In western classical music the only remaining remnant of improvisation, and
it is a flickering candle at that is the cadenza. Although today's modern
musician usually is versed in many different styles. Jazz pianiasts like
Chic Corea, and Keith Jarrett play classical pieces.
And Winton Marsallis plays both jazz and classical. People like John Neptune
crossover between many different styles; jazz, classical, japanese, and
other world musics, and his music is very improvisational.
Improvisation takes practice to become proficent. I can't speak for other
players but I think that improvisation springs from a thourough
grounding in playing and understanding musical forms and theory. One learns
the rules then bends and sometimes even breaks them.
D.Koenig
>From: Philip Gelb <ryokan@value.net>
>To: shakuhachi@weber.ucsd.edu
>Subject: Re: Improvisation
>Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 20:32:16 -0800
>
>Herb Rodriguez wrote
>
>>1st, because I have found very few shakuhachi players that either
>>want to improvise, or feel they can, even if they say they want to.
>
>There are actually many shakuhachi players who do improvise but you
>are right that most do not.
>
>Part of the problem, i think, is that traditional shakuhachi
>pedagogy, like most European music pedagogy only trains musicians to
>repeat what their teacher told them to read on the paper. Thus when
>you turn the stand around, the player either plays by memory or is
>not able to play at all. I feel it is important to get students to
>improvise, play their own melodies and create their own ideas from
>the very beginning as a supplement to traditional repetoire practice.
>
>> Do you think there is a special something that allows one person to
>>be able to improvise yet another not? Is it desire? Is it an open
>>mind? Does one have to train or practice improvisation before they
>>can do so? (If so, does training under an iemoto system allow room
>>for improvisation?)
>
>Of course one has to have the desire! Improvising, like composing or
>playing any kind of music takes a great deal of training to do it
>well. Ear training is necessary for good improvisors. Understanding
>different types of musical structures is also necessary.
>
>> There are people on this list that are trained in both western and
>>Japanese music. What do you think the difference is between regular
>>training and opening up to improvisation?
>
>The difference is that improvising and composition is not usually
>included in performance practice in european music training or in
>shakuhachi training except for rare occassions under certain
>teachers. They are certainly NOT exclusive practices but should be
>brought together to develop more musicianship in students.
>
>>I find the topic of improvisation to be very interesting and am not
>>sure if just simply studying regular technique in great detail will
>>necessarily create the ability to improvise. Granted, you have a
>>tool bag of technique to chose from, but its in the choosing that
>>makes the music.
>
>There are many different idioms of improvisation and composition as
>well as something referred to as non-idomatic improvisation. Of
>course, seeing a difference between improvising and composing is not
>something that everyone shares!
>
>>Let the improvising begin!!!!!!!!!
>
>it has already been going on for quite some time. :)
>
>i am very curious what other players and teachers feel about this subject.
>
>phil
>--
> Philip Gelb
>
> ***NEW EMAIL AND URL***
> ryokan@value.net
> http://value.net/~ryokan
> 510 452 2568
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