Notebook 2: One Free Note

Here's part two from the Notebook Series (Part one is here).  

This exercise was part of my lessons with Richard Tabnik. What struck me was the simplicity, fun, and effectiveness of Richard's ideas.

He introduced this exercise to me when we started working on free improvisation. It most definitely had a flow on effect when I played tunes too - loosening and opening up the lines I played. 

Over the years I have worked on it by myself, with friends (great for duos), used it as a daily warm up, and applied it to tunes (this is something I want to do more of). 

Start with a single note. Hear and feel the note. Play the note - it can be loud, quiet, long or short - whatever you feel in the moment.

Relax, breathe, listen and play your next free note.

The note is what it is in that moment - don't aim to control it. Let it be free. Listen to it as you play. 

Stay playing single notes until it feels right to move on to two notes - Don't rush, take your time.

Now's the time for two free notes. The process is the same. Play the note you hear in the moment, listen to that note and then play your second free note

Hear and feel the note-to-note connection between the two notes!

Relax, breathe and listen before moving onto your next two free notes. It becomes quite meditative.

Again, continue until it feels right to move on to three free notes. And so it goes on through up to seven free notes - phrased in one breathe with rhythm, articulations, dynamics, tempo etc as you feel them in the moment.

Once you spend some time playing seven free notes it feels quite natural to move into free phrases - these do not need to be more than 7 notes (they can be though).  Approach the free phrases the same way as you have the 1-7 notes groupings.  Relax, breathe, listen and then play a free phrase - repeat.

Working your way back down from free phrases to seven free notes all the way back to one free note can be a blast. How does playing one free note differ now to when you started?

Find someone to trade free notes with - this is a blast. I have done this with a couple of friends, working from one note up to free phrases. Just simply trade notes - you play one free note, they play one free note etc. Eventually one player will change to two free notes, then three free notes and so on.

As I said earlier, this was passed onto me by Richard Tabnik - a wonderful alto player. Be sure to check out his music. His latest recording is Symphony for Jazz Trio (New Artists Records 2012) with Adam Lane (b) and Roger Mancuso (d) - a 2CD set featuring live and studio recordings of his three movement work "A Prayer For Peace" (plus half a dozen other pieces too).  His work and teaching have had a profound impact on me - Thanks Richard!! 

Here's the original notebook page typed up.

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* One Free Note (RT) *

• Play It => 1 note! (could it be any easier?)
• Hear It
• Feel It
• Long, Short, Slow, Fast
• FF, pp
• Free It
• Sing It
• ! Be Relaxed !
• 2 Free Notes, 3, 4, 5 etc (up to 7)
• One Free Phrase (hear it, feel it)
• Another
• Another

+ Great to play/trade with another person/other people

+ Try it when playing a session/on a tune

+ By the time you have done 7 free notes for a while, Free Phrases will naturally flow - trade Free Phrases with someone.

+ After playing 1, 2, 3 etc Free Notes after Free Phrases work backwards... Free, 7, 6, 5 etc to 1 - it's quite a different feeling.

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Notebook 1: Old Music New Music

On and off I keep a notebook of thoughts on music and saxophone playing. Earlier this week I flicked through the pages of one that is about a year old and decided to start posting some of my pre-blog ramblings.

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* Don't Be Afraid Of Old Music * * Don't Be Afraid Of New Music *

About 12 years ago I asked a pianist friend of mine who they were listening to - Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau were the answers.  I followed up by asking if they listen to any pianists from earlier in the jazz lineage - "Not really" they replied.  Why not? They figured their favorite players were influenced by the earlier masters and that influence would be passed on to them.  Plus they didn't like the sound of old recordings!
One of the most in demand players in town and they had never checked out the likes of Art Tatum, Erroll Garner, Teddy Wilson, Duke Ellington, Bud Powell.  I was very surprised. Perhaps Teddy Wilson could have opened some new avenues to explore that weren't apparent in the music of Keith Jarrett.
I have always loved going back and listening to those who influenced my favorite artists.  Here's a page from the notebook (click on it to enlarge) where I've plotted players around saxophonist Richard Tabnik - it doesn't take long for the web to expand (and it is by no means complete). Some of these artists I am quite familiar with, others less so but I have listened to them all.

What's new to you may be contemporary, from another era, underground or mainstream.  It may be old to others.

In 2009 I attended over 100 gigs during a six month stay in NYC - lots of great music, plus plenty that did nothing for me - It's good to find out what you don't like! Why don't you like it? Revisit it - tastes change.  I first heard Evan Parker in concert. It was intriguing so I had a listen to a couple of recordings and didn't like them at all (these were full-throttle type things). I shelved him. Then a couple of years ago, I spotted an album (Time Will Tell) and gave it a shot - this time I quite enjoyed it. Whilst I can't say I enjoy all of his vast discography there are a few nice ones in there for me (they tend to be at his mellower end).

The Music Village workshop in Greece opened my ears to a lot of new music - Alexander Berne, Morton Feldman, Kaum Quartet, Fo[u]r Alto, Stockhausen among others. Working on Stockhausen was another new challenge and I took those pieces with me (they are still a challenge). Frank Gratkowski's composition for 14 Alto saxes playing multiphonics was not like anything I had been part of before. It was very exciting playing this music to a crowd of people that arrived not knowing what to expect and left having been part of a great night.
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This page has been a nice reminder to give Chu Berry a spin.... Sittin' In, Chuberry Jam, Limehouse Blues, Monday At Minton's, Blowing Up A Breeze, Body & Soul have been playing as I type. NICE!
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