Imitation, Assimilation & Innovation: the 3 Keys
Part 3 of a series of articles on mastery

Let us start by stating the biggest myth in improvisation- " I don't copy or listen to anyone else, that way I'm not influenced by anyone and will develop my own personal voice." The fact is the great masters learned one way or the other from listening and copying their favorite players, no exception! Charlie Parker learned from Lester Young, John Coltrane had numerous influences, but still developed a sound so strong and personal. Miles Davis admitted to copying Satchmo, A.K.A. Louis Armstrong. And the list goes on …

In the traditional music world, music was and is passed on from master to apprentice. The greatest musicians were also the greatest listeners. They would hear in music what would escape the grasp of an ordinary listener. I remember reading about Pablo Casals, who just changed the whole course of cello playing, and would like to share this story. Pablo was invited to some event and, of course, present were some budding musicians, presented to Pablo for his listening pleasure and assessment. A young cello student, nervous as he was, proceeded to play and much to his amazement Pablo would approve every time this student would struggle through a technical passage beyond his meager ability. The student remembered it for the rest of his life… very traumatic for him, I would say! But then upon meeting Pablo later on, he asked what the master saw that made him enjoy that performance, or was the master just being kind? Pablo, passionately, told him and played each example saying" You did it this way... that way!!! Now isn't that wonderful!" Obviously, the master heard things beyond the grasp of the student. No wonder he played so exquisitely!

There are three steps in a musician's journey, so to speak:
1) Imitation- we are a product of our musical environment. The more you listen, the more you HEAR! It may be a teacher, a recorded work, a performance that leaves you affected for the rest of your musical life! But it must be heard and recorded in your mind's eye for it to internalize. Don't worry about copying; you will never sound exactly like anybody else! Remember, from master to apprentice!

2) Assimilation- we hear music on radio, television, fellow players, great masters and so on. Your brain records all these experiences and somewhere along the way will influence the way you play your instrument. Small wonder you see western musicians getting into eastern sounds, and eastern musicians learning from the west! Listen to all music! Even street sounds are rhythmic! Classical musicians are listening to jazz; jazz musicians are listening to world traditions! Not one style of music is the best, we are all part of the same earth and we can learn from everyone!

3) Innovation-The great masters took from the past and pushed in to the future. The great Thelonious Monk used to say,  "There are no wrong notes!" Only wrong choices? Throw caution to the winds!! Improvisation is innovation! No one became a great master by staying put in his little comfort zone. He may have made a lot of mistakes, but those showed him the limits and possibilities. Great ideas have come from mistakes, could you imagine if nobody tried? God forbid, what a bland world this would be!

Listen with passion! Copy as much as you can, it will be your best teacher. Try everything! Take those chances! You may just be the next musical genius of this century!  Mabuhay kayo!

What catches your attention when listening to or watching a great performer? I would say the ease and simplicity of execution. How many have been enthralled by the effortless playing of the likes of Vladimir Horowitz, Jean-Pierre Rampal or a Pablo Casals? Even in the complex sound of jazz improvisation, simply sitting down and examining note for note a performance by, say, John Coltrane, will reveal the simplicity of it all. Here we tackle the issue of "less is more". The following are suggestions that can help us develop this personal sound.

1) Stay on one thing until it is mastered. Most of the time, we cram in so much in a practice session, that focus is lost. John Coltrane, in fact, practiced endless hours on one scale just to master it before he moved to another idea. The same can be said of Charlie Parker. And so with Horowitz, Rampal and Casals. When we take in to much food we get fat!!! We need to thoroughly digest things before we can move ahead. Work on one idea until it is "right". Then it will spill over into other areas of your playing.

2) Work on sound. Again , we slow down. If we cannot play it at the slowest tempo, how can we expect to play at any tempo? Slowing down, also , calms the mind, sharpens it. Now we can hear "between the lines". Even space now becomes music.

3) Play the barest minimum possible. Play what you know and master it before moving on! Playing simple harmonies and lines will not make you sound "unhip" or mediocre. But  trying to be complex can leave you unfocused and without direction. Don't be scared to just "play the minimum." The great masters were creatures of habit and repeated themselves endlessly. Not convinced? Transcribe a recorded solo from one and find out.

4) Let your ear be the judge. Does it sound good? Don't trust what you see on paper. Music is an aural art. It has to be heard! The best classical players are those that have taken the music away from the manuscript and have given it new meaning. Make those ideas sing out from your instrument! If you can't sing it, DON"T play it!

Examine the world around you. Nature's laws are simple, but in the simplicity, there is oneness, unity and order. Music must follow this order. Less is more!!! Mabuhay!