "watch me play fast." Not interesting or moving. Thank you so much for bringing this out. We need it today so much.
Love this. I call them “opening statements”. And they should be clear and simple. Ps I love the inner motion on this and its part of the opening statement, not just the single linear stuff.
I didn't expect such a philosophical insight in such a practically titled video, and burst into tears! Not sure my improv can live up to this yet, but my favourite musician definitely takes what the universe wants to be heard to show us. Thank you Aimee for representing that what we do with music is meaningful!
Once, I was playing at an open mic jam one night and all night I was part of the rhythm section all night. Finally, on the last song I was qued to do a guitar solo. I had no idea how many choruses I'd get but I used every ounce of restraint I could muster to let it build up and tell a story. It was undoubtedly one of the best improvised solos I've ever played. The only down side to the whole experience was when at the end of the 3rd time around of a I IV II V progression and I magically played an incredibly awesome riff that perfectly voice led the I II V I turnaround. It was so perfect that it caught everyone's attention. It was so good that I was terrified to stretch out any further so I played it safe for the whole last chorus when I should've let it all hang out. One of the MANY lessons I learned when playing, as opposed to practicing.
seanfitzpatrick7878 ....Great jam session story !! You must realize that jam sessions are the best part of playing music, and the worst part of playing music. Good, because you get to play with others in a band that cost you nothing. Bad, because you are being judged by other musicians, and rarely will you or any other player be the best musician in the room. In a normal performance situation, i.e. your own concert or your own gig, YOU are the best musician in the house,
since the audience is comprised of non- musicians. So, you are not harshly judged, but rather admired and praised for your playing. The problem with musicians in all styles of music, is that they are often critical of themselves and of others. In the world of music, you are only as good a person as your playing allows. If you are a "scary monster player", the other musicians in a jam session (especially ones who also play your instrument) will admire and respect you...even be envious and afraid of you, which is a perfectly normal male trait in life. Not necessarily good, but certainly normal.
But, if you can't play very well at all, and you are older than a little kid, other male players will not gravitate to you, regardless of how nice a person you are. Unfortunately, too many professional musicians value other human beings on the basis of their musical and playing ability. Musicians can be very narrow-minded, and they respect people who play well, or who can get them gigs or hire them
People outside of the musical world are not of much interest to them. The same is true of professional actors in New York and Hollywood. If you are not part of the entertainment industry, and if you can't help further their careers or get them gigs or acting parts, they are not interested in you. This phenomenon is a result of artists and musicians being overly obsessed with their creative art, and their desire to become famous and successful.
Don't take it personally, if musicians don't pay much attention to you in jam sessions. It is simply an occupational hazard. An authentic compliment from a musician is when he or she has a surprised look on their face, and asks you where did you study? Or, what was your name again? Or, where are you from? When they ask these kind of questions, you will know that your playing has gotten under their skin, and they either want to play with you, or they are a bit threatened by you, thinking you might steal the spotlight from them, or the applause, or worse yet, take a gig that they wished they had.
Music should be art, and art is not a competitive sport like football, yet it seems that no matter what walk of life you are in, there will always be competition and envy. Aimee's advice on building improvised solos is good, but keep in mind that she is basing her "solo-building" advice on an artistic motive, not on the real-world situation of the competitive atmosphere of a jam session, where you have precious little time to show your stuff.
If the session has only a few players, then, perhaps, you can stretch out your time, and build a solo slowly. But, if there is a lot of players, including the rhythm section players, horns, and even singers....then your best bet is to play balls-to-the-wall when your short solo comes up, and crank up your volume when you play it !! Once you've made your first statement about your ability in your first solo, then you can relax and slowly build solos on other tunes as the night progresses.
In fact, most professional musicians, when playing solo concerts, open their performance with an energetic, impressive number, filled with lots of technique, notes, and energy. This establishes the fact that they can, indeed play their instrument, and it tells the audience they are in for more treats later, because they want you to be strong and lead them. If you do not establish yourself as a confident musical performer in the beginning, people will think you are not worth listening to.
The old saying is true: "First Impressions may not always be accurate, but they are definitely lasting" !! Keep practicing and playing, and as a suggestion, it is good to have some secret weapons in your arsenal.
1. Learn some standard tunes which are fairly easy for you to master, and which are often played at jam sessions.
2. Learn to play the 12 bar blues really well in several keys. So much of jazz music is often based on the 12 bar blues chord changes.
3. Develop some impressive licks to play over the blues changes. If you have really practiced some standards, and developed some great licks, you can impress some people quickly, especially if you have mastered the blues in most keys, especially flat keys, since horns are B flat instruments.
4. When going to a jam session, first leave your instrument locked in the trunk of your car, or if on foot, keep the case low, under a table, and simply observe the other players and listen to them. If they are far beneath your level, you may not want to play. If they are all at or far above your level, you will know what you are dealing with.
In any event, the more music you master at home first, and put into your own personal gig arsenal, the more you will be able to succeed in jam sessions. Remember, jam sessions are not normal circumstances, because musicians are judging you as well as the audience. In regular gigs, you will be the star and the best musician in the room. There will be far less pressure on you. Regular audiences will love to hear you !!
@jennifer86010 Thank you so much for this response. It's incredibly informative and thoughtful. I know it took some time to make it, and time is very valuable to us all. I honestly didn't expect that many, if any, people would read what I wrote because of the length. The fact that you're willing to write such a detailed message says so much about you as a person, a musician, and a teacher, and I want you to know that I truly appreciate you for it.
Thank you.
@@seanfitzpatrick7878 You are welcome. 'Sorry to go on so long, but rarely does the psychology and sociology of jam sessions come up, so I had to do some explaining. From the audience's point of view, it is all pleasure, since they are listening to music while often eating and drinking...all pleasure. From the players and singers point of view it is much different, since each performer is put on the spot, and judged by the audience and the other players. But the more you do it, the better you get at it. At least you are not
trying to do stand-up comedy at an open mic night.
Stand-up comedy makes playing music seem like a picnic in the park. The reason is because in the performance of music, most listeners will either applaud you or often compliment you, without judging you too harshly. In the world of stand-up comedy, you are only a single performer, and your instrument is the audience itself. In music, you know your instrument will perform when you take it out of the case and play it. In stand-up comedy, you have no idea what the audience will do. They may be in a good mood or a foul mood, or in a mood where they ignore you. Your music is the the laughter from the audience, and you have to quickly figure out what you are going to do with your mind, voice and body to make them laugh.
When you tell your jokes and do your routine, and there is no laughter which follows, you literally want to disappear and die. It is a horrible experience, and every single comic goes through it time after time at open mic nights until he or she finally starts to get some laughs. The successful stand-up comics you see on TV are the ones who were able to handle the silence, the rejection, and often the heckles and jeers from half-drunk audiences who challenged them to a game of "make me laugh".
Its been said that most people would rather go to the dentist, or shovel manure, or work in a coal mine or slaughter house than get up in front of a group of people and give a presentation...any kind of talk, lecture or presentation. But giving a presentation is a piece of cake compared to performing stand-up comedy. For comedians who are starting out, they think they are funny, since their family, and friends tell them they are funny, so they urge them to go to an open mic comedy club.
Once the would-be comic gets in front of a normal audience who is not related of their family or friends, the dynamics of the relationship change, and the would-be comic gets hit in the face with silence after each joke. It is horrific. But, this is the way comedians learn to write better jokes, deliver better jokes and build their comic personality.
So, be grateful that as a musician, when you play at a jam session, that your music comes out of your instrument and not the audience. With practice, and by rehearsing and playing with others, your skill will grow, and your pleasure of playing will also grow. Its like anything in life. And, the idea that some people are talented and others are not, is a myth. Most of the truly talented people in this world are the ones who have worked their butts off to develop their skill. Talent is developed and earned, not given. Its true in sports, the arts, and business. Hard work and lots of experience, along with persistence will pay off. If it didn't, we wouldn't have successful people in sports, the arts or business. 'Best of luck to you !!
I need to chime in here to let Jennifer know that Sean is an absolute beast. He’s not a beginner by any stretch. He’s an amazing player and an amazing educator. You guys have an awesome exchange. High-fives all around.
@@AimeeNolte Thanks Aimee, for your chime-in. I'm assuming your use of the term "beast" is written as one of our technical jazz names, meaning great player. I recently discovered you, and I wrote to you in the comments section on your Keith Jarrett video. I think we went to the same schools but at different times. I really dig your playing and your teaching. After studying many of your videos and reading your biography I came to some hasty conclusions. At first, I thought your were actually a singer, who
accompanied herself on piano. Then, as I watched more of your videos, I decided your are a jazz pianist who also sings. But after watching more of your videos, I realize that your are one of those musicians who has used her proper musical education to mix with her wide-ranging musical interests. The fact that you play and teach not only Jazz, but also Pop, and other styles of music, indicates that you are well versed and interested in all forms of music....and you will reach a much larger student and customer base as well.
Many of the best players I've ever worked with are also like you. Musicians who started young, learning Classical music, graduating into Jazz, then playing Pop, Rock, and even Country music, because the money was in those genres. Yet, these well-rounded musicians and singers remain perfectly capable and interested in playing Jazz and Classical in addition to Pop. Keith Jarrett is also in that category, although most of his work has been in Jazz, he has played and recorded Classical music with Chick Corea and others, and Keith also has played Pop music.
One of your best qualities appears to be your wide range of talent in playing, teaching, writing and producing. Your music recordings are very well done, both musically and technically from a sound engineering standpoint. Additionally, your You-Tube offerings, and your internet teaching products provide a great menu for beginning, intermediate and advanced musicians. Your musical topics are very unique, creative and interesting.
One talent you may be overlooking is your voice quality. Not only in singing, but in speaking. I don't know if you have ever considered doing any kind of books-on-tape type of recordings, but you have an exceptionally beautiful, intelligent and sensuously natural feminine voice. You might also consider using your spoken voice on some of your C.D. or musical recordings. 'Something like speaking lyrics, with musical background, or speaking a verse, then singing a verse. Or, simply reading some original poetry, with your original music playing in the background, which would mirror the words, as a movie score mirrors the emotion of a particular scene. Your speaking voice is really a very valuable asset in your tool box of talents. Really valuable.
The fact that you are so prolific in your playing and teaching, yet you still have the time to be a mom with several kids, is quite commendable. I'm quite impressed with your work, and its actually interesting and even exciting to discover many of your musical thoughts and ideas which are fresh and original.
Keep up the great work Aimee ! You are truly an original, and a welcomed inspiration to all who play with you and learn from you !
Bravo! What you are describing is the shifting from left brain to the right brain. Most players are so dominated and cluttered by the left brain's constant spewing of linear thinking that they are unable to create the space to listen. In my book "Sax and the Higher Self" I show in exact detail how this process works. I have nearly 60 years as a professional musician and during that time started to notice the striking similarities between learning music and practicing a Spiritual path. In short, one has to suspend the ego to enter. One of the piano players that I worked with for 26 years was stunning at this. Johnny Knapp would most always echo the last idea of my solo as the first idea of his. What a flawless transition. I will always miss Johnny, as he passed recently at the age of 86. Good luck and God bless.
This is exactly what I’m working on in my jazz trio (I’m on piano). I always just want to start filling every space with notes and make sure everyone knows I’m legit. It’s time to start applying what you’re saying in this video. Thanks.
Once again spot on advice applicable to all. I would only add that plenty of pros make this same mistake! If I had one wish on my local jazz scene... it would be more space. From myself too, so easy to fall into this trap.
Aimee, your point is SO important. Truth and beauty emerge from a place of stillness and contemplation. One can see this in all the arts....the best actors, painters, authors and musicians all know that mindfulness is the wellspring of true creativity.
I'm a guitarist, but this lesson is great! Thank for the concept 😀
The greatest compliment I can pay to an improviser is that their solo sounds composed from an form/architectural standpoint (beginning/middle/end). Conversely, the greatest compliment I can pay to a songwriter or composer is that their melody sounds so fresh and new that it sounds extemporaneously improvised. :-)
I remember an interview with Sting where he was contrasting playing a solo in jazz vs. playing a solo in a pop song, and I recall him saying that in a jazz setting, you can take the time to develop your solo, but in a pop setting you have burn from beat one, LOL. Thank you for sharing!
Right, here's that quote: th-cam.com/video/PM5jabQoUDo/w-d-xo.html
@@shields765 Nice, thanks for knowing where it was!
Right you are. I remember him saying that in 1986 when I went to see the movie with my friends back in college. So...what Nolte said is generally true. BUT...There is what Sting said WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE, when it comes to playing in a musical context that REQUIRES YOU TO FUCKING BURN FROM THE VERY FIRST NOTE. To be perfectly frank, if you cannot do this burning thing from the very first note, then you will not be hired to play in any context other than the pedantic, erudite jazz groups where the build-up is accepted and expected. Seriously. Very few people make their living playing straight ahead jazz at the top level and even the top guys barely make over $100K just by playing as solo artists or sidemen alone. I know cats who get close to that amount and who have played and recorded as solo artists Grammy award winning records as jazzers and they still can't make the numbers work. And they have families to support, children to send to college, mortgage, etc... For those of you who think that $$ isn't the only thing in music, it isn't. But, I tell you what...the guys who work are the guys who are versatile and if the bandleader/producer wants you to fucking kick ass on beat 1 of your 16 bar solo, you better do it. If you are squeamish and do not have the sensibility or the maturity to do it and stick to the 'develop a jazz solo' rule, then, regrettably, you fucking won't be hired except for those shitty jazz gigs where art is at the core of it. That's the damn truth to playing professionally, probably much to the chagrin of Nolte and others who believe this. Deep down, she knows this is true. I know in L.A. you have to fucking burn from the git and if you don't impress the producer in this way, you don't work.
@@J3unG unless you play blues. then you can bend one note and hold it for 4 measures. or play an entire solo with 2 notes way up the neck repeated for 8 measures. does some band like goo goo dolls even play solos with more than 5 notes, i dunno but doubt it.
Really? What do you call burning in pop?
Aimee - as I start my journey into jazz and shifting my guitar focus to learning jazz I've been starting to learn how to solo. I've never been able to really solo so that skill is new to me as well. As you can imagine phrasing is like being a 2 year old learning to talk again. I'm starting by playing what I hear and transcribing but also doing some creating. THIS VIDEO is an amazing, amazing, amazing insight into HOW to let myself express THROUGH a solo. Thank you so much for sharing so deeply!!!
It sounds like what you are describing is the difference between actually improvising versus reproducing memorized licks, and patterns.
I've listened to many teachers over the years, countless books -- This is the best approach and advice I've ever heard "Play what's true, what's you.. execute honestly" ... start with the spaces and build out.
"The true thing"! Yes! Thank you for this reminder! Beautiful playing and gift of teaching!
Great challenging information at a point where I'm tired of my playing.....again! Thank you, Amy, for the direction and inspiration.
Can’t wait to transcribe this solo
Wooow.... I love dis.. I just realized Dat I was showing off all dis while... Tanks
Very well put Statment. Improvisation is almost like discovering things on a journey.
When you let the music lead your heart, you can almost see the direction it's taking you (if that makes sense).
It sounds strange but music to me has a personality of its own that you try to grasp at the right moment and right time.
Excellent, for me this explains tasteful playing.
I wish I would have found your channel YEARS ago! This is the push I needed to start playing piano again.
I remember being taught about the typical arc of a novel in English class in high school. There's the introduction of characters, rising action, added suspense, potential conflict, a climax, and falling action which brings you to the end. A good solo should be constructed almost exactly the same way.
Thanks you, Aimee! This is just as much a psychological as well as a music(al) lesson 😊🙏
Taking space, sounding more mature... 's wonderful!
Very nice. Even with a short solo, it helps to have a beginning to set the tone, and then build to the solo climax. I think it shows a cool dynamic and adds excitement to the solo.
Wow amazingly passionate lesson and delivery Aimee. I felt as if you were talking just to me. I think you deserve a utube oscar. I can't help listening to solos in a new light now by the way you highlighted the structure.
Thanks
Thank you, Phil.
Picking just a few notes and developing a theme. That's how to really get creative. All the greats did it. Funny, just yesterday an online article popped up in a Google recommendation list. I clicked on it and it was by a James Clear talking a out the power of constraint. He related the story behind Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham. It was a bet with his publisher thst he couldn't write an entertaining book using only 50 different words. Turns out he was able the write his most well known, and maybe, most beloved story. The power of constraint.... I'd say it also shows the effectiveness of restraint. Very appropo' for jazz improvisors. 😊
cool parallel!
You are so right! It is similar to saying "hello" then giving the listener a moment before you start talking. In fact, it's just good manners! I never was able to articulate in my mind this issue, but this really identifies what bugs me about so many solos. Also what makes many of my favorite solos so attractive to me - are short opening statement and then space to get on board. Thank you for the insight.
Wow. The "similar to saying Hello" is a nice analogy.
Thanks Aimee. Clearly you've touched a nerve. Space...listening...reflection...beauty.
As a novice, I don't yet have the technique to show off, so I'm aiming to better understand jazz harmony and be tasteful and selective in the few notes I can manage. An exemplar I admire is the late, great guitarist, Jim Hall. Awesome technique under the control of a rich, creative imagination.
Much truth here. Too many people seem to think a great solo is when you play the most notes in a given time.
I saw a semi-pro band yesterday, with a great clarinetist. I spotted what he was doing; leaving space, then I come across your video today saying exactly the same. Thanks.
Thanks for so putting so plainly just what a jazz solo is: an idea, a nugget that you get to mine for other ideas that grow out of it. This will help my practicing.
Love this! It allows you to relax and enjoy the art of the solo more. Takes off some pressure. What you demonstrated is that it also does the same for the audience too. Thank you!
Your whole approach to music is so refreshing, and gets us all back to the ego-free bedrock of tapping into what music affords: possible entry into something so much greater than our little "selves;" an open invitation to participate in what's truly universal.
I grew up playing classical bass trombone, and then big band bass bone. My undergrad prof actively dissuaded me, so I had to start learning on my own. I’ve come a long way, but there are still some pretty serious holes in my knowledge. I got a solid grasp on theory, but the jazz harmonies are tougher to decipher. Thankfully, your videos have been super helpful, by keeping to concepts singular and simple. Thank you for everything. I hope to graduate from advanced mediocre to someone who can confidently say that I’m an improviser. I’m about 15 years into the jazz journey, and finally getting the information I’ve been needing. 😎❤️
Good video. When you leave space, then the skilled listener gets to interpret what they hear. It becomes communication at a deep level.
very true... I was told last night at my lesson! have to stay vigilant if it's hard for you to do initially
Really helpful! I was just searching for "how to write a solo" last week, and was hoping I'd find a video like this.
I am not sure which I like more, Aimee talking or Aimee playing. I have never heard this concept expressed better. In the 60s as Rock and Roll was sweeping the music scene many guitarists were judged by how fast they could play. That Alvin Lee, "man is he fast". I guess the "faster than thou" attitude was just part of the macho impress-the-girls aspect of the music. For 50 years I have been saying "fast is an athletic term". It is not how fast you play, it is what you play.
Aw c'mon man, don't be knocking a dead man! Alvin had some absolutely sick licks in how he phrased and stylized them, accordingly, and respectively. "I've Been There Too" etc..
there were guys like Peter Green that kept playing music though
Great ideas, Aimee. And, you sure picked three wonderful examples with Miles, Chet, & Dexter. Wonderful video!
You can't buy cool, you just have to become cool. Aimee is cool.
Extremely well put, as ever. John Keats: 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty-that is all.' Here, Keats is writing about the beauty of a Grecian urn and is defining both beauty and truth as fitness for purpose. That's what I think a great solo is - one that fits perfectly in its context.
this is a beautiful video, broadly relevant to any compositional or communicative expression.
This made me think of Monk's famous solo on the date with Miles Davis from Christmas Eve, 1954 when Monk dropped out for a looong time until Miles played a little riff and Monk played one of his most amazing solos ever. If ever there was a guy who used space, it was Monk.
Good advice, it's like having an introspective conversation, no need to show off technique.
Amen to that. So many times do I watch TH-cam videos of someone playing that is rushed, badly timed and totally emotionless, and just trying too damn hard. You’ve hit the nail on the head - You need SPACE to give yourself TIME to FEEL in order to be TRUE.
4:50 this is something every player, every musician every creative person having to do with composing should know. It's not just a matter of replicating others it's well you said it all. Why add anything to such a powerful concept.
Wonderful solo at the end 👏
Dear Aimee, this is a very wonderful lesson! What you said is true. Sometimes when I watch other people play or do cover versions of tunes they like, it seems that there's more emphasis placed on being a flashy showperson rather than making the listener "feel" the song. They would go all super fast playing as if they're in a race to see who can hit the most notes per second. Although technical prowess is definitely important to help one make the musical ideas they have in their head a reality, my personal opinion is that it is more important to have the ability to make a song emotionally reach a person, not just how rapidly one can hit notes accurately. For example, your rendition of "Just Friends" in the video is very beautiful. It is very mellow and not flashy at all, but the way you were able to make me feel the song's sweet and romantic nature definitely stayed with me. You reminded me of the way Bill Evans (my idol!) played "My Foolish Heart". It's a very beautiful rendition of the song and Bill played it in a very mellow and simple way, only doing a flashy thing at the very end which still sounded very gentle and sweet. My goal someday is to be able to play piano like you and Bill haha :)
Aimee, thanks for posting this video. As soon as I saw the video, I was guessing you would say something along the lines of leaving space and develop your solos. IMO the reason people need to throw everything at once is because 1)they are still learning the music is they are caught up trying to make the changes 2)they get too excited or 3)it's a sign of insecurity and comes from a need to prove themselves to others. As I get older, I feel like I can stay more relaxed, be more deliberate in what I do, and watch where I am in the bigger picture rather than diving head on into a solo, and it's much more enjoyable to make music when I am in that head space.
I also think that having the right support from other musicians is also crucial too. I know drummers/bass players who likes to throw all kinds of polyrhythm and chord substitutions at you, and sometimes the more technically proficient they are, the more they are prone to doing so, especially around other musicians. While playing outside rhythmically/harmonically isn't wrong, doing it with complete disregard of pacing, and doing them when the music don't call for them can really make things difficult for soloists. I've witnessed so many occasions in jam session where a musician who was actually trying to play tastefully got buried under a rhythm section like that.
Thanks again for posting this video.
for a consistent source of inspiration - thank you, Aimee !
Great video, thanks. Not being scared of silence can be such a big thing.
Thank you for sharing the wisdom and this beautiful piece.
I think it's the difference between "trading fours" and a full-length solo. A lot of swing/bebop musicians did the former, and the approach tended to stick as a stylistic part of the repertoire. That is, you want to get in as much as you can in the limited time you have. A true solo gives you time to stretch out and develop the musical motif.
Both styles work in context.
Good point
In a sense, trading fours provides the players with as much time to listen as the time they get playing, so it's perhaps not necessarily that different to a true solo from the performer's standpoint.
There are times when trading fours, done well, can almost be like a collaborative true solo.
But I guess it's important to remember the audience also might need time to listen!
ughh this is so true... I too often see my solos as shapes and patterns and connecting them together fast... Next time I get the chance I'm going to give it some space and give finding truth a try. Great video, as always!
YES thank you for this. It's powerful when you start with an honest, simple phrase and take the time to develop it and allow space to give it context and form. This actually gives your improvisation some substance, direction, and some forward momentum as you take an idea forward. If you come right out of the gate burning and playing fast runs one after another with no underlying theme, it might not really say anything or contribute to the tune as a whole. If you use space and take your time, you have room to extend your solos and your ideas and keep a listener interested.
Brilliant points. I am working on this myself. Space feels scary at first so the temptation is to fill it up with notes.
Nice and so true, thanks for this
Great points, Aimee! The TRUTH will set us FREE!!! Silence is of equal importance to sound. LOVE your videos! Happy 2019!
great playing, Place give that nice softly cool jazz.
Thanks for all your videos Aimee. They’re all full of great advice.
So wholesome! Great video Aimee 😊
food for thought. yet another great video aimee.
I LOVED that....even your bebop riffs BREATHE .
Ms. Nolte,
I have had the Real Book Vol. 1 since before you were born. I learned how to play by ear, then I took a couple of music theory classes, but there were no instruments, no performance, no indications of time or tempo; they were about the relationship between notes. I watch your videos to help me decipher and make sense of the music and help reduce the distance between my brain and my fingers. .
I watch a classical pianist name Tiffany Poon here on TH-cam, and her advice for a good performance "select own your pieces". Sometimes you're assigned a piece, so you have to find affection for it, but if you play not only the hands separately but switch responsibilities, (playing the melody with the left hand - not necessarily playing the chords with the right), you will improvise a little differently because you have to think about the melody and finger placement, It's going to be more fundamental. You take that fundamental slower approach back to the right hand, remembering what you did with the left...it's gonna be pretty.
Another pianist I follow is Dr. John Mortensen, he as two lists of "10 things serious pianist do every day." While I don't really fall into that category, (piano students can practice more in a day than I might get in in month), one of the ten on the list i have done for a long time, and this is record yourself.
I did it because I couldn't read music well and did even want to think of trying to transcribe, so I recorded. It makes even more sense for a jazz player to record (Dr. Mortensen is a classical piano professor) because you may think of something new and it's documented. And you don't need tape. Digital space is soooo cheap. Whip out your phone, done deal. Upload it to your Google account and you can listen to yourself whenever you want without using space on your device. And also recording gives just a little performance pressure, if you can come up with good stuff when the red light goes on, you should be okay when you play and you're not alone.
I feel like these are spot on thoughts on soloing I spent years soloing for some reason and I can tell there are years of wisdom here in practical ways bravo
Your ideas inspire me.
You're playing, in particular your pedaling, is so clean and beautiful.
Just a quick add to this absolutely spot of bit of music ed:
You can pick any note or idea you want and FEEL it into making it fit... but also you can sit on any note as long as you want to. You can just kiss a note that's tough or gritty and you can just sit on a sweet note for what seems like forever. You can play notes like a love song or like a drum riff but you can play the space between the notes like a love song or a drum riff too. Basically, you can make it as simple or as complex as you want but you have to LOVE the sound.
Love this comment. My video about how to reharmonize an imagine dragons song speaks to this.
Came back to this channel with my new and "official" channel. Aimee, you still ROCK!
Happy to comeback to you amazing channel and content!
Lucas Ray
This is helpful to keep in mind. Thanks!
I'm torn between what is more musical coming out of you...what you play...or what you SAY! You bring melody to my ear...but also true HARMONY to my understanding. Thank you!
Thanx, Aimee 🌹🌹🌹Happy 2022.
Thank you Aimee for another great lesson!
once again, another wonderful video - thank you!
I 💖 Aimee
Nicely said. I hear experience and wisdom here. Nice to meet you. I'll be back.
Amiee, you always talk good sense. I noticed that you played a sort of immitation on the second phrase of your solo, both times you started it, which is great. I can hardly imagine not doing that. At the very least, the opening phrase needed to be answered, and you did it.
These sparse motifs give us so much scope for development of the solo too. Any viewer who doesn't understand what I mean by motifs and development should listen to some Beethoven.
I guess there are some jazz styles in which a more aggressive approach is needed, but for soloing in swing and straight ahead jazz, I think this advice of yours is excellent.
PS Thanks to you, I've redoubled my efforts to play without charts, and I encourage fellow musicians (plus the occasional student) to do the same. The recent lockdown has been an opportunity for me to memorize more things and to learn how to bluff my way through sequences when memory fails.
Truth and Beauty... Awesome Aimee!!!!!!!!!!
Lovely video.
Lovely video, thank you! Also, what great comments on the video! The internet is starting out well for me today.
Awesome video Aimee !! Thank you for taking the time to produce and share this truth....
Damn that solo was tasteful
Thank you miss 😌
You are divinely divine 👌🏻
Wow. Great Lesson. So so true. Beautiful playing as well and so well explained. Thanks.
Awesome lesson. Thank you Aimee.
Brilliant as usual.
The idea that there are musical ideas just floating around is a bit like the idea of the sculpture hidden inside the block of marble. Aimee's wise words have of course much wider application than jazz.
some of the best advice I've heard right here Amy. I might add something someone once told me, sometimes the best solo is a simple one. --Dusty
This was such a nice video!
Thank you, Aimee!
Very helpful! Thank you.
Lol. I was thinking of the opening lines of “So What” also. One of my favorite solos. I can actually hum along with it. You don’t have to be fast and showy to be brilliant.
Check out Kenny werner's book effortless mastery. refreshing take on improv. Lots of miles references too
Absolutely nailed it.
All these formulas , either the use of space in between musical sentences or blowing notes non-stop are good basic tools to start and develop a musical conversation but it's textbook for beginners... The important thing it's to create and enrich your own vocabulary, your own language, your own story and believing that it is imperative to communicate it to share it with others.You got to have the conviction and an urgent need to express yourself away, also intention on every phrase every note, and once you reach that, it becomes legit music, you start touching people with your musical story, your energetic exchange.