Every searching artist wants to get there. It's that magical place where something takes over, you know, when something bigger than you whispers in your ear and says "Relax - I'll take it from here!"
I like to call it the 'soul zone', others simply call it the 'zone', I'm sure there are many other names for it.
For those of you who don't know what the heck I'm talking about, it is the ultimate state to be in as an improviser. You might have played a gig and gone through the motions and nothing particularly interesting sprung from you. You might have played a solo at a different time and place and thought you said some pretty interesting things. But then you'll probably remember those times when you played a solo and something absolutely magical happened. Maybe you closed your eyes and you went off into this magical mysterious place where nothing else mattered. While you were playing you felt like you were in the middle of a 'happening'. Your tone was just right, your phrasing was great and it seemed like you were truly improvising for the first time in a long while. And strangely enough, at the end of your solo, you look up and you can't remember a thing you just played. Then the band members look at you with a big smile of approval. You were in a completely altered state, or so it seemed.
Does this situation sound familiar to you? If so, you have experienced the soul zone. One of those trance like states that every searching musician is trying to get back to. It's the spiritual realm. And we would like it to happen more often than it does.
There's no question about it, this experience may well be one of the factors determining why so many musicians have turned to drugs and alcohol in the past. That Zen like state seems to be one of the reasons musicians play music at all. Of course the good news is that you can get there without the substance abuse!
The question I have always asked is this: "Why does this zone only come about from time to time?" I think there are a number of reasons.
First and most important I think is the fact that there are so many distractions when we play. I have found that as my career got busier as an artist, I was sometimes taking on the role of artist, manager and agent. By the time I got on stage I was finally having to think about entertaining, whilst asking myself all sorts of things like "Am I losing the audience? Do they like this song and if not should I cut it from the set? - have I brought enough people to this show? Is the promoter seething with anger - will she book me ever again? How many CDs am I selling over there? Should I be promoting my CD more during the show? Am I funny witty and charming on stage - dammit do they like me at all??" Yiiiikkes heeeeeellllllppp!!
As you can imagine, this scenario doesn't exactly make for a Zen like transcendental state now does it? Of course I am exaggerating somewhat but my point is that all too often, there are too many distractions in order to get there.
The other big big reason is that sonically things might not be right. How many times have you done a show where the monitors sound terrible or you're playing through a rented amp that isn't sounding any good to you? What if the drummer sucks?
I have always thought that if the band is 'on' you simply don't notice any of them. The music just feels great and everyone is in sync - just like they should be. When this is the case everyone is in that zone and the music is magical. So it's definitely a matter of external factors being right as much as it is internal relaxation and the ability to let it flow.
One thing that I have always found particularly difficult and is a continual learning curve for me, is the art of recording. And here I don't simply mean recording guitar parts, that is a craft that can be learned. I'm talking about recording an improvised solo that is truly inspired. The question is "How do you get to that zone in a cold sterile environment?"
What amazes me is that there have been many many truly inspired solos recorded on albums, so those artists figured out a way to get to the zone. I have always found it easier to reach my optimum playing peak in a live setting. When I'm recording I want it to be just great, it's going to be immortal after all, you know, on a CD forever. And this is where the problem lies. Too much thought. To get to the zone one needs to totally let go.
So what can we do to help us get to that magical place? First, understand that it might not happen and that it's perfectly fine if it doesn't. It might be out of our control. Before you step out to play, take a deep breath and center yourself. Nervous energy can take over and it's important to get as much external crap out of our heads as we can and give the music our full and undivided attention. Take your time as you play, think about playing behind the beat instead of playing on top to drive energy. Relaxation is the key and the right energy will come as a result. Have your internal antenna up for musical ideas. They might come from the band and you should be ready to grab some inspiration from them. Close your eyes. This can help, even just to get you on the right foot. Let it flow. Try to ignore any reasons for you to not be present.
And that last part I think is the most important of all. Be Present. Not always an easy place to get to but if we can strive for it, I believe will make us better musicians, and we'll enjoy the music that much more.
Chris Standring is a contemporary jazz recording artist who performs throughout the USA and Europe regularly. He has enjoyed much radio airplay with several albums, opening up a busy touring schedule. His music appears on many compilation CDs also. For more info on Chris' popular home study jazz guitar course go to http://www.PlayJazzGuitar.com Visit him on the web at http://www.chrisstandring.com
What is "Episcopal" music?We often hear people express concern about... Read More
A student once asked me; "How come sometimes the music... Read More
The Suzuki violin method has come to dominate the way... Read More
Motorhead-"Inferno"-Review by Les Lewellyn When David Grohl... Read More
Now, that you are familiar and likely connected with online... Read More
Once you know what your Unique Selling Proposition is as... Read More
This is counterintuitive, I know. Our natural response to seeing... Read More
Dierks Bentley is more than meets the eye, but what... Read More
It is believed that the custom of dining in began... Read More
Probably the most enigmatic Singer and Guitarist of the twentieth... Read More
While Richard Nixon's diplomatic visit to China may have created... Read More
More so than any other music since the blues, hip-hop... Read More
How many times have you turned to music to uplift... Read More
Back in the 90's we had a local Southern Gospel... Read More
I will be honest. I am addicted to music recording.... Read More
Most of us like to use what we learn right... Read More
If your band is in rehearsals, either preparing for gigging,... Read More
Interviewed by Scott G (The G-Man)G-Man: When people think of... Read More
1. Don't try and make something happen. Trying blocks the... Read More
Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so,... Read More
Three times in the last month I've been asked the... Read More
Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed the progressive... Read More
"How do I buy a violin, (or fiddle)?"That question has... Read More
Did you ever wish that it was your song playing... Read More
Sometimes the teacher learns more from the student than the... Read More
IntroductionThe fact that you are holding this in your hands... Read More
When I first started playing the piano I wanted to... Read More
I am not sure if anyone has been watching out... Read More
Ideally each page of your website should serve a specific... Read More
The gong is one of the oldest musical instruments in... Read More
P2P file sharing programs are free. Period. But there are... Read More
When memorizing music there are several things you can do... Read More
I bet your wondering all about the Micheal Jackson Trail.... Read More
Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so,... Read More
Three battles at the end of the 8 Mile movie... Read More
Many students ask me a question that goes something like... Read More
One of the reasons I picked up the violin was... Read More
This article is designed to help anyone to enjoy karaoke... Read More
The Suzuki violin method has come to dominate the way... Read More
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a... Read More
While it probably doesn't seem like this would help -... Read More
Piano lessons provide a wide range of benefits to young... Read More
I was listening to NPR the other day when they... Read More
The Age-old Puzzle of Human ResponseIf you've listened to more... Read More
Piano arranging is the process by which you take a... Read More
Chord symbols (for example, Fm7, Cmaj7 or G6) are a... Read More
The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments... Read More
Why jazz piano improvisation?Why not gospel piano improvisation?Is it not... Read More
So, you think you'd like to learn to play guitar,... Read More
Motorhead-"Inferno"-Review by Les Lewellyn When David Grohl... Read More
Cultures around the world since the beginning of time have... Read More
I was 17 at the time (the Beatles era), and... Read More
Introduced in 1982, the compact disc was intended to provide... Read More
Fan support for musicians is a two way street. You... Read More
We all know that music can be inspiring, entertaining, and... Read More
The violin is a bowed stringed instrument and is the... Read More
There are roughly umpteen zillion reasons why you should learn... Read More
Is it really possible to become an expert in some... Read More
Learning how to improvise is confusing for most. The sheer... Read More
Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so,... Read More
Bang! Bam! Bang! Have you always wanted to play the... Read More
In 1982, Sony and Philips introduced the compact disc, a... Read More
Eminem's roots can be found in Scandinavia through his mother... Read More
Feel free to download the entire manual detailing the mastering... Read More
Despite the title of this article, the purpose of it... Read More
Piano lessons are a great activity for children. They encourage... Read More
Music & MP3 |