In this semester, studying the module of ‘extended improvisation’, there are many elements that I can reflect on. In this time learning, there have been many areas in which I have struggled with and also learnt and gained from. I will reflect on the week-to-week sessions I have attended and delve into how these sessions have affected my daily practice outside and inside of university.
The first lesson in week 1 was an introduction to free form jazz to me and an introduction to the playing style and genre that I would be learning about. It was an interesting start point as it opened my mind and allowed me to research more into different artists outside of my current understanding of jazz. This lesson was followed by two weeks off from the module but allowed me to get to grips with the genre itself and have some at home practice.
In Week 4 I started to feel a little more comfortable in the lesson due to research of artists such as a deeper dive into Anthony Braxton and artists like Jonas Westergaard. In this lesson I was introduced to an activity on playing horizontally. This involved the group playing the same three notes but not to overlap. As this activity went on, we introduced sustained notes and the group following and introducing multiple notes in a phrase. It gave a good idea too on moving ranges and adapting to other players in the ensemble. Allowing myself to focus on texture in this jam opened my eyes as to where to sit in the group and not to interrupt another player’s range. This, I found, helped learn from my advice in week 1. Using the module page, I looked up the recommended album, “Prezens” by David torn, and looked out for how the musicians found space and built texture and momentum.
In week 7, this lesson started off with an aggressive, loud jam. Starting off with a wide texture and lots of forward and aggressive momentum. I wanted to incorporate many dark sounds with powerful attack and used a mix of whole tone and diminished ideas, also introducing chromaticism. This later lead to a bass solo which I struggled with. Both the sax and double bass were focused on a middle and high range, so I stuck to the lower range of my bass. This can be seen in minute 0:00 to 1:00 in the video. I was making sure to be aware of any change in momentum, and it got lower leading into a bass solo. I struggled a lot here as I wasn’t sure on where to go to or where to end. I decided to switch up my playing from attacking hard with very staccato notes to more sustained and dissonant chords. I felt in this solo that I was repeating ideas with no momentum and was not giving the group any ideas to latch onto, and this was discussed with the lecturer after. This solo can be seen in minute 1:00 to 2:00 in the attached video. After this session, I wanted to work on some solo techniques and remembered the exercise in week 4. I wanted to approach the horizontal playing idea of a way of building momentum and direction in a solo due to the nature of playing more steps and moving somewhere. I practiced this at home and thought it was a good exercise to develop a solo. This can be found in the minutes 2:00 to 3:00 in the attached video. I found this useful but wanted to try in a group again.
When it comes to the struggles I have experienced in these sessions, there are multiple that have become apparent to me. One area I struggled with throughout this semester was adjusting to the new style of playing when it comes to approach, techniques and sounds. Before this module, my playing included some elements of jazz, but this was along the lines of bebop and modal playing. I am also a mainly funk and rock leaning bass player and so moving to this freer style of playing was very difficult for me. The first lesson in week 1 was an introduction to into free jazz which meant I had very little idea on how to play the stylistic features of the genre. I have previously heard some free jazz artists such as Ornette Coleman and Anthony Braxton but have never dived deep enough into the playing or style. I struggled to separate my previous understandings of playing and to adapt to new ones. The absence of structure, key and set time was a big difficulty for me. I am not used to this idea and had a mental block of what to play and where to play. At the end of week 1’s lesson, I was told about tonal space and texture, especially with two bass players in the sessions and learning when to not play and this helped with oncoming lessons. This lesson and having a group jam both all at once and split into pairs really helped me get an idea of the direction of the module and what to expect in oncoming weeks. To work on this, I will spend more of my practice time researching and looking into artists who fit the genre of the module. Bass players like Ole Morten Vågan and Thomas Morgan and other musicians such as Cecil Taylor whom I have discovered over the semester have inspired me and looking into their work will help me understand what free form is about and what it entails. Learning what and how they play and researching their technique and mind set is a good way for me to learn and understand the thought process behind the music.
Soloing is an area of my playing I have been working on for a while in university, working on my theory and studying pieces, mainly jazz standards. Soloing in this module is very different to what I have previously understood, being far removed from other styles of soloing I have tried. Many areas include no boundary of set time and key, keeping momentum and struggling to find a way to set a clear direction. This is one thing that my tutor brought up to me during week 7, mentioning that solos in free jazz should have a direction to it and should come naturally to an end, allowing the other players to take over in new directions. I struggled with this advice and idea throughout the semester but have worked on it at home and have also started listening to certain artists for inspiration. I have found it very pressuring in the lessons when it comes to just me soloing because as mentioned, I found it difficult to know how to point my soloing into a direction. This is one thing that I have actively been working on trying to improve and learn. I have been in this semester trying to incorporate more dissonate sounds and scales such as whole tone, diminished and melodic minor to create more interesting note choices than I’d usually take and looking in ways to incorporate these could lead to new ideas for soloing. I also want to research the Tone clock and twelve-tone chromatic scale, which have been mentioned this semester, to further my note selection, phrasing and note choice. In the video attached at minutes 3:00 to 4:00, You can see my home solo practice, trying to incorporate staccato and legato notes and trying to change my attack and keep moving along the range on the bass.
Another element that pushed me back in this module was my time keeping. Due to my work outside of university, I have been absent for many lessons and so missed out on important information and actively learning with the group. This I believe pushed me back in my progression with all the elements that I have struggled with due to a lack of active engagement in lessons. This is one element I need to work on and would help me not to be behind in module and personal progression.
Throughout this module, while I have struggled with many aspects, I have found that one area I have improved on is that of collaboration and working within an ensemble group. Learning many techniques like horizontal and vertical playing and hearing those around me adapt has opened my mind to how to interreact in a piece and sometimes to not play and to listen, let others have their say and direct the music into a new direction. I have relayed this awareness into my other projects with spending time to listen and learn the players around me and not to step into other players range or voice. Becoming aware has also allowed me to become more thoughtful into my playing and really thinking about how and what I’m playing is affecting the group and the music and to not limit the songs momentum or limit other musicians. Picking up on themes and motifs in playing can also make my playing more solidified within a group and allow these themes to create new sections in an improvised piece and create structure and meaning. In the video attached at minute 4:00 to 5:00, I have displayed how I have listened to the direction of the music and adapted what I’m playing to match, moving from more staccato and irregular rhythms to a very soft and legato, spacious section.
Another aspect I gained is exploration of sounds that are untraditional for my instrument, bass. Finding sounds outside of fretting notes such as percussive sounds using palm muting and the area around the pickups, as well as exploring techniques such as harmonics and chords. Trying new ways to create sounds has allowed me to see the instrument in a new light and helped with creating an open mind for what I am playing. At first, I found this aspect difficult due to never exploring these new techniques before but after researching and watching players online and around me, I found it easier to develop the techniques and ideas to allow exploration of available sounds.
By researching other bass players in this genre such as the mentioned Ole Morten Vågan and Thomas Morgan, watching their technique and approach has opened my mind and made me realised what ideas can be possible on the bass and how professional players approach this genre of music. Watching how they interact with the band and play with timbre, dynamics, attack and phrasings has been very influential on me and has introduced me to different ideas that I can explore and apply.
In conclusion, while I feel like I have improved in my playing in the sessions and with free form, I still feel like I have struggled greatly in many aspects but have been able to pin point these areas and found resources to be able to enhance my knowledge around my playing. Using the sessions themselves, musicians and tutors on the course and online resources, I feel like I can improve my playing in a targeted and direct way due to reflection over the term.
