Improvisation Barrier for Trombone?
Hello and thank you for reading my question!
I am a trombone player, I consider myself to be quite accomplished as far as college level Jazz band and Classical band/orchestra goes. As long as there is sheet music in front of my face.
I have never felt comfortable improvising. I have tried some of the Jamie Abersold books, I have even taken lessons from Harry Meidema (Tenor Sax for the O’Jays) on how to improv.
I sight read most sheet music with ease, when it comes time to solo, I sound like a fish out of water (and that is being generous, more like an autistic, retarded, diabetic going through shock)
I have listened to the likes of JJ, Rosalino (who I ADORE, DAMN was he flexible!), and others.
I don’t wish to sound like a mimic or some strange combination of JJ and Rosalino (which any combination of the two is going to sound messed up).
I am able to mimic the technic of Rosalino as far as fliexibility goes (at least as much as any mortal dare try). However, the sheer melodious solos of JJ elude me.
I am a very right brained person, I freely admit that, I am good with taking what is written and then making it my own from there. As far as creating my own, I know that personal creativity comes into play.
Base question here:
I know how to play T-bone. I can read chord changes. What is a good way to use those skills with what I have heard and combine them into something original?
All help is appreciated, thanks for reading.
I will add the following details.
I know the scales that underlie each chord change, I can play them on demand in an independent setting.
However, utilizing them in a way that makes sense to a listener is another matter. I am dissonant and without meleodic guidance, Even when I am playing around with established standards,
how to sight read music
How to Sight Read Music
You sound like a great trombone player. I am surprised that improvising would give you trouble. If you understand chord changes (and you understand the underlying scale(s) that it represents), you could at least fool around with the melody of the song and add a few embellishments. Continue studying the great masters of improv is all I can really suggest.
Learn How to Sight Read Music
Your post is a bit confusing.
First you give the impression you aren’t very good or are uncomfortable improvising then you say you mimic the technic of Rosalino.
This contradiction indicates you may be at a certain level of accomplishment and your doubting yourself or may want to improve or are just starting out and developing your chops. Not sure. You don’t indicate who is determining your skill level. Is it you or folks listening to your jazz solo’s? Any complaints from mentors or friends? How do you know you aren’t good?
Other than that the only thing I can tell you is knowing chords and scales are only the thread and needle for weaving an on the spot free form musical composition. Knowing and practicing arpeggio’s within the chord structure of a song are the real meat and potatoes to improvisation. You have to think,feel and hear the change up when transitioning from one chord to the other and do the same when listening to the melody to prevent off colored tones. Let the melody drive you.
Right brainers have a problem with this. I know I had the same problem as you being a right brain trombone player who could only play music by reading sheet music in a swing band.
The thing is I could scat/sing or whistle the jazz solo with all the change ups, not knowing or practicing any chords or scales but could mimic the sound of arpeggios while the song was playing and noticed a similarity to the sound heard from professionals I admired.
I listened to a LOT of Weather Report over and over for a long period of time which improved my singing/whistling solos on my own. I just couldn’t make that happen on the trombone.
I determined the trombone lacked the same intuitive freedom and immediacy that singing or whistling provided which told me that I chose an instrument that didn’t suit me with regards to improvising.
Probably if I practiced these arpeggio styled sounds the same way as I did whistling them eventually it would sink in but it was just hard to think and hear these sounds when being more concerned about whether to change the position of the slide or lip slur to the next chord change, the air pressure required and lip position to keep it spontaneous which is what’s required in jazz improvisation to make it sound decent.
I never did learn improvising on the trombone. All I could do was copy and memorize solo’s I heard from other professional jazz soloists I admired just for practice.
You’ll need to practice a lot of arpeggios that fit within the chord structure of the melody. Sing the melody to yourself and try to sing a solo. Start with something like “doobie do dooo BOP dah-dup BOP” and play around with that kind of stuff. Turn off the math and start thinking, feeling and hearing the notes and rhythm provided by the melody.
You can record your voice and there is computer software that will turn the sound into written notes you can print out on paper to read and play from if that’s what it takes.