[TPIN] What does your brain do when you're playing?

[William Benzon]

on 4/5/08 7:42 PM, Adi Soon at adisoon at gmail.com wrote:


> 
> So I want to ask,
> 1.When you play, do you consciously know what note you're playing or is it
> by feel?

I suppose you mean, for example, that when I'm playing a C I'm thinking "C"
in my mind. For the most part, no. If I actually have to think in that way,
it's probably because I'm hopelessly lost, and thinking isn't going to help.
It's too slow.

Of course, when I'm playing by "feel" I do, in fact, "know" what I'm doing.
But the knowledge isn't verbal.

Of course, sometimes things don't always work out, even when I'm in great
shape and playing changes I know well. That's when the fun begins. Most of
the time I manage to get back on track within a bar or two and often enough
the phases I played to get back are much more interesting than what I would
have played if something hadn't gone wrong.

Tip: If you're lost, throw in a chromatic lick and listen to it closely, but
don't "think" about it. A couple of notes are bound to be OK and, if you
pick up on them, you'll find your way back to the changes.

> 2. If you do play by "feel", how do you maintain confidence in your ability?

Practice and experience.

> 3. Are there days when the "feel" is off, and you play wrong notes?

This happens mostly when I'm playing in "guitar" keys or when I seriously
misjudge the tune we're playing. In the second case, I'm quite willing to
solo on a tune I don't really know if it is make up of standard chord
patterns (or modes) in standard arrangements. I listen to the head and a
couple of choruses and I'm ready to go. Sometimes, however, I misjudge, and
then I'm in trouble.

As for playing in guitar keys (e.g. concert E, B, etc.), that's obvious. I
don't have as many fingering patterns down cold and so my mind is all too
likely to go for a pattern my fingers can't play. That's when Lew Soloff's E
trumpet would be useful.

I mean, sure, you're supposed to be able to play anything in every key, but,
practically speaking, unless you're working with a vocalist, the jazz
standards are mostly played in the standard keys, which are generally
horn-friendly. 

> 4. What does it feel like to go on stage with no prepared music, and play
> what's in your head?

It feels great.

Bill B

-- 

William L. Benzon
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Jersey City, NJ 07302
201 217-1010

"You won't get a wild heroic ride to heaven on pretty little
sounds."--George Ives

Mind-Culture Coevolution: http://asweknowit.ca/evcult/
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> 
> Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.
> 
> -Adi
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