Using Emotions to Improvise
What is music really all about to you?
For me, music has always been a way for me to connect with my emotions.
I have never liked talking about my feelings and the reason I gravitate towards the cello is because I can express how I am feeling without having to talk.
Good music is good because it makes you feel something.
I think this is a perfect avenue for accessing improvisation on your instrument beyond just breaking it down theoretically.
I do think it's important to know some music theory to improvise, but sometimes that can be limiting. Often you need to free yourself from these boxes and see where it takes you.
So let's try this:
Think of an emotion. Here are some to choose from: Anger, Sadness, Joy, Surprise, Fear, Anxiety
Come up with a specific event or idea that relates that that emotion. This could be something that really happened to you or imaginary. For example, if my emotion is anxiety, I would think about how nervous I felt at sleep away camp when I was 10 years old. (Trust me, the anxiety didn't stop there, haha, I wish!)
Record yourself. It could be audio and video, or just audio if that makes you more comfortable.
Start playing your instrument while thinking about this. DO NOT think about music theory, trying to sound good, or analyzing what you think you sound like in the moment, just play!
Come to a conclusion, stop playing, and take a breather.
Listen/watch the recording and without judging yourself in a mean way, analyze what elements you thought were effective in conveying your emotion and what elements were ineffective. For example, if you chose anger and did something really loud, staccato, and aggressive, and thought it conveyed your emotion, take note of that. If you played something too legato and thought, hmm, this doesn't quite capture what I was feeling, take note of that too.
I know this sounds a bit 'new agey' and I'm a cynical Jew from New Jersey, so trust me I'm wary of that. However, you'd be surprised how useful this type of exercise is even for the most accomplished musicians in the business.
This type of thinking frees you from the restraints that you are used to. Sometimes we get boxed in by thinking about technique, theory, self judgement, etc, and we need a way out of that.
So, give it a shot and connect with improvisation in a new way.
As always, feel free to write to me and let me know what you discover!