information. Hence, it always has to be in context - which
means that every moment has to be justified by what
precedes it and what follows it. It’s about being original
while respecting everything before you.
Rahul: It’s a source of communication. What I improvise at a
particular moment is what I feel and what I want to say then.
Rohan: Responding to the moment with authenticity.
What is your approach to improvisation?
Brent: The groove is everything. I tend to play behind the
beat just a hair, which I love the sound of. But yeah, you got
to have that pocket. As far as note choices go, it evolves with
your palette. I’ve seen people use the most complex runs and
others use a single note, yet both equally qualify as examples
of improvisation and both sound amazing.
Anurag: The piano is an extension of my voice. That's the
beauty of the instrument - it allows for polyphony and
polyrhythm. When I improvise, I just try to begin with an
idea and let it grow. I try to sing all my phrases. I never
play anything that my brain hasn't already conceived, so it
doesn't sound plastic. I also try to involve the actual melody
of the tune into my improvisation.
Rahul: I prefer not to think when I am improvising. That
kills the purpose for me. When I practice at home, I focus on
technique and theory. When I improvise in front of people, I
just play and make the best of that moment.
Rohan: I attempt to follow my ears as much as possible and
try not to let my mind dictate where it’s going. It’s a fine
balancing act between turning your brain off and keeping
your ears sharply tuned to your environment.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when you started
improvising and how did you overcome it?
Brent: Listening, and overdoing it. When it’s our turn to
take a solo, we feel obligated to use every musical motif
we’ve ever learnt and vomit it over the changes. Stop. Listen.
The more you listen, the more you feel it. If you feel it, the
audience will too.
Anurag: Keeping steady time. As a classical pianist you
never develop the concept of great time, as it's mostly free. I
felt a huge handicap playing rhythmic music and finding a
good pocket. There was no shortcut. I worked super hard on
it and somehow over came it.
Rahul: I used to think a lot in the beginning. Am I playing
well? Is that person in the audience listening to me? That
was the worst feeling and I wanted to get rid of it. I realized
that the cause of those feelings was that I didn’t have a
formal training. After learning about music theory and
technique, those thoughts reduced. Knowledge makes you
calmer I think, and helps you see the bigger picture.
Rohan: The challenge I continually face is vocabulary. It
takes me time to sink into a certain type of vocabulary and
internalize it enough to express and improvise with it. But
it’s a good challenge, because often if you’re really listening
hard enough, you can turn your weaknesses into your
strengths!
Could you share some tips on improvisation for beginners?
Brent: Do not use the subject of improvisation as a means
of escaping dedicated practice and developing your
vocabulary. Secondly, listen. Listening to other musicians
allows you to feed off their energy. And everyone knows
there’s nothing better than seeing a bunch of musicians
vibing it out!
Anurag: Go to the source. You like Cory Henry, listen to
Oscar Peterson. You like Robert Glasper, listen to Ahmad
Jamal. You like Neo Soul, listen to Herbie. Try to study
theory and understand how they did what they did. And
once you do that, use the information to inspire, not
duplicate material.
Rahul: Learn one thing at a time. Learn the language. Keep
your practice as short and focused as possible. If you’re
facing problems with practicing read “Effortless Mastery”
by Kenny Werner. Finally when you play, forget about
everything and just play.
Rohan: Listen to loads of music! Try to figure out and play
everything that gets stuck in your head. The more you play
the music you want to emulate, the more you will build your
vocabulary. And most importantly, have fun!
Brent, Anurag, Rahul and Rohan are very active in the
country’s music scene and have evidently worked extremely
hard to be where they are today.
Look out for their existing and upcoming projects: Brent’s
primary outfit is a pop rock band called Strike Three.
Anurag is currently working on releasing his debut album,
J'ai Fame. Rahul is working on his solo piano project and
plans to tour with that music by the end of the year. Rohan
has been gigging across the country with the likes of Tajdar
Junaid, Dhruv Vishwanath and Sid Vashi, amongst others.
He is currently working on his original material as well.
The
Score Magazine
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