On 12/30/25 22:59, Joel Roth wrote:
Oh, you don't mean theater improvising?
No, sorry. Although my piano instructor supplemented his income by
accompanying ballet practices and classes at the Sacramento Ballet,
where the instructor/director would tell him the mood he wanted, and my
instructor would improvise music around that.
My instructor also taught me something about music history. During the
so-called Classical Period, now famous for musicians playing well-known
pieces from printed music, every musician was expected to improvise. On
demand. Someone might stand up in the audience and sing or whistle a
melody line. And the musician was expected to improvise a piece (such as
two-, three- or four-part counterpoint!) using it. We worked quite a bit
on pursuing that skill; I used to be able to improvise 2 and 3 part
inventions like that. Now only down to 2 part, unfortunately.
Without reading the article, I think freedom means
multiple
pathways available, which is what many musicians spend a
lifetime cultivating.
Yes. Being aware of different ways of playing things, styles.
For
keyboard players, changing voicing for example. Adding instruments a
band might not have otherwise.
A director wanting a stable result
will of course have preferences,
Pesky directors! 😉
for example the voicings
to use. Perhaps he even has an approved list of register
settings for a B3 (no leslies, please!!)
Sounds dull to me.
As for who plays the melody lines and who plays harmony
and fills, great if he can accommodate and find room for
others' creative input.
Yes!
On Tue, Dec 30, 2025 at 10:37:25PM -1000, David W. Jones wrote:
As a life-long (and annoying) improviser, this
was interesting. I annoyed the lead guitarist in my old church band, because he'd
practice and perfect things for hours. He never improvised, while I would show up and
improvise my way through it.
And I wouldn't necessarily play a song the same way twice - different
instrumentation, style, etc. Maybe piano, then maybe contrapuntal synthesizer or flute or
violin lines the next, or add a 'cello line for the bass. A few times, even change
something verse-to-verse. (Keyboards can make so many different sounds, why not use them?)
Maybe that's why he's happy I'm NOT in the church's current band! ;-)
<https://nautil.us/heres-whats-happening-in-the-brain-when-youre-improvising-1258457/>
Anyway, what do you think? Do you improvise or 'play it as written'?
May the perfect note you need be there the moment you need it in 2026.
Happymerrynewchristmasyear!
---
David W. Jones
gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com
exploring the landscape of god
http://dancingtreefrog.com
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