May 9, 2012

Is it more effective to play fast or with feeling?

In my experience, it is not a matter of concerning oneself with playing fast or slow, loud or soft, etc.... I never is, actually, if one takes the time to become music. As an artist one must be an intermediate between music and the public. Not an egotistically centered individual, as is favored by many.

When egotism is dominant during improvisation and interpretation, one becomes artistically ineffective as one relies on powerless and very limited ideology, or personality cravings for attention and admiration to make intellectual decisions that in fact, actually prevent access to inspiration and create contrived, unmusical, performances.

Personal concerns and intellectual polarization are obstacles to attain an inspired state where one has consciously become music itself, or realized that one is music itself. Such a state is beyond the personally focussed and intellectually focussed state of mind.

If One simply let's music itself come through , it will play itself as it must. In that way one becomes a true artist and servant of music, by virtue of letting inspiration take it's course.

All matters of tempo and dynamics become spontaneously manifest according to one's technical ability. If capable of great technical range of expression, music will manifest with great range in speed and dynamics, etc..; if not, music will manifest it's power in a technically simpler manner, but with immense melodic power nonetheless, as present in slower melodies and songs.

I hope this helps towards an understanding of what inspiration is and how to attain it more consistently. 




1 comment:

  1. This is excellent. I have accepted that I will never have the technique of Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan or Woody Shaw. What I can do is let the music speak through me with what I have to offer as a musician.

    A friend once told me that when you first start playing music, you're an artist working with a box of 8 crayons. Sure - it's not a lot of colors to work with but all we can do is draw the most honest picture we can with the tools we have.

    I've seen pictures that used 3 colors that were breath taking.

    Great site!

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