Vision Music

[Larry_DC]

Having transcribed many artists' work in the past few years I am now wondering just how spontaneous those great solos were. One case in point: I recently transcribed Miles' solo in But Not For Me. I understand almost everything he did, but what stands out is the lyricism and unusual timing of the phrases. I would assume that he conceptualized his ideas, notated them and refined them through practice. If he or Bird or any of those guys could just knock out those lines on the fly I'm going back to rock and roll.

[woland99]

[Larry_DC]

[Dave Illig]

When you get mad and yell at somebody, is it spontaneous? Did you imrovise? Was it memorable?

Dave
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The hippest note you can play is a rest.

[Larry_DC]

[Don MacArthur]

I think these guys probably experimented heavily and therefore made all their mistakes before actually sitting down and being recorded. Some may have written basic ideas down and framed up a solo and others probably did not need to do so but still had a good idea of what they were going to play and where. I also believe they played their instruments so much that any stock phrases they came up with eventually became second nature and therefore sounded spontaneous because they could apply their stock phrases at will and even twist and turn them at will as well. For those of us with not enough time to memorize every line we could possibly use I suggest writing out our own model solos. I don't think there is any shame in playing the same solo or phrase more than twice.

Don MacArthur

[Mark]

[Larry_DC]

It's good to see these perspectives. I'm at the point where I transcribe solos and play them ad infinitum along with the original CD's until the flow feels natural. It's a good feeling to play along with Bird and Miles. I also craft model solos now and then, but don't stray too far from them since I can't pull up ideas on the fly just yet and make them connect. One step at a time.

[Dean]

Most music is borrowed in some form or fashion, and most people can not tell the difference anyway.So if it fits and sounds good use it.I think it is some sort of flattery anyway.Just when asked ,give credit where credit is due.
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What don't kill you makes you stronger

[Urs Helfenstein]

All those thoughts about improvisation are very interesting to read for me. But I think, not only improvising is like a language, that every one – even the strongest – has to learn first before being able to create great music. For the great composers in classical music it was about the same: Even Mozart, who learned very fast and started to write his own music as a little child, had to learn the language of the music of his days step by step. There is a book by Konrad Kuester – sorry, I think it’s not available in English – in which the author shows, how the little Wolfgang Amadeus discovered the “secrets” of composing one by one. And he discovered them by playing the music of others, by studying it, by discussing it (like the members of the great quintet of Miles Davis in the sixties discussed every gig after it was finished) and by doing the same exercises over and over. Becoming a musician is like becoming a writer: You have to learn the language before you are able to tell a story.

[Mark]