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by DAVID LIEBMAN

Vincent Van Gogh, in a letter to his brother Theo, wrote: “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. And great things are not something accidental, but are willed. What is drawing? How does one learn it? It is working through an invisible iron wall that seems to stand between what one feels and what one can do.”

An artist is a person who attempts to be in touch with his/her inner self in order to communicate this information to others through their expertise in an abstract endeavor (i.e. an art). An artist’s body of work is autobiographical and, at the same time, a means by which the artist communicates both individual and universal experiences that all people share.

There are technicians (craftsmen) and there are artists. The former are technically trained and have the expertise necessary to produce works in their particular field. For some, these works may be convincing as art. But artists offer something more than just craftsmanship. They are aware of their role and need to express something of relevance about life through their art. From one perspective, the difference between art and craft can be compared to the difference between art and entertainment. Though great art can entertain, in the final result, entertainment is transitory while art is eternal. As well, meaningful art not only educates and raises consciousness but also challenges the recipient to be emotionally open to what is being offered. Art reveals one’s inner self to both the artist and the receiver.

The artist should strive to be cultured and aware of mankind’s eternal quest for freedom, beauty, and truth though the ages in all its manifestations, including artistic endeavors, but also through observation of all aspects of the human condition. Understanding matters of philosophy, history, the spiritual world, psychology, the humanities, etc., while at the same time empathizing with humanity’s successes and failures, all add to the reservoir of emotion and feeling that the artist calls upon when creating.

A central tenet of artistic creation is the dichotomy between the desire to be universal yet, at the same time, individual and unique (something that an artist is constantly working on). It is a polarity which as well mirrors the human condition. The artist is constantly striving towards expressing and integrating these two aspects to achieve a workable and intriguing balance. As Albert Einstein wrote: “Universality is a part of real greatness.”

All human beings are linked together through the timeless, universal chain of history and events. The artist is an example to others of man’s innate desire for freedom of expression through the ages. Once the artist has grasped the significance of this role, the next thought inevitably follows: that art should inspire people to better themselves and the world while serving as a means of perceiving the continuum of past, present and future.

Music is the most abstract and least concrete of the arts. Sound is intangible, offering the listener unending interpretative options. Bearing some commonalities with the field of mathematics, music finds expression in numbers and a symbolic language. One common element that music shares with certain other art forms is in the performance realm. Drama, ballet, even poetry at times, all have to be communicated in real time for the art to be realized. This concept of present time, trying not to be in the past or the future (which some refer to as “being there”), is an extraordinary aspect of performance and comes into play even more so for an improvising artist.

Art is a reflection of the varieties of people and cultures throughout the world. In music, there are differences in style, instruments, and content. When one considers, for example, geography (Greek odd-metered rhythms, Brazilian sambas, German polkas) or ethnicity (Jewish cantorial prayers, Gregorian chants, Hindu ragas), the possibilities are limitless. Hopefully, these contextual differences which one’s art naturally reflects do not obscure the universal qualities that all humans feel beyond culture, religion, and politics. The variety of styles and idioms available at any given moment of history serves to function as a transitory vehicle through which the artist expresses him or herself.

Much of the power of expression in a work of art is derived from its rhythm, which is omnipresent as a direct manifestation of the ebb and flow of life. Paintings, sculpture and poetry all have rhythmic characteristics as do the more obvious fields of music, drama, and dance. In the final analysis, rhythm is what moves people emotionally since it is basic to the human condition. Capturing a meaningful rhythm at just the right moment is a serious artistic challenge, especially in the performing arts. Rhythm exerts a major influence on the principle of tension and release, which will be discussed in a future column.

Mastering an art form is only the beginning of the artistic process. Communicating one’s art to the world-at-large completes the work. This “real world” process requires desire, courage, and discipline on the artist’s part in order to bring one’s artistic creations to the outside world. There exists a view that the value of an artistic creation depends upon its ability to communicate. This notion implies that the bigger the audience in attendance, or the more enthusiastic the approval it receives, etc., the higher the value of the art. Though this is arguable and dependent upon many outside factors, it does raise the point that art should somehow communicate to the lay audience. The essential consideration here is that the “ivory tower” image of artists creating masterpieces merely for themselves or for some esoteric circle is not a positive one. Communication completes the artistic process and involves an intense effort towards that goal.

The primary challenge for the artist is to decide to whom (s)he wants to communicate and to what extent. Simply put, at what level of sophistication does the artist manifest their work? Can we compare the kind of pop art that surrounds us daily to the level of emotional depth addressed, for example, in Picasso’s Spanish Civil War masterpiece “Guernica?” An artist should be aware of whom they are creating for. It could be said that one’s art implies a pre-destined audience and milieu upon its very creation. The artist has already made a choice by the nature of the work itself.

 

Tension and release

A successful artistic statement should include emotional as well as technical content to be fully balanced. The full range of human emotions (love, sadness, joy, anger, etc.) provide the source material from which an artist draws to create, while the intensity of one’s passion fuels the process. How an artist balances emotion and technique in relation to one of the primary aesthetic principles of artistic creation, tension and release, is a major factor contributing towards the success of a work of art.

From the technical standpoint, achieving a convincing balance between tension and release is concerned with how the artist uses available options of a particular artistic parameter. If a painter has to decide upon the right tool for portraying a specific figure, the appropriate selection may depend on the story line and what aspect of the picture needs to be emphasized or minimized, thereby influencing his choice of a thick or thin bristled brush. In music there is the juggling of dynamic levels which dramatically influences the denouement of tension and release in a performance or composition. This ever present ebb and flow of tension and release is determined by subtle and intricate technical matters to be chosen by each artist accordingly. Balance and contrast within the constraints of tension and release are omnipresent in artistic creation. An artist’s work should be flexible enough to absorb the extremes as well as the subtle shadings inherent within the tension and release principle.

 

Appreciating Art

A deep appreciation and understanding of an art form results from a combination of spontaneous emotional responses and familiarity with the work itself. The former is inexplicable and largely intuitive while the latter is developed through education aimed towards understanding the processes taking place. People have an inherent fascination and curiosity in knowing how things work. When one appreciates the thought and discipline involved in producing a work of art as well as emotionally enjoying it, admiration and respect follow. The bottom line to appreciation is education and repeated high level exposure to the art at hand. For the artist him or herself, it is important to be able to judge and enjoy work in one’s field in an objective manner, taking into account personal taste and the potential of a natural competitive element, especially if the work is in the same area of expertise.

 

Grafting

A commonality to most serious artists is the quest for fresh information in one’s field as well as the ability to learn new material. Knowing how to learn assumes recognition of useful information, followed by comprehension of the concepts involved, concluded by incorporating the material into the artist’s already familiar milieu. The concept of “grafting” can be helpful when confronted with incorporating new material. This is the transference of concepts or techniques from one area to another, possibly quite removed in context from the source itself. It may also mean translating ideas from one medium to another. For example, many of the harmonic concepts of the outstanding 20th century classical composers have been “grafted” to the jazz language throughout its relatively short history. Instrumentalists might graft techniques which are natural to a specific instrument to their own, thereby creating a new context for the concept. Over the years, I have had several guitarists comment to me that they were trying to emulate a saxophonist’s concept of line construction, purposely avoiding the habitual finger patterns that are natural to their instrument. Visa versa, on the horn I have often tried to imitate the way a guitarist or Indian flautist bends notes. Grafting is a major tool for discovering new combinations.

 

Artistic Stages

The first stage of the artistic process involves absorption of principles and techniques that have already been accepted as standard in the field and the ability to duplicate these concepts up to minimum criterion. For a time, this may mean that the long term and overall goal of formulating an individual style is temporarily put on hold. After this imitative stage, the artist personalizes past and contemporary styles, meaning active participation in real world activity happening in the field. As this participatory process evolves, some artists will progress to the third stage of innovation. That is contributing something unique, potentially of major importance in the field but it could also be subtle as a different way to play something on one’s instrument or possibly a new fingering, etc. From the personalization (second) period onward, further study of technique and past achievements in the field broadens the expressive power of the artist’s work enabling a wider range of emotions and ideas to be conveyed. Study of the past need not be an obstacle to creativity, but rather a source for conceptualizing the present and future. Bela Bartok wrote “that only from the entirely old can the entirely new be born.” In jazz, study of older styles and artists can result in fresh insights when “grafted” onto a modern concept.

Stages of artistic growth reveal themselves in more obvious ways during the beginning years. For example, being able to recognize significant improvements in technique and conception at an early point of musical development can be easily noticed by simply hearing two recordings of oneself from several months apart. After the beginning stages improvement appears to be measurably slower since progress is more subtly revealed. An artist must maintain a sense of positive reinforcement at this stage. This is psychologically crucial, especially during times of frustration and self doubt which many artists go through at this stage or at one time or another. When I was working with drummer Elvin Jones, I asked him how he heard himself after so many years. He said that the ability to execute something with more ease than previously was indicative of musical growth for him. The mature and long practicing artist recognizes this activity as the refining and editing process. What is more important as the years roll by is that the artist vigilantly places oneself at the center of the creative storm dealing with any new challenges that arise in the field. Process becomes more important than results at this later stage of development.

When one looks to the past in the study of an art form, (s)he should aim at finding the original source of a style. Obviously, current exponents of a particular style may initially serve as source material and inspiration. But for true and honest artistic growth, second (or later) generation artists are not the most effective tool for learning what came before. For example in jazz, a student interested in the Coltrane style should be studying the music of the master himself, not me or some of my contemporaries. Our value to the learning artist is useful, concerned with how we each took one aspect of Coltrane’s music and developed an individual approach. (Of course, in the years to come, who can predict from where the new source will come?)

 

Being Objective

At the outset of the artistic process a student practices and learns on a mechanical level with little reflection about any deeper implications. This is advantageous for beginning learning of the craft which is after all to a large extent, rote memorization. As one matures past the early stages, a certain degree of self consciousness may occur which can complicate the learning process for a time; the danger being that one’s mind gets in the way of the laborious (and daily) discipline necessary to hone the craft. Clear objectivity is important at this point, meaning one must address the technical issues at hand and let the psyche slowly collect impressions, feelings, etc., which will eventually find their way into the personalization stage. The challenge is maintaining awareness of one’s weak points and organizing an approach towards improvement. As the craft is fine-tuned, achieving a balance between negative and constructive criticism improves over time.

On the subject of craft, it should be noted that in many cases artistic breakthroughs have been accompanied by technical innovation. Examples are numerous such as Picasso’s cubist renderings of the human anatomy or James Joyce’s stream of consciousness. In jazz, the instrumental technique has been extended or enlarged with every major breakthrough. Louis Armstrong extended the playing range of the trumpet; Charlie Parker seemingly doubled the fluidity of the saxophone; John Coltrane extended the range of the tenor sax; John McLaughlin, Cecil Taylor and Art Tatum pushed the technique forward on their respective instruments and contributed to the evolution of the entire music as an art form. For a beginning artist, technique can lead to more knowledge and advances, but craft should never supersede content. Self awareness and objective evaluation on the part of the artist is crucial at all stages of development.

 

Gaining Artistic Control

If there is one universal axiom which applies to the arts, it is that the process is arduous and lengthy. The results of study and practice must be seen in a long-term context. Certain technical and conceptual skills are learned quickly, but the more subtle aspects take time and perseverance. For the jazz improviser, one must find an acceptable balance between habit and spontaneity. Musically, habitual response means that a musical idea can be executed in real time without conscious thought, while spontaneous expression breathes life and immediacy into the gesture. Under the category of habitual responses in jazz are skills such as acquiring a convincing rhythmic feel, control of the idiomatic nuances of phrasing, instrumental mastery and tone, all encased in a viable soloistic concept. Longer term areas include composition and arranging skills, band leader experience and a deep grasp of personal expressive devices which immediately identify one instrumentalist from another. Real hours spent in a consistent study/practice routine are mandatory, no matter how naturally gifted one may be, while patience with a view towards long range results is necessary. Though one may feel pressured by the outside world at large to mature rapidly, this music demands a minimum amount of time, measured in years to yield positive results and a feeling of accomplishment. The pianist Bill Evans wrote: “An individual style develops out of a person’s musicianship and artistic need. It comes from being committed over a long period of time to a comprehensive musical development.”

On a more subtle level concerning artistic control, sensitivity can be developed but intuition is inborn. It is that inexplicable element which to some degree all people have about something(s). When intuition is involved the results appear to have come about due to no specific cause. (Maybe intuition is the result of knowledge gained from past lives?) An artist should trust their intuition as it is an important element of the creative process and continues to develop as one matures. Sometimes it is just a “feeling” that a choice one way or the other should be made. For improvising musicians, intuition is very important because there is so little real time to make musical decisions in the moment

 

Inspiration

In the beginning stages of the artistic process, inspiration comes from one’s idols, mentors and hopefully peers. The desire to emulate someone more advanced spurs the young musician on. Once the budding artist has their basic craft together as described above (which also assumes an understanding of the history and traditions of the art form), inspiration comes about as a by-product of being human. Life’s everyday interactions and the universal emotions that all humankind experience-love, birth, death etc., if observed as such provide ample opportunity to inspire one’s work. On a more subtle and personal level are experiences gleaned from the inner psychological states or “passages” of life as one matures. Self awareness of these cycles should, can and in the final result must inspire artistic creation. In actuality one’s art is a running autobiographical account of a life, available for all to witness, enjoy and for better or worse, judge. Being a true artist from this point of view is a challenging job, especially on the psychological level.

As a case in point as I traveled through my own passages, the titles of original compositions reflected an ever changing focus as I grew. The way I write, titles often precede the actual composition suggesting a musical idea to pursue. At first, inspiration for the titles came about as my subjective reflections of the world in relation to a personal and obviously self centered world view. Inspiration came from people, places and experiences that directly affected my life. In the next stage motivation derived from thoughts concerning society, the past and the world at large. Presumably, the later years reflect the individual in relation to the cosmos, spiritual matters and the passing on of eternal verities to future generations; in total the accumulated wisdom of a life. Of course, each stage coexists with and reflects knowledge gained from remembrances of past feelings, thoughts and events. This is what keeps the process fresh and ongoing-the mixture of old and new experiences-past with the present. Any artist who is aware of his or her surroundings and their relationship to the world theoretically could never run out of material for inspiration.

 

Matters of Personal and Artistic Balance

“Paying dues” is an expression which describes life for all people, not only artists. Resistance is necessary at times in life for forward motion to occur. When life and work are flowing satisfactorily positive energy is being stored up for the next cycle of trials and tribulations. What goes up must come down! Observing life’s cycles, it does appear that in periods of stress humankind calls upon both the best and worst in behavior. For an artist, heartfelt inspiration and real inner strength are often revealed at such periods and may result in personal creative pinnacles. Unfortunately it appears that artists, possibly because of their heightened sensitivities, are more prone than their fellow man to succumb to frustration, depression and self-pity which can lead to self-destructive tendencies and life styles. One of the challenges of an artistic life is how to experience and gain insight through life’s experiences while achieving a living and working balance within oneself and with the world at large. It certainly appears that sooner or later most people strive for some sort of balance in their life. There are times (especially in youth) when “being out of rhythm” may actually be helpful towards attaining self-knowledge. But ultimately, a realistic sense of balance is essential for a long, healthy and for an artist, productive life.

In the art itself, the matter of balance is concerned with the seemingly contradictory tendencies of control and freedom. The challenge is to use both aspects at the most constructive moments. Specifically in the area of improvising an ideal aesthetic balance might be described as total control of the language and tools of music, instrumental virtuosity, mental and intellectual depth along with a personal flow which allows these and other factors to mix together spontaneously producing lasting artistic results. The musician who sports a flashy technique to the detriment of musicality is an example of a poor balance. Another example of imbalance is the overly intellectual player who evidences little true passion. As in life, so goes art-a constant search for balance between opposite tendencies; the ultimate yin-yang paradigm.

 

Consistency and Growth

One criterion of what constitutes a professional in a particular field and especially in the performing arts is consistency. The ability to maintain a minimum standard with occasional leaps into greatness is expected. If one considers creativity as an ongoing process of problem solving (for example, the improviser hones in on one specific musical challenge posed by the composition be it harmony or rhythm, etc.), the professional is an individual who knows how to confront a new or intriguing “problem” in a disciplined and seamless manner with the audience none the wiser. Stravinsky writes in his Poetics of Music to the effect that “the more art is controlled, limited, worked over, the more it is free.”

By the time an artist has reached their second to third decade of the process, they are particularly ripe for creative breakthroughs. One still retains the energy and enthusiasm of youth, yet is mature enough to solidify personal goals not driven by the expectations of others. Furthermore, if an artist has any worldly success (in material

terms the ability to economically survive as an artist), this individual will have garnered some personal, if not public rewards. A sense of pride and accomplishment will be present yet at the same time there is ambition enough to attain further goals. The competitive element is still smoldering in one’s thirties driven to some degree by a combination of ego and peer pressure. As well there is the understanding that financial security can insure one’s artistic development and freedom to create will continue unabated. These “real world” forces may help stimulate an artist in a positive fashion as long as they are viewed in a proper perspective and do not control one’s life. In general it appears that by the time the next stage is reached the artist’s creative life is running along, one way or the other. Outside of any physical issues that accompany aging, the positive side for an artist is that one has had years of experience. Artistically, this equates to technical and emotional control and a level of inner freedom which allows the artist to dig deeper towards finding their own uniqueness.

 

Personal Issues

Artists face the same problems and challenges as anyone else in their personal relationships. Because of their unique lifestyle and heightened sensitivities there are potentially more complications than the norm. Especially in the performing arts, there is the ever-present danger of playing the same role in real life as one does in performance. An “attitude” and a public persona are necessary for the performer who faces a live audience (what actors refer to as the “fourth wall”). This reality vs. performer aspect can be tricky and balance is necessary between these two often contradictory forces at work, sometimes on a daily level. For some artists constant travel also places extra strain on relationships but there are untold creative rewards in seeing and experiencing the world. One does eventually recognize that what they do, though it does separate them from others in some respects, is after all a job like any other. After the flush of youthful adventurism, life usually calms down into a routine not so different from what takes place in the “real” world.

Western society from the Renaissance on has given special status to the artist, resulting in great works as well as heightened neurosis. It’s true that an artist who achieves fame in modern culture becomes a celebrity possibly enabling them to create without everyday mundane concerns. However, there is the danger and temptation of commercialization and its deadening influence on creativity. In this cultural milieu an artist is a prime candidate for anxiety and other mental (as well as physical) pressures. In more traditional societies the artist was a member of the community like any other person, fulfilling a specialized function necessary for the well-being of the populace, no different than the farmer or whomever. This framework was and in some parts of the world still is conducive to creativity in different ways than the orthodox Western framework. No matter the context or period of history, every artist within a given culture has to deal with the world they live in, finding a way to accommodate their creative impulses while at the same time forging ahead for the sake of their own sanity as well as the art and its tradition.

 

Communication

Concerning communicating art to the world at large, if at times it is difficult for the artist themselves to understand other works in the field, it may be easier to empathize with how the inexperienced public can have problems in comprehension. It’s important that the artist realize what impression a work has on an audience and without sacrificing quality attempt to present the work with as much clarity as possible. The desire to communicate with large numbers of people is a specific goal unto itself and for some the primary one. If an artist can somehow keep a distinction between the artistic merits of a work and its success as measured by popularity and acceptance, (s)he will remain on healthy artistic ground. One factor should not be a barometer of the value of the other. A successful commercial piece can be highly artistic and memorable, using Picasso’s Guernica or Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony as two prime examples, but these exceptions and others like them are not the norm. An artist must keep these matters in perspective.

In the final result an artist’s sense of humanity is what we see, hear and feel. How the artist sees themselves in relation to the outside world is reflected in their work. Everyone is responsible for their own actions and beliefs, even to some degree in societies where freedom of expression is curtailed. In any given situation there is a point where outside factors, though influencing the results, cannot be used to justify one’s actions or beliefs. This is when a person’s sense of humanity, compassion, respect for others, moral and ethical codes, etc., intersect a creative act. In the final result, an artist’s body of work is a clear indication of where they stand in relation to the world as potential seer, critic, observer, destroyer or creator of beauty and truth.

Everything one does has an effect somewhere, somehow and at some point in time, though it may not be contemporaneous. One never fully recognizes the real world influence a work of art can have. To my mind, if an individual perseveres in their chosen field and discovers through the artistic process the positive and life affirming values of creation, much has been accomplished, at least on a personal level, if nothing more. Like a ripple in the water, the effect will eventually be felt downstream. Being involved in the creative process and all it signifies, a person has taken upon themselves the responsibility of looking inward to communicate something of value to the world using their chosen art form as the vehicle to accomplish this. That is at the minimum, personal bravery of the highest order with the potential to change the world!

by DAVID LIEBMAN

This article summarizes the concepts that comprise my book on the subject (available through www.davidliebman.com/caris). Initially conceptualized in the 1980s and subsequently organized in book form in1990, this material serves as the basis for the course I teach in the subject at the Manhattan School of Music to master and doctoral students. As expected the subject involves a lot of technical material, but for the sake of a lay audience, the following constitutes a basic overview.

I developed these concepts in response to questions students posed to me at workshops concerning how one plays the “other notes”….those that stray from the stated tonality, a common technique found in the work of improvisers from my peer group. Musically, we were the first post-Coltrane generation, having in my case at least, seen him live many times and been inspired by his innovations, as well as the work of the various Miles Davis groups during the 1960s. Though I had no system in my formative years, working largely by ear, luck and a lot of trial and error, in tandem with pianist Richard Beirach, it became apparent that there must be some logic behind what I was playing.

What is meant by chromaticism?

For these purposes, playing in a chromatic style simply means a high usage of non-diatonic notes (those that are key oriented/consonant pitches) as the primary material for creating the required melodies and harmonies played in a typical jazz setting. It implies playing outside of the stated tonality that is understood as the basic framework for the ensuing improvisation. The artistry of this approach is dictated by the skill with which the improviser weaves these chromatic colors within and against the prevailing tonality creating another tapestry of contrasting harmonies and melodies. Chromaticism does not necessarily replace diatonicim, but co-exists alongside it.

If we compare chromaticism in music to other arts, there are many parallels, too numerous to enumerate here. In general, objects or words, whatever the given medium, are abstracted so that although there may be some semblance of the original, there arises something new and hopefully interesting to intrigue the listener, reader or viewer. In the end, the artistic goal is to have more choices during improvisation and composing so that a deeper emotional and expressive palette can be realized.

Implied skills for playing chromatically

Using a well worn cliché, it is understood that “one must walk before (s)he runs.” In jazz improvisation, this implies the clear and highly skilled ability to improvise on the standard harmonic/melodic structures which definitively state given tonal centers as the musical premise. “Standard” implies a set of chord changes (which may or may not modulate to various keys) that clearly demand the use of specific chromatic passing notes balanced with consonant tones, all of which have become the lingua franca of jazz. To reiterate, it is the coexistence of chromaticism and diatonicism which gives the improviser an endless variety of musical combinations. It must be acknowledged that inherent in this discipline is an entire gamut of accompanying skills, including but not limited to a highly developed sense of “swing” and syncopation in a jazz style as well as a convincing and personal sound emanating from one’s instrument.

Basic principles

Superimposition: This means that the improviser is thinking and hearing in a contrasting key or tonal center at the same time (s)he is operating in the given home key. In a sense, there are two scenarios operating at the same time; realization of what the underlying structure is while conceptualizing and executing other contrasting areas.

Tension and release: All artistic expression exists in the realm of tension and release (yin and yang, opposites, etc.) In traditional classical harmony, there is the dominant-tonic relationship which has guided western music for centuries. That same principle holds true for chromaticism. One can only create tension in relation to the eventual resolution which inevitably occurs at some point in the music. This is why the ability to play diatonically in a credible manner is essential to the chromatic approach.

Historical precedent

The history of Western classical music from the time of Palestrina and Monterverdi through the innovations of the twentieth century composers essentially follows the path of an increased use of dissonance or chromaticism. Tracing the harmonic concepts of Bach and Mozart through Beethoven and Wagner; from Brahms through Debussey and finally the era of Schoenberg, Stravinsky and Bartok reveals a seemingly straight path demonstrating the increased use of dissonance. In jazz, a case can be made for a parallel history from Louis Armstrong through Charlie Parker to John Coltrane and then artists such as Cecil Taylor and others. Of course, in jazz this path has taken place in less than one hundred years.

In the final analysis, a listener brings his or her own experience to the table when listening to music. To my mind, an expanded sense of chromaticism will enrich a listener’s experience and broaden one’s vision resulting in a deeper emotional as well as intellectual pleasure deriving from the music.

On Rhythm

Phrasing and rhythm are two of the most important things I teach to all instrumentalists. When someone comes to me for a lesson, first I listen to them play a tune or a blues while I play the drums to check out their sense of form and time feel. My biggest area of concern is the eighth note feel which is the common denominator of jazz rhythm; it’s like the penny to the dollar; the currency used in jazz. Of course we use other combinations but the basis is the eighth note (or triplet with the middle one left out, which for the sake of this discussion is the same). The number one fundamental skill that a jazz musician has to have is a good eighth-note feel. The best way to do that is by imitating someone who does it well, through transcription.

Transcribing is the best way to understand subtleties like eighth note feel and nuance. You start out imitating someone and eventually it becomes your own way as it filters through. Some people may object to this approach because it’s a direct imitation of somebody else’s mode of expression, but to me it’s just a process and a means to an end. In the final analysis, you can never breathe like another person and your heartbeat will not be the same as someone else, etc. If you continue to evolve, it’s inevitable that you’ll come up with your own interpretation. If you don’t continue to evolve the least you’ll have is a time feel like Sonny Rollins if you copied him for example, which is not so bad!

There are a few concepts of time feel that I discuss with students. One that is very important is understanding that a beat is an “area”. It’s a space, not a point in time. If I hold my hands twelve inches apart, that distance is a beat at whatever tempo. That’s a big area and inside it I can choose to strike my downbeat in the middle, at the end or in the beginning. Musically, we think of that as playing on top or bottom of the time, ahead or behind the beat, pushing or laying back. Words like “rushing” and “dragging” are the negative connotation of these concepts. They’re the extreme, which means you have overdone it and gone into the other beat. The elasticity of the beat is what I’m emphasizing. The fact that a beat is an area and not a definite point means that you have quite a bit of freedom. There are a lot of grays, not all black and whites. The slower the tempo the more freedom you have because you have a large area from which to choose where to place your beat. The “accurate” beat is being marked off by the metronome or the rhythm section (which when the musical level is high will be applying the same flexibility), allowing you to use the entire area for placing the beat wherever you choose.

The way you manipulate this concept determines your time feel. There are no two people who do it exactly the same way. At the same time, how you address the issue also depends on the context you are playing in. Certain kinds of music demand a definite concept in this regard to be rhythmically successful. A Sousa march is going to be interpreted pretty much on top of the beat as would a samba for example, but a slow blues might automatically have a laid back character attached to it. How you interpret the beat may also depend on your physical state at the time, meaning how your body rhythm is, what you ate and what you’re thinking about – it can really come down to that. Because of the nature of time and the flexibility that’s built into it, this is a rich area for study, especially through transcription.

A simple but effective exercise for working on your time is to play a major scale from the root to the ninth or add a half step between any two scale tones if you like. You need to get eight notes so it comes out even in one bar of 4/4 time. Play up and down the scale with the metronome clicking on two and four. Practice playing ahead, behind, and in the middle of the beat. Try to achieve a level where the beat is flexible and the metronome becomes purely a reference point. You need to develop an independent sense of where the metronome is and have it so strongly internalized that you don’t even have to think about it. You want to be able to do this little dance, playing ahead and behind the beat, as well as dead center when needed. It is a question of balance, tension and release and looseness—all very important principles in any art.

Once a student gets that flowing, I discuss two other rhythmical concepts: against and over the time. The clearest example of “against the time” is when you take two quarter notes and play three notes against them – in other words a quarter-note triplet or three over two. This is a basic and familiar polyrhythm. You can take this to extremes and even work it out on paper by executing three against four, four against three, five against four and so on. If you listen to Indian drumming (especially south Indian) you’ll hear many polyrhythm and metric modulations going on. Without getting really technical, just try to play against the quarter note. This gives you a very wide spectrum and multiple choices resulting in a feeling of another tempo and unusual rhythmic combinations.

“Over the time” is another concept I discuss. I don’t know if John Coltrane thought of it in this way, but when you look at a Coltrane transcription, especially from his later period, one of the most striking rhythmical aspects are the groupings of fives, sevens, nines, etdc., meaning uneven figures against the beat. Usually they were runs or what I call multi-noted flurries. Was Coltrane mathematically permutating or was he just “feeling” these groupings?

Everything is speculation, especially when you’re studying what somebody played and what you think is implied from it. What it suggests to me is “over the time,” or in a sense momentarily leaving the pulse. Forget you are relating to a quarter-note for short periods of time, like maybe a bar or two. If I’m playing eighth-notes lines, I may throw in an uneven grouping every few bars, usually in the context of playing fast rhythms. If I do it more often, I have in a sense suspended the ongoing pulse division in my own playing. Although the pulse still underlies the music as it always does (similar to the force of gravity that surrounds us), I’m not thinking about the beat for that particular moment. There is a clash that hopefully will eventually be resolved by an “in the time” phrase, which should incontestably swing.

These are the rhythmic concepts that I talk about which one can actually practice to some degree with a metronome and certainly with a play-along record used as a steady non-deviating background. You need to get the beat very strong in your head so that you can play around it. This can only happen by practice and experience.

The metronome is an important tool to practice with in the beginning, but you need to set the metronome on two and four just as a drummer would play the hi-hat. You want to get the feeling of the upbeat/backbeat, not the downbeat. This is very important in jazz. After you’re comfortable with two and four, set the metronome only on the fourth beat and play your scales or lines to that, then place the metronome click on the upbeat of four and other upbeats. If you do this for some time, first with scales, then intervals and lines, you’ll get to a point where you’ll feel all the beats as being the same. It doesn’t matter what the beat is because you’ll never turn the time around. You’ll never confuse two and four and make it one and three, which in the beginning can be a challenge. You won’t even have to worry about the one. All you really need to be concerned with is the pulse which is one, two, three, four. Conceptually, the pulse can easily be recognized as one, one, one, or two, two, two, etc. In the end, to accomplish the kind of independence I’m describing, a beat doesn’t have to have a number on it; it just has to be a beat. In any case, after eight bars usually we feel the big “one” of the turnaround, at least if it’s a normal cyclical form

Phrasing As Art

As far as I’m concerned, a big part of phrasing is using good judgment. It’s thinking about it how one can mix things up so that they’re not so predictable. I learned it from Miles Davis, as it was one of the strongest aspects of his playing. That was his sense of timing: when to play, not only what you play. Let’s turn that around and say, when not to play. In other words, when not to say what’s already been said or is going to be said or maybe doesn’t have to be said!! This is part of becoming a mature artist, because eventually you edit more and more. Editing doesn’t mean that you necessarily play fewer notes. Coltrane played more notes toward the end of his life. That’s a question of density which is different from editing one’s playing down to essential statements, whatever they maybe constructed of. In the final analysis this is a matter of personal aesthetics and taste.

For me editing means a sense of when to do something, when to turn it on, when to turn it off, when to hit hard, when not to hit, when to caress, or when to play fortissimo for example. In jazz, good judgment may mean letting the rhythm section take on more of the load. Let them be responsible for the completion or initiation of phrases, so you’re not bound to play all the time, allowing some breathing room, avoid avoiding boredom and repetition as well as providing an opportunity to think. It’s much more interesting for the rhythm section because they’re now interacting. The listener actually hears a conversation going on rather than only a soloist accompanied by a rhythm section, great as that may be. The bebop format was by and large a soloist with rhythm section. When the rhythm section was right, it became a harmonic/rhythmic underpinning, much like a carpet to walk over. One of the developments of contemporary jazz, especially in the 1960s, was not just a soloist with a background but heightened equality. The free jazz movement of that period really fostered this concept. Whatever you may think of that style, it raised the importance of interplay which really hadn’t been heard to any degree since Dixieland.

In free jazz, one of the understandings was to play together rather than soloist followed by soloist. Even the Miles Davis Quintet of the mid 1960s (Hancock, Shorter, Carter and Williams) incorporated increased interaction and independence between the rhythm section and soloist. They might plant seeds for the soloist, or enlarge upon what was played. At times they might actually get ahead and do something before the soloist thought of it. Independence and interplay were the point. When a rhythm section plays like that, it means that I have a choice: I can play or not play and let them initiate. You have to have high level musicians to do that with which goes without saying. These must be folks who can “deal”, meaning not only knowing the rhythm, form and changes that may be present, but able to make something more out of what’s there. If you play with drummer Jack DeJohnette for example, he’s not going to be inactive for long; he’s not going to play two and four on the hi-hat just to keep time. He’s going to interact with you. He’s still playing time, keeping the form and swinging which is the drummer’s responsibility, just as my job as a horn player is playing the melody, but he’s not going to be content for long with solely fulfilling these commonly understood functions. Neither are Miroslav Vitous or Dave Holland on bass for example. If you play in that kind of environment, you can relax and leave a couple of bars empty and the rhythm section will probably play something hipper then you could have ever thought of.

This is the conversation that’s of interest to me when I play or listen to jazz. I just don’t want to hear a great soloist. I want to hear a story which emanates from a group of people. The force of that is incredible. Having three, four, or five people giving their all, playing by the rules of that particular context and manipulating the rules to their own personal tastes in relation to the other musicians is very powerful. That is musical democracy at work meaning participation and interaction. When it’s happening with high-level musicians, then you have magic which is what people respond to, the realization that you’re getting off on each other and creating something new that never happened before. Even if it’s simple or just three notes, the effect is the same upon the listener. The band is communicating with each other in front of their ears and eyes. Ninety percent of what is called jazz today is not jazz. It’s like jazz; it uses the language, the vernacular, the customs, the swagger of jazz so to speak; but all on the surface. It looks like jazz – but without the communication and the interplay.

Pedagogy

Before we get too far along in this lesson, I’d like to address one question. Since I have written several books on jazz and improvisation and do a lot of teaching, I’m often asked if I teach the same way as I was taught. In my case, ideology came after instinct, meaning I had to construct my own explanations as to what I was learning. If it was the present period or the recent past and I was starting to play, it would probably be different because I’d have books to read and teachers to aid me in understanding. Jazz education has come along way in the past twenty to thirty years, but when I started playing, no one told me what I’m telling you. No one gave me even a suggestion to practice what I am discussing here. No one described rhythm as “against the time” or “over the time.” I have found that in teaching these ideas on rhythm for example, I was able to explain to a student the concept of a flexible time feel. For me this is one of the trademarks of an accomplished jazz musician, meaning (s)he has the ability to be flexible with the time as well as with tone color, harmony, etc. Hearing these aspects in a solo makes me feel that a musician is expressing him or herself in the moment and is not just playing like a machine with a preset agenda. That is the element you hear in all the great players. They have an amazing looseness of time feel for example. Think of Joe Henderson or Sonny Rollins or even Coltrane, each within their own spectrum. The beat is something they don’t have to think about.

Mind & Improvisation

One question that I’m often asked is: “What are you thinking about when you’re improvising?” This depends on who I’m playing with and the material. I don’t have to think about the changes if I’m playing “Stella by Starlight.” But if you tell me to play “Stella by Starlight” in Gb or another less familiar tune I might have to think about it for a minute because of lack of familiarity.

There are some musicians who can hear anything in any key, certainly the common progressions of standards and bebop. You play it for them once and they can hear the changes right away, as Charlie Parker, Chet Baker and others could do. For me, I’m quick at seeing any kind of changes and knowing what a chord implies meaning what the consonant and dissonant notes are. I determine to what degree I can use these factors as I play. My ear, experience and instinct provide the decision making tools.

When I’m sight reading new music with a progression that’s unfamiliar, I have to think about it, at least in the beginning. If I have a chance to play a tune ten or twenty times in a row, I won’t have to think. “Thinking” about it means that if I see an F minor chord with a flat five it triggers a particular scale. Am I saying F, G, Ab, Bb, etc. to myself? No, because if I thought that slowly I’d be unable to play. What happens is that I see the chord symbol and I recognize the basic scale. I may at that moment not have every note right, but I’m able to pick out those that will produce result in continuity in the improvised line and allow me to get through that chord and on to the next.

If I play the tune over and over again and don’t want to sound stale or repetitive, I will most likely continue to develop my thinking toward some other possible notes to use. I’m sure John Coltrane did that with “Giant Steps,” “Moments Notice” or even “Lazy Bird” which is not an easy tune. Coltrane wrote some very challenging tunes, as did Wayne Shorter. The progression to “Pinocchio” and tunes like that were strange at the time. Some of Joe Henderson’s tunes are like that. These tunes were ground breaking because harmonically they were not the normal Tin Pan Alley progressions, which most everything before was. (By the way, obviously I’m talking about tunes that use chord progressions; for the sake of this discussion I am not discussing chordless music like that of Ornette Coleman or Cecil Taylor’s which is a different language.)

Tin Pan Alley tunes (“standards”) are basically tonic/dominant relationships: IV-V-I, V-I; pretty much like the history of classical music. What the innovators of the 1960s did is use relationships that don’t modulate in common diatonic cycles. Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” which is really only a two-bar cycle was a unique and unusual progression at that time. To play it, especially at the speed he did, I’m sure he had to think about it and practice, which historically we know he did. On the recorded version that most of us know, he played a rather mechanical solo employing finger-like 1-2-3-5 patterns, but the sheer speed and excellence of bringing it off is what amazes you and me as we listen to it.

To Coltrane’s credit though, he went much further than just 1-2-3-5 patterns on the songs he did in the “Giant Steps” cycle. He used it on several tunes, such as “What is This Thing Called Love (“Fifth House”), “Body and Soul,” “How High the Moon (”Satellite”), and “Confirmation” (“26-2”), etc. He got much looser on it after “Giant Steps.” What he figured out was that the “Giant Steps” cycle was a substitute for a ii-V progression, so he just put it into tunes that evidenced that normal cycle. In his version of “Body and Soul,” he uses the cycle on the bridge, and that was only a year or so after “Giant Steps.” Being familiar with a piece of music implies that you do not have to think about the structure or movement of chords allowing you to ponder other aspects of performance. Not being familiar equates to lack of experience, or no practice implying that there is going to be some mental figuring out of what is going on.

The Moment

I guess the next question would be, if I’m not thinking changes, then what am I thinking about? I can answer that in a metaphysical/spiritual way and say, I’m not really there. I’m trying to be outside myself and observe as I play. I am not there but I am there. This is music coming out of you at the moment. It’s based on experience, yet it’s fresh. I’m trying to think about interplay and expression. What did I just do and what should I do? I’m thinking about form, though not necessarily as twelve bars or AABA, but in the sense of the curve of the solo. Did I start loud, hard, soft; did I go down in dynamics; should I come up and end with a climax? Did the piano solo first? Since he just soloed, I’m going to use a different approach to my turn and then leave something else for the next horn player to do. Miles was always aware of that. He always played first and the saxophone next. Most of his saxophonists played fast, so that he could play slow. At one point I discussed this with him and he said, “I play slow; you play fast. The saxophone plays fast, that’s what a saxophone does.” It was very simple to him-a matter of balance.

When I think of form, I think of what I did and what was heard. As soon as I play one thing, that’s a fact. It’s like science. Here’s the thesis. Now, here’s the antithesis. Here’s the question and here’s the answer or complement to that. In other words, as soon as I have played my first phrase, I’m already thinking about what I did and what I need to do. Everything is based on memory accompanied by one’s particular way of figuring out what is needed for balance. So if I play fast, I’ll probably say, it’s time to play slow. I don’t know if a clock goes off in my head that literally says “slow down,” but I’m thinking about what I just did, and I’m trying to remember what I just played. Of course, there is all that interaction with the rest of the group to also deal with.

I have complete confidence in what I play. By that I mean it’s fine, even if it’s not fine. I don’t censor it, nor do I have a little guy standing there with a checklist saying, “Good, not good, etc.” As soon as you judge yourself, you’re lost. I play-it’s done-let’s move on. I don’t judge it as good or bad. I might listen to a recording and criticize my playing but that’s after the fact. Many students talk about this constant chatter going on in their head while they’re playing and for many years I experienced that as well. But that stops with experience and maturity. After awhile you start feeling relaxed and confident enough to realize whatever you did is fine. You learn to accept what you’ve done and believe in yourself if only because other people believe in you.

Maybe somebody felt this way from the first day they played, but for me it was definitely a process. This is part of the reason I wrote the book Self-Portrait of A Jazz Artist. The process of artistic growth and becoming aware of oneself is of interest to me. Developing as a musician is a reflection of how we grow as people in the real world. One of the greatest things to discover as a jazz musician is yourself meaning finding out what you do best. You must capitalize on that strength rather than what you can’t do.

Who Am I

When I was younger, what bothered me was that I couldn’t play like Coltrane or any of my idols. I really wanted to play like them. What I realized of course is that you can’t play like someone else. The message is not “play like me;” but rather “do like me.” I think it’s important to learn what you do best and be able to describe it, meaning realizing what it consists of in musical terms. Make the most out of that material instead of doing what you think or wish you could do. You can get to those other things when you have time, but first get your act together. Young improvisers don’t understand this and I don’t blame them, because I didn’t either.

You’re not going to play all styles equally well. You’re not going to play on all kinds of chord changes or even all tempos equally. You’re going to have strong and weak points which have to do with your nature, experience and what you practiced. Find out what the best thing is you do, stay in there and make the most out of it. Have a base from which you can move out into other areas that interest you and relate them to this center core. If you don’t have that center core that you’re confident of and good at, you’re like a trapeze artist without a safety net. If you’ve got the safety net and fall, you are safe. It’s the same to always have something you can play to bring you back home. You know it’s going to sound good because you’ve done it before and are comfortable with it. That’s one thing about a master-he has his language completely covered. Of course some have a larger or smaller area, depending on their taste and what they’re interested in.

To my mind, a master means that the thing he or she does is solid and recognizable from the first note, implying you know who it is. Why is it that you can identify a master from the first note? Because of the mouthpiece he uses? Because of the horn? Because of the reed he uses? Because of the way he fingers a B? It’s because he believes in what he does and developed something masterful. A young artist doesn’t know that because he’s trying everything, all part of the process.

I’ll say to a student, OK, you’ve tried many things. You can play like Trane, you can play like Bird, you can play piano, you know harmony, you can write tunes. Now what do you want to do? The response is usually: “I love it all. Every night it’s different. I like to play like this and play like that. I like this style and I like that style.” Well, that’s not good enough at a certain point. You’ve got to hang with one thing, build your core and make it part of you. That’s what maturity is all about and that’s what I spend most of my later lessons talking about to the serious students. It’s like Psychology 101. You have to discover who you are and believe in what you do. As you get to that level, then you need to use musical judgments and aesthetics, the principles of tension and release, balance, etc. In other words, the tenets of art.

Saxophone: Harmonics, Intonation & Timbre

In my book Developing A Personal Sound, I talk about a tone-matching exercise that comes from my master, Joe Allard. The exercise involves playing a harmonic off of low Bb and matching the pitch and color with the regular fingering. For example, if I fingered low Bb and produced the first overtone, I would get middle Bb which would have a different quality to it than the regular fingering because the sound is produced using the entire bore of the saxophone.

“Matching the pitch and color” implies finding the center of the tone. You want to match the brilliance or darkness as well as the resonance of the overtone and remember what it feels like, so that when you play the regular fingering, the sound is not going to be squeezed. The sound on the saxophone tends to thin out the higher you play, especially when using the palm keys because at that point you are employing very little of the body of the horn. You’re vibrating much less brass and pushing air, especially on the soprano sax, into a very small space which is the neck. If you play the higher notes off of a lower fingering (called the fundamental), you get the benefit of the full vibration of the horn which gives you a certain feeling in your throat, or more accurately, the vocal cords. It’s a feeling of fullness which is very satisfying. If you play high D off of the low Bb fingering (fourth overtone) and memorize what that feels like, you’ll have a better chance to produce a fuller sounding note when you play the high D with the normal palm key fingering. This will give you a secure feeling and inevitably lead to better intonation and control because of the increased stability in your larynx.

Intonation on the saxophone is always of concern because there are so many variables. Your body, your mouthpiece, where your mouthpiece is placed on the neck, the horn itself are factors because of the design as well as even the height of the keys. Some musicians seem to have an inner sense of pitch. They always know where it’s at. Others need to tune carefully to their surroundings, meaning the other instruments. A good way to practice is with a chromatic tuner, especially for the soprano sax. It kills you and can be like a nightmare because it’s very hard to be accurately in tune, but it has to be done at some point.

Practicing with a tuner is not the only way to improve your intonation. When a young saxophonist comes to me and asks: “If I want to play in tune, should I practice with the tuner ten hours a day?” I’d say no, because then you’ll just depend on the tuner and in the final result you have to depend on your relative sense of intonation. The saxophone is an inaccurate instrument, so it’s good to discover its tendencies. But you have to remember that you’re playing in a jazz situation where intonation is not only loose because of the nature of jazz, but is also part of the expressive language. You don’t want to be out of tune, but you want to use intonation as an expressive nuance.

Altissimo

If you’re able to play the overtones and you have that good feeling in your throat that I’ve alluded to, the altissimo will be easier to play. The various fingerings almost don’t matter. The only thing that the false fingerings do for the altissimo is help facilitate the sound because they break the air stream up and create a leak so the note jumps. In the end, it’s not really the fingerings that make it happen but your throat, larynx, hearing and a little bit of lip and tongue positioning which enhance the necessary higher partials. Of course I’ll practice with a tuner and find the best fingerings for intonation. It’s a matter of experimentation.

I use the altissimo as more of a vocal expression. I’ve never really worked on it in a classical or pop manner. What seemed important was to have a vocal quality in that register. I loved Coltrane’s altissimo because when he used it, it made you feel so much passion and soulfulness because it was an emotional climax of the line or phrase. When I’m playing up in the altissimo, those notes are accompanied by my voice. If you put a mic near my throat you’d hear a pitch emanating, not necessarily the same exact note as I am playing. A certain pitch in my throat produces one color, while another produces a different color, both using the same fingering. That’s really what I’m dealing with in the altissimo. The sound I get on any given day depends on my throat, my mood, and how connected up my whole being is. I don’t have it planned and I don’t really know how it’s going to happen, but it’s definitely some sort of throat activity.

Mouthpiece & Reeds

On soprano I play a very open setup while the tenor piece is a bit more normal. On the small horn, I play with the same air stream as on tenor, hence the need for a big opening. I wouldn’t try this at home-it’s not for everybody. I think that is what gives me my particular sound. I push a lot of air through the instrument so I need a pretty resistant setup. I did use plastic reeds for years but am back on cane which is working fine with some adjustments I automatically make which I describe in detail in Developing A Personal Saxophone Sound. My basic rap on mouthpieces, reeds and horns is that once you understand the principles, you can literally play anything. Of course you look for a certain comfort level and ease, so you don’t have to strain to get what you want.

Often, students look at the horn as some kind of object to pick up, wear on their neck and deal with like a machine. But it should be seen as an extension of one’s vocal cords with the bridge between this “object” and the vocal cords being the mouthpiece. It is just an amplifier that has keys on it so you can get to the notes faster than your voice. Of course, certain horns have this or that tendency due to construction, material, etc. In my case, on the road I use a different tenor everyday and it is usually fine (with my mouthpiece of course.)

Miking the soprano

Unless you are using a wireless or pickup system you really need to use two microphones on a straight soprano. Look at where the sound comes from. On the left hand, including the palm keys, the sound is going out to the left. The same for the right hand keys. So it seems logical to have the mic in those two locations. In Coltrane’s day, they just placed one mic in the middle, out in front of him which worked fine. Beware of putting one mic in the bell at all costs. Both live and in the studio I’ll record with two mics, basically one at around 8:00 o’clock on the left and 2:00 o’clock on the right. The engineer can put each on a separate track meaning they can equalize each as necessary, rolling off the highs on the top mic if it’s too bright, or brightening up the bottom mic on the lows.

Overall Technique

There is very little creativity about developing technique. You procure some difficult books, start at the beginning and go through until you can play them. You learn the fingerings and practice till you have it down. It’s like sight-reading; there’s no creativity, you just do it. Like reading prose, if you expand your vocabulary you can read more sophisticated levels of literature and philosophy, etc. You learn the words by looking them up in the dictionary. It doesn’t mean you’re brilliant; it just means you had a little more inspiration to do something.

Start with Marcel Mule or somebody like him as everyone has for the past half a century or more. In truth there are so many different books that it doesn’t matter what you get as long as it’s going to make you read and execute passages that you haven’t played before so you’ll improve. Get each exercise up to speed and move on through the book. I’ve been feeling more and more that it’s really important for students to work on classical studies. I find that some of the young jazz musicians don’t have technique. They come in the back door, teaching themselves by ear, which by itself is fine. They love the music and want to play it, but they don’t realize how much technique is involved. Somewhere along the line, you need to practice technique for technique’s sake.

When I talk about working on classical repertoire or studies, I’m not saying be a classical saxophonist. The classical world is a whole different scenario representing another set of values. To play classical saxophone, you have to have a different mouthpiece and play with a different kind of air stream, etc. A classical saxophonist even looks different! Classical saxophone is something different as it should be because they’re after another result: “Don’t change what’s written, please!!” Interpret, and only that to a certain degree. In jazz, most of what we do is not even on paper. When I say that everyone should play the classical repertoire, I mean play through the books. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or even have to be saxophone pieces. It just has to be challenging technically. After all, to play a Bird solo or “Giant Steps” involves a lot of chops, pure and simple.

In fact, near virtuosity is mandatory. Every succeeding generation throws down the gauntlet as far as raising the bar in this way. What was innovative and new becomes standard and required. In the past few decades since Coltrane the level of proficiency on the instrument has risen dramatically. Now everybody is a speed demon. If you look at the true innovators, the first observable level is often technical. In general, the innovators definitely raised the technical level on their instruments. Louis Armstrong, Bird and Coltrane all did that for sure. Alongside this contribution, they added something musically, not to mention spiritually which became transferable to all instruments and the music itself. That is true innovation.

Altered Techniques

On one of my trips to Israel, I met with a saxophonist who was Sephardic Jew meaning he grew up with the quarter-tone sound as part of his North African prayers, so this kind of intonation was natural in his ear. He figured out quarter-tone fingerings for every note on all the saxophones. Besides playing authentic Arabic music he used it in jazz. He was gracious enough to show me the fingerings and basic concept. What you need to do is sit down with a tuner and experiment. By raising and lowering different keys, you can get approximately fifty cents sharp or flat on a given pitch which would be a quarter-tone. Putting a key down somewhere, usually in the right hand can alter most pitches. It’s amazing how much you can do. I definitely use this technique along with false fingerings and multiphonics for further expressiveness. Sometimes the result can be just a muffled tone of the same pitch.

The Future of Jazz

Critics are always looking for the next “new “thing. New is not always better and often new is not really new. If you think it’s new, it’s because you probably are not aware of where it comes from. Why does art have to continue evolving upwards? Why can’t an art form develop in different ways?

There’s a sideways impulse that can also happen implying there is space on the edges of an innovation. For example one could explore any one of the various Coltrane periods and build a musical life on it, possibly going further than even he did. As soon as you get into the center of something, it expands and becomes much more then it appeared to be at the outset. This is what an artist who is in it for longevity does. (S)he delves deeply into something that’s been touched upon, either in the recent or far past and expands upon it.

We are in a period of collection and explanation If you look at the music of the last decades in jazz, what’s the biggest trend besides the neo-classicism of some musicians, which is reinventing the past and is always present contemporaneously with new developments in any art form? For lack of a better word, it is “fusion”, not as the jazz-rock style of the 70s, but implying the blending of idioms together. It’s like a recipe-if you have one spice instead of two, you have a different tasting soup. I personally don’t think that much more innovation is going to happen in jazz. Great stylists will always appear but I don’t think we’ll have much more vertical development. Instead it will be the combinations which accurately reflects the world we live in. Jazz is not some cult music played in a tiny bar on 52nd Street anymore nor does it represent a subculture as it formerly did. It’s part of the mainstream as are most art forms nowadays because of education and exposure. Therefore jazz musicians will borrow, blend, steal or whatever from everything around them. It’s all in the mix like a giant bouillabaisse stew. A jazz musician now is no different than say a pop artist in that they fit into the context of contemporary culture where everything is mixed together. Of course you could pass a judgment that the pure art form has been diluted by this blending, but new combinations can yield original ways of looking at something.

On the other hand jazz has a very important role in overall music education. It is the liberal arts training in music of our era, similar to the “three B’s” of former times. If we were talking about this in the nineteenth century and were asked: “What’s important in music education today?” The answer would’ve been: “the three B’s: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.” That was the history of music in the Western world till that time. Jazz occupies that space in the past hundred years because through it you learn many aspects: classical harmony, all kinds of rhythms that one hears everywhere, even on TV commercials as well as pop and ethnic music, not to mention insights into whatever the current technology is. Most important, jazz teaches you about improvisation, which ties in with much of what we hear around us as far as how music is put together. As well, a lot of contemporary classical music has a very improvisational nature. So when you learn jazz you are acquiring a lot of information, helpful to be musically equipped in a variety of ways.

This is an exciting time for jazz. The innovations may be exhausted, but the possible combinations are endless. Back in the 1930s, the swing musicians might have felt that musically, they had seen it all. But they hadn’t really, because all they had to do was turn to Schonberg and know that they couldn’t do that yet. If they had, maybe they would have said, “Why can’t we write music like that? Why can’t we have a chord like that to play on?” This was because of limitation of access. Today, I don’t think there is much music that I don’t have in my record collection. Times are different because it’s more of a world community now and everything is accessible with a click.

Final Thought

Serious jazz is the most personal of expressions. In a sense you are naked on the stage when you improvise. You have to combine mind, body and soul and believe in what you are saying, because when one converses on this level, the truth of your convictions is apparent to all. You are part of a rich spiritual tradition that demands respect and discipline. It is not something to take lightly if you purport to be serious.

by DAVID LIEBMAN

The following includes two different expositions of how to practice. Of course some material is duplicated but it is always useful to see multiple explanations of a subject as broad as how to practice.

 ARTICLE ONE

The following is basically (with some edits) the lecture I gave at the Jamey Aebersold Summer Workshop in Louisville, Kentucky at the end of my one day visit there in July, 2005. There is a two set DVD available through Caris Music (“David Liebman Teaches and Plays”) with this lecture in addition to another on saxophone expressive techniques. It also includes a concert featuring Rufus Reid, Dave Hazeltine, John Riley and Steve Davis. But for those who want a freebie, here’s the rap on practicing. Of course some of this material appears elsewhere in my writings over the years, but it is always good to revisit it every so often.

Now What?

The purpose of coming to a workshop like this is to learn, to improve in the pursuit of this particular music. If at the end of five days, you are not completely confused, something is wrong. If you are not slightly frustrated, something is really wrong….now what? The nature of the week is intense, more than what could ever be absorbed. This is not just learning facts and repeating them. This must be applied to your instrument. Without reinforcement it has no meaning. There are too many books in the music store that all say the same thing. The knowledge has been told, there are only so many ways to say the same thing.

You must try to see through the forest. Make a list on paper of the things you learned this week. This should be about ten or twenty pages, from very complex to very simple. Do this while it is fresh in your mind. Separate this list into categories-ranging from the five year plan to what you may be able to accomplish in a few concentrated hours in the next week or two so that they become natural, without having to think about it. Look at in an objective way; what can I get right now?

In English, we have the conditional tense which doesn’t exist in many other languages. Conditional is should, would, could…it’s all about doing, IF, IF, IF. You don’t want to be in the conditional sense in regard to your practicing. You know what it is; just look at the list and find three to five things you can do on the next month. Don’t worry about what you can’t do. It’s the old cliché again:  the glass half empty or half full analogy—well it is half full in this case. That’s the way to get something of value out of this week.

Ritual

Some of the material demands rote practicing, day after day until it is part of you. Scales, learning tunes, transcribing, they are time consuming. The most important thing about practicing is ritual. All religions that try to inculcate someone into their beliefs have as a basic past of what they do entwined in ritual. There’s a reason for this, because when you do something enough times, it starts to take hold. If you are going to learn something new on your instrument, it must be done every day for a certain amount of time. I can’t tell you what the time is unless you came directly to me. That’s what your teacher’s job is, to prioritize and to tell you how long to work on a particular technique. Until it’s done every day, you are wasting time. When you cram for a test, you don’t remember anything after. It hasn’t been absorbed enough.

Be realistic, eight hours a day is probably not going to happen, not necessarily because of your desire, but life in general takes over. You have to look at your schedule realistically whether you are forty five years old or ten. If you’re serious about what you have to do, then you realistically have x amount of time. Not just holidays, not the weekend, not waiting till the house is empty. Ask yourself what you can realistically do Monday through Saturday with my life the way it is (Let’s be optimistic about it and say we have four to six hours a day.)  If you can stick to at least two to three hours a day, for a minimum of six days a week, then you have a shot. (The other day go out in the woods!!) If you can stay with that you are on your way to good practicing. Some things take 6-9 months depending upon the difficulty of what you are trying to learn and your personal abilities in relation to that; but if it is just a new scale, then maybe a few weeks, etc. If you put your time in, it WILL happen.

Organizing Time

The next thing is quite important, about priorities-how to organize your time with no distractions. The ideal scene: no one can hear you, not your mother, not your brother, not your friend, not your lady—nobody should hear you practicing. You can say “I don’t care” but the vibe is in the air and it affects you. If you can’t be alone do the best you can. This is your time, it’s a meditation. It’s work, it’s real work which means a lot of mental calories and it has to be done without distraction.

Objectivity

One of my teachers (Charles Lloyd) said to me (paraphrased): “You’re not being objective; you’re getting TOO into it all the time. You’re over the top. You should be practicing but you think you are performing. I’ll bet you stand in front of the mirror and see how pretty you look with that shiny horn!” There’s no emotion about practicing—objectivity, not subjectivity. There shouldn’t be: “Yes, this is good; no, this is bad.” You should feel nothing! It’s practice-save the emotion for the bandstand and when you want to impress someone. When you are practicing there’s nobody there but “you and the night and the music” (great tune). There’s no opinion about it. If you do it like that, you are going to gain a lot from practicing. This is not fun-it’s work-just do it. Have fun when you go out and play. When someone says you sound good, there will be a feeling of joy and accomplishment that is real and right to feel. Not because your practice went good or bad-be objective!

Journal

Keep a practice journal; short notes on what needs work, the metronome setting, etc. This will be great reinforcement when you look back. And it will remind you of things you might’ve forgotten. Ways to check your own progress-be you own teacher. The only thing a teacher should do besides motivation is give you a program and check its progress. It’s up to you to do it in a critical, objective fashion-every day with a schedule and cognizant of your weaknesses and strengths. You all know what your weakest points are. Be specific; is it time problems, what do you mean-do you drag; do you rush; is it stilted or choppy, etc? You have to define in your mind’s eye what the problem is so you can tackle it heads on. The teacher can help direct exercises to help the SPECIFIC situation. Put this at the top of your list—go for your weaknesses first. Forget the conditional tense; what you can do now that will make you better in the short term, followed by the long term.

Self Reinforcement

Reward yourself by listening to how you played six months ago. YOU ARE BETTER!! At least in those things you were practicing. Anything you study will have to get better, unless you are brain dead!! Especially if you are a novice, things change rapidly. Six months to a year is great—you’ve got to be better and again it’s the glass half empty /half full. Instead of “I’ll never be good enough; he is better; she is so good; I’m not…I can’t, etc.,” you will feel positive for a change. Of course there are

some things you may not be able to accomplish now or ever maybe, but there are a lot you can. Look at the pictures of the great cats around you on the wall here in the hall. They are not there just for fun-these are guys who did what I am saying.

Genius or Work?

In my opinion the only pure genius in music was Mozart. He was different from day one, he had it hooked up. EVERYBODY ELSE WORKED THEIR ASS OFF!! EVERYBODY!! Bird worked, Trane worked, Bill Evans worked, even Miles in his way worked-I can tell you that. Of course each person has their own way of practicing and their own goals but it is not about genius or incredible talent only (of course you have to have some degree of that). It’s about commitment—I can do this, I can get better, I can be at least as good as that guy over there. Everybody in this room can get better. If you really wish to get better, whether you are a professional, an aspiring student or play for a hobby. Whichever way, it is the same. Whatever level you are on, it doesn’t matter; you can be better than you think if you put time in and are serious about it. It’s how you organize your time that is crucial.

Relax but Practice, Don’t “Play”

There is nothing wrong with putting the ax down once in awhile. It’s cool and necessary. When you go back it is fresh again. That’s a stage that can go on for a few weeks even. Take it in stride. Maybe you are expecting too much and being too critical. Maybe you are scattering your energy over many hours rather than focusing. One good hour is better than four with ho focus. (Of course, if this “slump” goes on too long, you have a motivation problem and maybe should become a plumber!!)

I teach Doctoral students and ask them what they practiced yesterday. They say this or that book, patterns, etc., and then they just played. What do they mean by “played?” That isn’t practice, that’s playing. OK, once you get the basics down (scales, chords, licks, etc.) what do you do? More tunes? You see jazz is not like classical where the agenda is obvious: learn this piece until it is perfect and then on to the next. You got every marking of nuance to follow, tempos, everything. Learn what is on the page and then MAYBE you can be yourself in the interpretation—but of course only at the highest level. I envy these guys-they have it all mapped out. In the case of jazz, how do you measure how well you know your scales?  Because they are played fast in your woodshed?  Or because you can run them on a chord change in a tune?  We don’t have the same discrete measurements that they have in classical so it is imperative that you are objective and use your time wisely.  Be realistic and not so hard on yourself that you create a minefield. But of course be vigilant.

The Real Deal – Practicing Playing

So how do you practice playing? Well, you can’t-it is a misnomer. Sure, you can learn tunes and play through the stuff, but you can’t practice the feeling of interacting and spontaneity and all the things that go into a typical jazz performance. There is a period to play and not to play. Sometimes I have guys who are always looking for sessions to strut their stuff.  But maybe they should be doing heavy practicing instead of hanging out late. Get up at 9 a.m. and do all the boring rote stuff till 12. Take a break, do some business and do more before another break for dinner. Do some listening or light composing at night and go to bed at a reasonable time so you can do the same routine the next days. Don’t go out and jam at this stage-you are not ready. But next year, get out of the house and hit the streets. Get some gigs, etc. There’s a time and place for everything-use good judgment and seek the advice of people who really know the process.

Recognition of the Problem is All

Analyzing is great. In fact, half the problem is defining the problem. If you define it, you already have most of the solution!! Let’ say you are practicing a pattern the same way over and over again. Sit down and write five variations using space, different articulations, augmentation, neighboring tones, syncopation, etc. Since the caveman, we have been doing theme and variations even with three notes. Your job is to make it interesting so you are not stuck into rote, mechanical responses. Check it out: You come up against a problem which frustrates you. The fact that you noticed it (or a teacher/peer pointed it out-either way) is half the battle. Now, with objectivity and common sense you figure a way to improve the situation. Not magic-not even inspiration-just perspiration!! This is the auto didactic route; you are solving the problem yourself and gain confidence by doing that repeatedly. It may not be the answer to life, but you did it YOURSELF and that is crucial. Theme and variations—in twelve keys—damn, you are good for three weeks!!

Away from the Woodshed

There are many things you can do away from your instrument, even using the pitch pipe for ear training while walking around. Or singing rhythms in eight bar phrases. Do ear training with the radio. Most of all read about music and art. What made Beethoven tick or Louis Armstrong or Picasso or Miles? There are insights ready to be grabbed if you read and think about it. Their situation and yours are not as far apart as it seems, given time and place differences. Read stuff that isn’t music. Get your mind going-be able to analyze, dissect, organize and fantasize. In the end, your message isn’t going to be what you know or think you know. It will be about your life and experiences. So get busy.

Later and peace!!

 

ARTICLE TWO-concise summary of practice routine

PRACTICING

Probably the most important skill in learning is knowing how to practice. Once an individual forms his own way of achieving results it can be repeated for life. I divide practicing into three main areas. First is the instrument and the need to develop the necessary virtuosity. Tone, technique, finger dexterity, etc., are all part of the mastery of an instrument. Without high skills on an instrument, a student is at a serious disadvantage no matter how fertile his imagination is. The second area is the music: the vocabulary and rules of improvisation. This large subject includes transcription, repertoire, chords, composition, keyboard knowledge, everything connected with learning the vocabulary itself. The third area is aesthetics meaning in this case one’s development as an artist with a thorough understanding of the history of his chosen art form, a cultured and sophisticated understanding of the arts in general and some sense of self. Here we delve into matters of philosophy, wisdom, spirituality and more. This is the life area of study.

The goal of any practicing is to instill new or changed behavior via repetition towards habitualizing the activity until it becomes instinctive and can be accomplished without conscious thought. Specifically in music it is the auditory cortex of the brain which becomes physiologically connected to the brain’s motor area of cells in order to bring about the desired action. Repetition solders this connection. The success of the practice process is dependent upon the clarity and difficulty of the desired goal in combination with the individual’s makeup. There are several guidelines to good practicing.

1-Ritual: The basis of all religious indoctrination is ritual, repetitive chanting and in some cases exercises of meditation. It is the same with trying to change or instill new behavior in music. Whatever the task it must be done everyday for at least enough period of time to take root. To practice a lot one day and little the next is not effective. It has to be the same thing over and over again for a new action to have a chance to become instinctive.

2-Organization of time: It is crucial that the student organize the hours (s)he realistically has on a daily basis (at least five times a week and three hours for minimum improvement) into units. A basic unit would be one hour per practice item before moving on to the next. This is the area where a teacher should be of help in focusing the student’s units effectively.

3-Priority: The question becomes where do I begin with so much that there is to do. I urge the student to make a list of his strengths and weaknesses on a page, or subtitle the page “should do,” “would do,” “could do.” Objectively judge the strengths which need to be reinforced at the present time or perpetually (as in instrumental warm-ups for example) and those that can be put on a back burner for the time being. Then looking at the weaknesses begin the practicing for the next few weeks with the most glaring deficiency that by its improvement will make a significant difference. Start with the most necessary items on your list and hopefully in a lifetime you will work through most of it!! All serious artists have a long list of what they would do if they could but there is never enough time. We do the best we can in this regard.

4-Singularity: When practicing one activity do it with one main objective in mind and possibly a minor one. Be clear as to the objectives. For example if you are doing long tones, is it for breath control, clarity of tone, evenness of sound, attacks and decays, etc? It shouldn’t be all at once. The focus should be clear for each unit to get the most benefit.

5-Objectivity: Serious practice at the level I am describing is not fun, nor is it drudgery. IT JUST IS!! One should cultivate a feeling of neutrality rather than feeling good or bad every day about the practice session. It is objective, self improvement type of work. Save the emotion for performing.

6-Attitude: Being positive, patient and consistent with total concentration is what real practice is about. Anything less means you are indulging in busy work with minimal gains to be had. If this isn’t for you, then admit it and do something else.

7-Practical hints: Try to practice at the same time of day, maybe splitting the program into two parts. Do the rote stuff like long tones, technical exercises, etc in the morning possibly saving the creative part of repertoire, listening, transcription, composition, etc., for later in the day. Saturated listening, meaning the concentrated and repeated listening to certain tracks for specific pedagogical reasons should be done in the evening. Find a practice space that is if possible completely private with no one within listening range. Obviously there should be no phone or any distractions and take a break every hour or so. This is business and it should be treated that way.

Serious practice is easy to find time for when one is young. Those who are in school think that they have little time but in the real world matters of making a living, performing, personal life and so on intrude. I hope that at some point every serious student can set aside at least four to six months for a daily eight to ten hours of practice. This will have an effect for the rest of that person’s life. Keep a journal of thoughts about your practice. Jot down how things are going. This is good for review and also reinforcement to see how far you have advanced.

by DAVID LIEBMAN

 What is Jazz Rythym

When one listens to music what are the key elements that a listener responds to aside from the obvious factors of volume and intensity?  Beyond the actual notes played (melody and possibly harmony depending upon the music) there are two aspects that immediately affect any listener. This is especially true in an improvised art such as jazz where the composition is secondary to the performance itself. It is also true that these two elements are central to discerning the style and musical personality of the artist. In jazz, if we were to give five saxophonists the same notes to play in the same tempo and context, why would we immediately know that player one was Sonny Rollins while the other was for example Wayne Shorter?

The first impression that affects the listener is the sound emanating from the instrument. The tone that is heard is an extension of that artist’s voice and on a deeper level, their persona. This is why instrumentalists in any serious music spend so much time learning to control tone quality and sound. In the final result it is the voice of the performer through an instrument that is being heard.

In jazz after tone, it is what I call “time feel” that most expresses an artist’s unique conception. The manner in which the player rhythmically phrases is to an even larger degree more revealing than the actual melodic and harmonic content. It conveys a truly physical impression to the listener which is difficult to describe in words.

There are improvised traditions outside of jazz which have existed for centuries, one of the most prominent being Indian classical music. The idea of taking a melody and spontaneously creating variations within a certain rhythmical context is hardly new. One factor that separates jazz from other improvised idioms would seem to be the harmonic implications, stemming from the Western classical tradition. But as we know there are styles of jazz where harmony is either not employed or minimized to such a degree as to not be relevant. So it seems that what really distinguishes improvised traditions worldwide is the specific rhythmical context. And jazz certainly has a unique character in that respect.

In the first one hundred pages of Gunther Schuller’s seminal work, “Early Jazz”, the author gives a fantastic account of how certain elements of jazz evolved and in particular tracing the development of that central aspect of jazz, “swing”. One important point Schuller makes is that in jazz, the second and fourth beat of a 4/4 measure achieves equality (some would say even primacy) with the other beats of the bar. This is in marked contrast to a large majority of familiar musical traditions, especially in the Western cultures (where for the sake of discussion 4/4 is standard) in which the first beat assumes priority over the others. He points out that this marking off of the first downbeat is for obvious reasons when the music serves the purpose of dance or marching. In any case

every jazz musician knows that  “two” and ”four” are the swinging beats and in fact it is the four that really swings, while the upbeat of four swings even more!!

What is essential for every jazz player to realize in their playing is how pitches are linked together in a line with some sense of a rhythmical momentum. This momentum has ramifications about it, whether it is cast in a forward, aggressive manner or a relaxed, laid back sense. One way of describing this feeling is to use the word “groove” in describing rhythmic momentum. Of course pop music in the last part of the 20^th century also placed great emphasis on a groove, but that is a direct outgrowth of dance music and the purpose that any dance music serves, whether it be from the fifteenth or twenty-first century, be it a mazurka or an African tribal ceremonial dance. A musician’s groove in the jazz rhythmical language is most evident when the eighth note division is maintained.

Eighth notes are the main denomination of jazz time, much like the penny is to the American dollar. Although one may not play only eighth notes, they still serve as the underpinning of jazz time, similar to what the clave beat is in Afro Cuban music, meaning if not necessarily stated it is implied. A note here on terminology:what are called eighth notes in jazz may also be conceptualized as triplets with a space between the first and third part of the three part division, or it can be seen as a dotted eighth followed by a sixteenth note. For the purposes here the distinctions are not important. In short, when a jazz musician sees eighth notes written on a page, (s)he immediately plays the rhythm either like a dotted eighth followed by a sixteenth or the above described triplet.

In order to master the subtleties of playing convincing and swinging eighth notes it is necessary to understand various aspects that play a role in their execution. It is important to remember that though there are technical variables which are peculiar to each instrument in the actual playing of eighth notes, the effect is still the same. So though a pianist must for example figure out the proper finger movement to articulate eighths compared to a saxophonist’s use of the tongue striking a reed or the string player’s plucking, the goal is still the same which is well placed eighth notes. It’s understood that from the standpoint of being an instrumentalist, each musician must discover and practice the intricacies of execution which are idiosyncratic to their instrument.

To return to the discussion of what I term “time feel” I am not discussing aspects of syncopation, rhythmical augmentation and diminution, hemiola, etc., which describe actual rhythmical constructs themselves. No matter what rhythms are employed, be they eighths, sixteenths or whatever, it is the way these rhythms are played which determine the ambiance or feel of the music. I would venture to say that the emotional aspect of the music is greatly affected by how rhythm is played, maybe more so than what the rhythms themselves are made up of. A plausible definition of a good jazz rhythmic feel should involve words like “accurate” (meaning as close as possible to the original and ongoing pulse), “even” (connotating a smooth rather than choppy or awkward flow), “variable” (meaning not entirely predictable using a variety of rhythms) and of course our original word “swinging”.

What is swinging or not is to some extent a matter of taste and acclimation. That which swings to the novice versus the educated listener may be entirely different, but even among so-called experts, the feeling of swing is so personal and subjective as to seem to be beyond discussion (though there is indeed much intense discussion about what does or does not swing). However, I think we could generalize that a feeling of swing has a drive or momentum in balance with a feeling of relaxation and effortlessness. There is a “lilt” or bounce to the music that is beyond words. It is probably easier to point out what doesn’t swing than what does!!

Note some words of caution when attempting to describe rhythm in words. Unlike harmony and melody which can be clearly seen on the page making it available to be dissected and analyzed in very specific terms, describing a rhythmic feel, no matter whether it be jazz or Brazilian or whatever is from the start very difficult. Though we can describe rhythms themselves with technical terms, the effect or what I call time feel is basically beyond words. However we can describe the elements which determine this feel.

 

Phrasing

This expression is very commonly used as a general way to describe how rhythms are played. But in my opinion it is too general a word. If you ask someone what comprises a good rhythmic feel and they say “phrasing”, they haven’t really said anything. It’s like asking what do you eat for dinner and the reply is food!! But we can divide phrasing into its specifics.

 

1 – Articulation

Put simply this means the way a note is attacked, either at its onset where it is most obvious or more subtly the way notes are connected together in an ongoing line. The terms “staccato” and “legato” are most commonly used to describe two extremes of attack from hard to soft. But besides other musical terms such as tenuto, slur, accent, etc., it is nearly impossible to describe the grey area between the extremes of staccato and legato in words. In jazz, it is very much this middle area of articulation which is crucial to the feel. Another way to conceptualize articulation is as degrees of intensity in the attack of a note from light to hard, aggressive to gentle and so on. Another consideration is that certain styles of jazz might invoke one form of articulation as more favorable and therefore prevalent for that particular idiom. For example, one aspect of Charlie Parker’s innovations in the 1940s was his more legato articulation in combination with a constantly changing continuum between a relaxed and aggressive beat as compared to the earlier swing or dixieland players. John Coltrane’s articulation was more legato than the beboppers and so on. As a generalization we could say that the vast majority of articulations heard in jazz fall somewhere between staccato and legato with an incredibly vast palette of variety.

2 – Dynamics

This topic can be seen as a subdivision of articulation but it is important enough to be highlighted on its own. The use of an accent translates to a louder note which in turn obviously means what came before and after appears softer. The softest articulated note in jazz is termed interchangeably a ghost, swallowed or muffled tone. This up and down character of dynamics/accents is extremely important to the overall rhythmic feel and is an area where individuality can be clearly discerned. In jazz of course, both the articulations and accents are spontaneous and therefore open to much variability.

3 – “The Space Between”

This is a very subtle aspect of jazz phrasing which specifically involves the length of space between the downbeat and upbeat of two eighth notes. For the sake of explanation, recall that two eighth notes in jazz can be more easily described as a dotted eighth followed by a sixteenth or a triplet with the middle beat left out (EXAMPLE 1). With this in mind, the length of the dotted sixteenth or first two parts of the triplet or the first eighth note, depending upon how one conceptualizes it, can be varied mathematically and microscopically to reflect a whole palette of proportions between the two divisions of the beat. Some musicians have a long duration of the downbeat than others, for example the ride beat cymbal pattern of drummer Elvin Jones. On the other hand, the great Tony Williams had an almost opposite proportion in his ride beat, all depending upon tempo and other factors of course. Each artist brings his own way of feeling this division to the music. This variable has a large effect upon beat placement, discussed below.

4 – Nuance

This is by far the most individualized aspect of time feel for it encompasses all sorts of expressive devices, nuances and inflections. Totally dependent upon the characteristics of an instrument in combination with the personality and control of the player, it is through the use of nuance that the emotion of a line is felt, both rhythmically and melodically. This is the equivalent to how an actor uses his voice to express sadness or happiness inflecting the same words by tone and nuance. This is speech brought to music, pure and simple. Some common devices, again dependent upon the instrument are vibrato, smears, portamento, grace notes, bent tones, vocalizations, etc. Every great individualist has his own set of nuances which are completely personal and become a sort of trademark. If you think of for example just the way pianists like Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea play grace notes, the variety and uniqueness is astounding.

4 – Nuance

This is by far the most individualized aspect of time feel for it encompasses all sorts of expressive devices, nuances and inflections. Totally dependent upon the characteristics of an instrument in combination with the personality and control of the player, it is through the use of nuance that the emotion of a line is felt, both rhythmically and melodically. This is the equivalent to how an actor uses his voice to express sadness or happiness inflecting the same words by tone and nuance. This is speech brought to music, pure and simple. Some common devices, again dependent upon the instrument are vibrato, smears, portamento, grace notes, bent tones, vocalizations, etc. Every great individualist has his own set of nuances which are completely personal and become a sort of trademark. If you think of for example just the way pianists like Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea play grace notes, the variety and uniqueness is astounding.

ADVANCED RHYTHMICAL CONCEPTS

 

Against the Time

Although eighth notes remain the main backbone of jazz time, the greatest improvisers demonstrate a  rhythmic flexibility that can be mind boggling using inventive ways of playing permutations, subdivisions and metric modulations that can go so far as to suggest another tempo against the ongoing pulse. I call this “against the time” meaning that a polyrhythm is created by a musician playing a subdivision with such clarity and consistency that another pulse has been created. A most basic against the time rhythm is three against two (quarter note triplets) and then even further divisions of that.  But there are multiple choices available and one can listen to the incredibly sophisticated rhythmic cycles of South Indian music for these and other advanced techniques. Once again Sonny Rollins played this way quite a bit during the first half of the 1960s on recordings titled “Alfie”,” the Standard Sonny Rollins”, “Our Man in Jazz”  and more. Wayne Shorter with Miles Davis in the mid 1960s demonstrated this quite a bit while in that same band Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams played fantastic sub divided rhythmic cycles. Saxophonist Steve Coleman and bassist Dave Holland have delved deeply into this area in recent times.

 

Over the Time

A more abstract concept very much demonstrated by Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane at various periods is what I term over the time. This means that for small episodic passages the improviser creates a sense of being out of time without an obvious reference point. Usually these are fast noted passages and wild sounding in texture, but the effect is of the improviser freeing himself from the ongoing pulse like a bird in flight, quickly returning with a vengeance to earth, or in other words completely swinging in time. The ability to do this gracefully is one of the highest forms of time playing in my opinion. To be free but to know where you are at the same time is magical. It is the equivalent of playing truly chromatically, meaning in another key but with an underlying reference to the home key center.

Achieving Rythmic Freedom

Practicing rhythmical concepts in a disciplined orderly fashion is difficult compared to harmony, instrumental technique, arranging, etc. Surely one can read rhythmical exercises and sing/play them, or initiate drummer type work which is beating rhythms and cycles with one hand against another and so on. But the reality is that for non-drummers, practicing the concepts I have described is quite ambiguous, so a certain amount of creativity and imagination is called for.

 

Listening

Because of its inherent ambiguity, after the basics of coordinating rhythmical movement in pulse, further development is more of a conceptual challenge rather than only technical. If a musician can learn to hear a certain way, noticing what I have described and more, there is an increased likelihood that these concepts will have a chance to register in the mind, body and ear. With repeated listening and repetition, coupled with a positive “I can” attitude, real musical change can occur. Therefore the first thing to do is to learn to listen not only to the main soloist or prominent activity going on, but concentrate upon the entire rhythmic flow occurring in the band. What are the relationships between the drummer’s ride beat pattern and the bassist’s quarter notes (assuming steady walking time); between the drummer’s left hand accents and off beats with the main chord player’s comping patterns and rhythmical “hits”; how are the musicians dealing with beat placement…is it constantly changing…is it the same…is it on top or bottom of the beat, etc? Noticing something by listening and observing can go a long way towards improving one’s actual playing.

 

Metronome

It goes without saying that at some stage of development, (the earlier the better), everyone must practice scales, arpeggios, lines, patterns and so on with the metronome executing the material accurately in time. For jazz, it is best to immediately get used to the metronome marking off the second and fourth beat of a 4/4 bar. After doing that reasonably well at tempos ranging from slow to very fast, I urge the student to use the metronome more creatively in different parts of the bar, for example only the fourth beat, or only the upbeat of three, or the upbeat of one, etc. The idea is that a musician can get very loose and confident in relations to feeling all four beats without being tied down to one, two, three, four. Great drummers are not always going to be that obvious when they are playing at the height of their creative game. You wouldn’t want to ask Jack DeJonette to please make sure that he gives you the one of the bar every eight measures!!  I remember the wonderful drummer Pete La Rocca, who was my very first mentor back in 1969 saying that for him every beat was a one. In other words there was no four/four.….it was just one, one, one, one, meaning accents could appear anywhere in the bar. In any case every musician should get friendly with the metronome. Once this is accomplished it can be put away forever at least in this regimented and rigid aspect.

Beat Placement

After a certain degree of accuracy of pulse is established I urge the student to purposely try to play ahead and behind the beat. At first just use simple scales, licks or forms such as the blues that are automatically under the fingers so you can concentrate on the task at hand, which is feeling the “area” of the beat in order to get that part of the body which is responsible executing what one feels and hears. Using a playalong record can help since whatever the rhythm section feels like, at the least it remains in the same place time after time, so you can use this as a sort of barometer to play with in order to habitualize the sensation. This is really more of a physical exercise than just musical. One must feel the beat as a rubber band—expanding and contracting at will, but never so far as to drag or rush the beat!!

 

Transcription

I have written a great deal over the years on this all important method of learning the thought patterns as they pertain to notes and harmonies (the Complete Guide to Transcription video available through Caris Music Services). But even more so in the area of nuance and time feel, there is no better method for understanding what is involved than to be able to imitate a model who does it expertly. Through transcribing and exact replication of every aspect of the performance, it is possible to analyze the possibilities demonstrated on the recording, copy the methods and eventually use this accumulated material to enlarge and develop one’s own palette of expressive devices.

Be a Drummer

Any serious musician knows that understanding and at least having a minimal amount of execution concerning the piano is mandatory for musical excellence. In the area of rhythmic feel it is the same for learning drums. All musicians should feel what it is like to account for every beat over the course of an entire performance. The physical aspect of “riding” the cymbal and keeping the pulse is beyond description. But even a casual familiarity with the drums will be revelatory. And anyway, who doesn’t like playing the drums or hanging out with drummers? They are always the loosest of musicians with a sense of tradition which rivals pianists. After all, drummers and drums are universal since the beginning of time. Even if it means just getting a pencil and playing on the table with records, this is a start. Furthermore, I urge everyone to work out with a real drummer in a duo setting. Try to make playing with a drummer a weekly activity. The two musicians should be specific as to what they want to accomplish. For example, today they may work on one of them playing over the time with the other being very accurate stating the form of the tune. Then listen back and try to understand anything that happened which was unclear. That is how we learn about each other’s instruments and musical concerns in order to enlarge our ability to communicate with other instrumentalists in a group.

 

Other Rythymically Based Musics

It goes without saying that any serious musician would be interested in other musical traditions which are heavily rhythmic. Some suggestions are the aforementioned Indian classical music, Afro Cuban, African and the Balkan traditions. The concept of grafting an idea from a different source to one’s own home idiom is both practical and enlightening. In other words, hearing something from another culture and imagining how it could be transformed to jazz is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable processes for encouraging and developing an individual style.

 

Attitude

Rhythmical confidence comes with time and experience, but it must be sought after to develop. If a musician is only satisfied with merely playing a never ending stream of eighth notes, excellent as far as the harmonic and melodic choices may be, then further  development in the rhythmical sense will be difficult. What is “natural” meaning intuitive and easily grasped is a great place to start, but to excel one must go beyond. A budding artist should desire to expand their horizons so that the possibility of finding an individual voice can occur. That is the challenge of learning an art form…the quest for something new to enlarge one’s creative palette. Jazz is in the final analysis rhythmic music and it is the responsibility of the serious artist to do research into this mysterious and powerful universal force.

The following from a student: ”Here are the questions plus many more that I asked you earlier on today. I truly appreciate your response and hope that it will bring some clarity to some questions that I’ve had for some time.”

Following are my brief replies (obviously a drummer):

Percussion: Grooves vs. Atmospheres? (thoughts):

It is the difference between ambiance and mood-waist up stuff- and getting down on the ground-below the waist in all ways  (if you get my drift)!!

How do you know when to stop adding things/parts?

Experience and of course utmost sensitivity-but more is expected of a young cat-you can always cut down.

How to go about tapping into the cosmos (i.e.direct connection, spiritual connection)?

Personal feelings or experience?  How do we get “in touch?”

You are in touch; just “being there” in the moment (which is a trained skill) is being in touch.

What initially took you to India? Why?

Went in ‘75 and ’76-the deepest musical culture in the world that doesn’t use harmony-the meaning of the music (for life events, seasons, etc) and the way they milk a melody(raga)-not to mention the unbelievable swing and rhythmic sophistication.

Looking back what did you gain/take away from that experience?

Heavy is heavy-don’t matter where or who or what.

How do the different cultures of your own study influence your life?

Direct musical ideas obviously-but more important different ways of experiencing life(through rhythm mainly).

What is improvisation?

Having a fountain of ideas at the ready that have been tested(practiced); which inevitably leads to being brave and confident enough to try them; and searching, searching, searching!!

What is art? Must we follow initially in order to lead later down our life path?

Imitation-stylization-innovation -IN THAT ORDER!!

Do you think studying so strictly in a tradition (other than our own, i.e. Indian music, afro-cuban music) hinders our ability to tap our inner voice?  If we always follow a set path, will we ever find our own?

There is a time and place to leave what you love the most behind in order to gain-if we follow a “set path” for too long, it becomes the easy way out.

“Jack of all trades, master of none.”  Should we all put our energy (as music school curriculum says we should) in reaching certain levels of proficiency in so many styles/genres or does that go against the idea of music as art?

School time which includes the first ten to 15 years of learning an art form should be about what was(imitation) –then you move to stylization which means the music of the day-then you are on your own.
School Curriculum: Does it help or hinder our search of inner voice?  With all the bombardments of musts, tests, grades; do we really need to know all these things?

Not “all these things”–but you won’t know that till way after-there is no time after school-take advantage.

What is truly important?

Being good to people -giving out positive vibes to the world-being true to yourself.

The world (especially large urban areas)seems to be turning into a big cultural mash all over the world.  From your travel experience what do you think about this?

We are in deep shit-it is a cycle-has happened before, but will work its way out in some ways-in others, the shit is going to get worse.
Good luck

Lieb