There are some musicians (and you know who you are) for whom improvisation is as natural an act as breathing. You’re in a jam, and the solo comes around to you and you’re off and running, effortless, coherently. Your solo has a beginning, a middle and an end – it starts with a punch, takes us for a ride, and leaves us panting for more when it’s over.
In reality, though, improvisation is never totally off the cuff, is it? The really good musicians devote years to perfecting their craft, and that includes improvisation. A solo might be spontaneous, but the ability to pull it off is a result of a lot of work.
I realized this a long time ago when doing presentations in front of people. Nothing’s worse than an over-rehearsed robotic speech – except an ill-prepared, stumbling fiasco. I learned to focus on the points I wanted to make, and then let the delivery vary by the room, the crowd and other circumstances. Some audiences want to participate, some want to be taught. By balancing a mixture of preparation and improvisation, I could be more effective in communication.
Music is communication, too. Sometimes, a perfectly delivered rendition of a tune, delivered by virtuosos is exciting. However, at a bluegrass festival, with a lineup full of virtuosos, it can get difficult to keep the excitement level up. Then, some band gets really cooking and punctuates their music with perfectly tight arrangements with blistering, exciting – and unexpected twists and turns during their solos. Then it’s truly live art, created right in front of your eyes and ears.
So, with the echos of that lingering in our ears, we march back to camp, break out the instruments and get to work.
Winging it all boils down to confidence, really. If you have confidence in the material you’re presenting (musically or spoken), and your abilities to communicate it, then your chances of success are pretty good. If doubts creep into your mind, then you may freeze up, or under-deliver. That’s where preparing to improvise will help.
