Toolkit for Improvement - Recording, Listening and Keeping a Practice Journal

Understanding Your Musical Development

The Importance of Recording Yourself

I also want to mention something that is really, really important for your development.

• Now, this could be on the written page or off the page, but it's crucial to record yourself.
• Some of you out there probably already do this, while others dread it and really, really can't stand to do it.

Embracing the Process

Recording can be a painful thing if you're not used to it. However, I promise you, if you continue to repeat the process of:

1. Playing something,
2. Recording yourself,
3. Listening back,

It will become less and less painful. You'll gain a little bit of detachment each time and ultimately, you'll almost be able to develop an objective understanding of what you're doing.

Keeping a Practice Journal

• I would really urge you to keep a practice journal if you're not doing so already.
• I used to have notebooks filled with notes from all my teachers, classical, jazz, or any idea that popped into my head while practicing.

Eventually, I migrated to taking notes on my computer, and now I just use an app on my phone, which is synced. This allows me to access my notes even while on the go, like on an airplane.

What to Include in Your Journal

Your practice journal can include:

• Warm-ups that you use.
• Notes on specific scales, such as "Tuesday: Worked on G flat harmonic minor."
• Ideas for different bowing techniques.

Additionally, it can also encapsulate your most connected and exciting moments of musical development. For example:

• Notes after rehearsals or concerts,
• Observations after listening back to your playing,
• Insights gained from riding the subway, perfect for reviewing your previous gig.

Learning to Improvise

Learning how to improvise is much like learning a foreign language.

The Importance of Immersion

• Immersion is crucial for your development.
• You can't truly grasp the intricacies until you are surrounded by the sounds of the culture, which aids in getting correct pronunciations and idiomatic expressions.

Listen Voraciously

• It's essential to listen a lot. We often take music for granted; even those who profess to love it.
• With just a phone, you can access most of the history of recorded music, so use that!

Detailed Listening

However, different ways of listening are key. We're used to generalized and background listening, where music is always on, like in restaurants or during a jog.

Focused Listening Exercise

The type of listening that I recommend is detailed and focused.

• For example, take a favorite song and ask yourself:
  • Have you really listened to the bass line?
  • Can you vocalize the drum pattern?
  • Do you know what chords are being played?
  • Have you thought about dynamic shapes?

Consider the instrumental density: Maybe everyone is playing during the chorus, but other instruments might drop out during a solo or vocal section. Are you aware of these changes?

This level of listening is essential to develop as an improviser.

The Importance of Live Music

Live music is irreplaceable in your growth as a musician.

• While I may be biased as a performer, there are experiences from a live gig that you won't get from a recording.
• It doesn't need to be a famous artist or an idol; even local friends or family can inspire you.

Recording Your Experiences

Upon returning from a live outing, record your thoughts in your music journal.

• Live performances also offer insights into how musicians communicate on stage.
• This visual communication, how the drummer interacts with the bass player or how the keyboard player encourages the soloist, is vital for improvisers of all styles.

Practical Exercise: Analyze a Favorite Song

Take a song that you love and do the following:

1. Write down in your journal how many instruments are in the band (including vocals).
2. Listen to the song as many times as there are people in the group.
3. Each time, focus on just one particular role in the music.
4. Record your observations of that role.

Have fun with this exercise!