Scott Henderson Discussion

randope · Joined: 13 Nov 2012 Posts: 20 Location: Indonesia

Hey Scott,

I have always had a problem when playing fast lines. Whenever I need to play some fast lines, I usually fall back to a memorized (or muscle memorized) pattern/lick. I think this is really boring. But when the music demands it, you really have no choice.

How do you approach playing fresh/interesting fast lines? I don't see any other way besides learning a lot of different ideas. That way, although you've already learnt everything beforehand, you have a lot of different ideas to choose from.

Also, another question relating to it. Do you think with a good amount of technique/practice, someone can really improvise fast lines without having to fall to patterns/licks? It seems like all of the greats rarely repeat themselves even when they're playing fast.

Thanks!

Scott Henderson · The Man Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 2124

I don't think anyone can be as creative when playing fast lines as they can be at easier tempos, but the more vocabulary you have, the easier it is to cut and paste small ideas together in different ways, giving the impression that you're not repeating yourself. The truth is, everyone repeats themselves to some degree when playing fast, even the greats. Coltrane's alternate solo on Giant Steps and the one we all know sound completely different, but when you zoom in, the same small ideas are there in both solos, just rearranged with different rhythms and phrasing.

Bottom line, learn more small ideas until you a have hundreds of them, and can play them fast - you'll know you're repeating yourself but hopefully your audience won't.

criminel · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 11:16 pm Post subject:

My two cents:
As a guy who abandoned professional playing 15 years ago (a topic too long to delve into) BUT studied a fair amount and went to music school and to several teachers (ITMC in Buenos Aires, owned by Scott's friend Diego Temprano, among other teachers); for me THE thing that I wish somebody explained better to me THEN is the idea of transcribing the way Scott and others understand it. Transcribing does not mean writing NOTHING down. It means to get a four or eight note phrase and ake it your own. And for this you don't need 20 aebersold books. You just need a couple of records. Less eyes. More ears.

If you want to really learn how to play jazz-based music that's maybe the only thing you need to undertsand.

countandduke · Joined: 17 May 2004 Posts: 197

You dissin' the Aebersold records!? 😃😃😃
I think Jamey has done a LOT to help musicians learn about jazz and especially improvising. I have several of his books and CDs. My own 80 year old Grandpa played those CDs and jammed to them for MANY years. I've never been to any of Jamey's workshops but I support anyone that is trying to educate the masses about "jazz".

I also realize that we, as musicians, have to DO THE WORK, and put the time in practicing our instruments and developing our voices...

Music has saved my life so I'm very grateful for being given a guitar on my 16th birthday...

Love to all...
Chris

criminel · Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 1:26 am Post subject:

[quote="countandduke"]You dissin' the Aebersold records!? 😃😃😃
/quote]

Maybe I expressed myself in a wrong way. Aebersold stuff is great and I have my amount of their products.
I just wanted to point out that no printed page will do the trick when it comes to transcribe the way Henderson (and others) describe the process.

countandduke · Joined: 17 May 2004 Posts: 197

I know what you meant. That's why I put the smiley faces up there. LOL. I HAVE found out that his cd's are NOT always in tune with a real tuner. It's been several years and maybe they have remedied that problem but I remember trying to play along to one of his cd's and I sounded WAY out of tune BUT, he does give tuning notes in the beginning of each cd.

His "Anyone Can Improvise" dvd is pretty decent I think at describing how to begin to learn and practice the art of improv.

Best,
Chris

peter_heijnen · Joined: 11 Jan 2016 Posts: 184

Aebersold rules! When i started at the conservatory as a nonjazzplayer to study jazz, my Aebersold Charlie Parker cassette (haha the good old audiocassette) was the biggest help of all. If you learned the tunes first then you had already learned quite a few great licks during the process. After that you went on to jam with that great pianotrio and if you wanted to you could even shut up either the piano or bassplayer by panning hard left or right. In those times most of us tuned by ear only so the tuning notes were all you needed.