How to Practice Improvisation
A common question amongst members of the Chick Corea Academy is, “How do you practice improvisation?”.
Here’s what Chick had to say about it:
“My suggestion is using a principle that I’ve described in some detail in previous workshops called gradients. You do it step by step. Think of a newborn baby. They’re not walking yet but they want to walk. Around a year old, maybe a little older – they start to get up on their feet, you know? How do they learn to walk? Well, it’s a gradient. You know, parents go, ‘Wow, he walked!’ Then he took a step and fell down, but he got up and he walked again. It’s a good example of a gradient.
You can see the purpose that a tot has, at that point, to want to walk. He doesn’t care how many times he falls down. He keeps getting up and keeps doing it and keeps succeeding little by little until he’s running a marathon a couple years later.
It’s exactly the same principle of how you practice improvisation. Wherever you are in terms of your fluency or how well you can get it going, you have to start there and just keep doing it, and doing it, and doing it. If you don’t keep going too far over your current ability level, just keep pulling it back until you make it a smaller adventure. If you make it an adventure that makes it a loss, and you go, ‘I can don’t do that anymore’, then you’re not practicing correctly.”
To learn more about the academy, go to www.ChickCoreaAcademy.com
—
???? The brand-new Chick Corea Academy is now enrolling! Get access to LIVE weekly workshops with Chick, all of Chick’s past workshops, weekly releases of rare recordings from Chick’s Vault, and more! Click here to learn more: www.ChickCoreaAcademy.com
Chick’s book, “A Work in Progress”, has recently been re-released! Get your copy here: bit.ly/A_Work_in_Progress
Follow Chick Corea:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chickcorea
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chickcorea/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chickcorea/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5olDKSsFhhmwh8UCWwKtpq?si=14CsKYA0T1-GtFKCJmH0Gw
See Chick Corea on tour: http://chickcorea.com/concerts/
Shop Chick Corea merch: https://shop.chickcorea.com/
#Practice #Improvisation
Originally posted by UCqUDuYNcBaYkBgWikXvdZCw at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfG1P0nm2v8
i swear every improvisation tutorial is always them yapping about nonsense.
Wow, I think I just heard some words with magical power.
No dice nada. Bha
I love this explanation because it places no struggle on it. Love how you explain beginning where I am then keep working to be better at it and not making this lofty goal for my self. Keep going is the key, not matter what my starting point is. Thanks my take away. Thank you soooo very much for this advice.
so self-discipline, patience, and consistency.
This is exactly why the greatest Jazz players are not only musicians but also philosophers. If you've noticed, each time they're asked about something technical they always answer philosophically and uses metaphors to exhibit their point. Watch any interviews you can find and you'll see what I'm talking about. Jazz is more than just a language, it's a whole different philosophy in a musical form.
He doesn't say very much.
Merci ! Après avoir visionné cette vidéo je suis devenu Cory Henry.
I love you Chick!
I had seen this before. I loved Chick Corea but he didn't tell us How to Practice Improvisation. He said star there, where? keep doing what? I was very sad in these series he did. Maybe he just didn't teach.
I have questions, when people like cory henry, chick corea, jesus molina, bill evans etc seat at the piano and start improvising, have they memorized what they are improvising, or it comes naturally? and to reach that level should I memorize my licks, patterns and scales etc. and improvise over different chords?
toca bla bla
Wisdom from a master!
After decades studying Chick Corea, the man and the music, and doing my homework, I noticed that it's almost impossible to play like him. His creativity seems unlimited. He was really a musical genius of the level of Beethoven, Chopin or Debussy. He listened every note and idea in his mind before playing, so, he was guided by the instrument, but he chooses what musical idea he wanted, and played exactly what he wanted, and not played what he didn't want. He kept at the top of the momentum all the time without losing it, but he did it naturally, never forced ideas to come. He had the whole thing in his mind, although he saw ibfinite ways, he choose the best ones. This is very difficult. I don't know many other guys that could do that, perhaps Bill Evans. ????????????❤❤❤
Joe biden possessed him????????????
Good reminders here and inspiration to keep improvising! Thank you!
Rip #Genuis
Bravo!!!!????????????????????????????????????????????????????☀️????????????????????????????????????????❤️????????????????????????????
Man, i was feeling down but this legend gave me to motivation i needed! Thank you and Rest in Peace. ????
Literally best piece of advice anyone can give when it comes to real improvement. You want to work hard and be ambitious but you also want to be clear about what you’re working on and realistic with your short term aims.
Words of real wisdom. Thank you always, friend.
RIP, legend.
Rest in peace legend
This guy IS brilliant. He is so loved and will always be with us! Thank you Chick for just being you!!!
I literally just discovered this guy yesterday. So helpful and inspirational! It's a shame I never knew of him while he was living, but the impact he'll continue to make after his death is beautiful.
Не говорим српски, али превео сам ово на српски да бисте могли да преводите на гоогле преводиоцу и читате на свом језику, здраво из Италије, живео
????????
❤️????????
The Master Teacher. Have followed and played his music since I was in my early teens.
Kiss: Keep it simple, stupid. I think that’s the big takeaway here. Play just barely within your abilities and you’ll improve naturally as long as you never stop.
Rip Chick.