xKnuckles Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Wow! So many great suggestions. This one I discovered by accident, but it has some value: chop a few octaves off of your keyboard. Not actually, obviously, but take a decision to restrict yourself to say three octaves. (For both hands). It will force you to think differently, voice differently & play differently. I discovered this by accident as I have recently purchased a 3 octave CME xkeys (lovely little thing - great for travelling with). It is surprisingly enjoyable to play and the huge restriction in octaves results in me doing all sorts of very different things rhythmically etc. to compensate for the lack of space.. "Turn your fingers into a dust rag and keep them keys clean!" Bluzeyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I-missRichardTee Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Slow practice and more slow practice Don't play with bad musicians (not always possiblejust try not to make a steady diet of it). They are like a disease, they suck you in and drag you down. Strive to play with the best people possible. Better then you if you can. [video:youtube] You don't have ideas, ideas have you We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I-missRichardTee Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 What about : Did not Elvin Jones say a solo was a composite of a number of cliques? In other words, to quote another jazz musician, he said : 'there is what you play, and then HOW you play it'. I am saying, I would not be so concerned about the fact that your licks have been played before, but rather how much relaxed - intensity, and how much beauty you can have in your cliques. How perfectly can you play what you play? How much a part of the groove are your licks? The extreme example is playing Blue notes but without requisite Blues Feeling! That is one of the turn offs of some smooth jazz. You don't have ideas, ideas have you We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redknife Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 These are all great suggestions and I think they will help me open up again - thank you. In some way, shape, or form, I'm going to use all of the suggestions. Some were good reminders, others were new ideas for me. In addition to what has been mentioned, I'm working out a new modified Hanon regimen - different time signatures (say 7/8, have to modify pattern), different pattern intervals (instead of x+2 for the next pattern use x+y where y varies), superimposed opposite hand rhythms, right hand<>left hand within same pattern. That should keep me busy for a bit. I'm working out drills using the drumming staple "4-way Coordination" by Dahlgren and Fine. This is one of the fundamental drumming books to free your four limbs (suppose that could be dangerous). I think these exercises will convert to two hand keyboard rhythm exercises. They can be a bit of a brain teaser which is good. I found this site Random Jazz Scale generator that is a quick little random generator. I'm looking for anything to break internal key/scale tendencies. You can use this for any number of things - arpeggiator generator, scale to play, key to use, etc. It's not comprehensive or perfect, of course, but it it's quick and free. Chris Main gear: Yamaha C7, Kronos 2 88, Moog Sub 37, CK61, Kurzweil PC2x, Pearl epro, Mac/Logic/AUs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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