22h • 🌊IMPROV WATERFALL
Sharing a Spring Memory
Happy Easter!!! When I saw my friend Gregory Alexander last weekend I was pleased to see him... I'd seen him here or there since then, but the last time we played music together was 3 years ago, when he played this original song and I improvised on flute.
I captured the moment. That doesn't always happen!
I am so grateful that I've had the resources & environments to learn to improvise on flute. People started asking me "Where do you teach?" so I made FLUTARIANS.
I encourage improving improvisers to comment on your recordings with what you liked & what you'd like to do differently. I think this accelerates progress (by strengthening your "self teaching muscle")!
The only "mistake" I made here that I might have liked to go differently is when my high note "woofed" down to the lower note at the end of the first verse. That is a risk when trying not to play too loudly, especially when not warmed up! I am grateful I've learned how to play quietly too, since in a living-room song circle like this one, the flute can easily overpower a singer.
Here's 4 techniques I used that you might like to try:
🌌"Whispering" the flute notes at the beginning to deduce the key signature through process of elimination. (Remember the sharps and flats are added/subtracted in the same order every time!) This was the first time I'd heard this song - I didn't know the key when he started!
🌌Low & slow supportive notes at the beginning for a gentle entrance.
🌌Waiting for the singer to suggest "solo!" before taking the lead. This is about complimenting the singer/songwriter, not about showing off.
🌌Mimicking the rhythm of the voice.
Have you ever improvised along with a song you've never heard before? If yes, what techniques do you use? If no, what's holding you back?
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Sharing a Spring Memory
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