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Simplicity.
Such a basic concept, but one that manages to elude so
many people in so many ways, and never is this more evident
than in the field of music. I'd like to spend this edition
discussing this basic issue, and explain why I feel that
it's so important to never lose sight of this proven formula
for success.
Anyone who knows me well is constantly reminded of my
philosophy regarding simplicity, especially at the tail
end of most correspondence, where I continue to parrot
the quote by legendary jazz bassist Charles Mingus:
"Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is
making the complicated simple!"
This has been my main motto as a coach for many years,
for obvious reasons. Music can tend to be a very daunting
affair, with all the confusing terminology involved. I
feel that one of my primary goals lies in demystifying
the path to knowledge, no easy task given the number of
players and teachers who tend to do the exact opposite.
Why is this the case?
Well, in their sometimes misguided quest to evolve, musicians
have a tendency to reach for higher and higher levels
of sophistication, often believing that the more complex
something is, the better. This is certainly true in the
jazz community. For instance, it still kills me when someone
refers to a great guitar talent like Kenny Burrell as
"just a blues player," as if it's easy to do what he does.
Of course, nothing could be further from the truth in
my mind, because the entire purpose of musical creation
and performance is to emotionally move the listener, but
there are still many who fail to understand this fundamental
fact. Yet history clearly bears this out.
The real challenge, getting back to the Mingus quote,
lies in achieving something complicated but using your
creativity to disguise it, so that it still comes across
as something simple. My favorite players and influences
all have this in common, and it's what I strive for the
most myself, both in performance and in composition. How
do I know whether I'm being successful with this goal?
In a number of ways, actually.
When I listen to myself play, just as when I listen to
other artists, if my mind is the first thing stimulated,
or if I find myself captivated by the technique, chances
are that the simplicity has been misplaced in the process.
Ideally I want the simplicity of the message and feeling
to hit me first, and the rest be a pleasant afterthought.
I do the same thing when arranging or composing. Nowadays
I'd much rather be "safe than sorry" and, if I really
have to choose, to err on the side of simplicity. You've
probably heard of the "K.I.S.S." philosophy? You know,
as in "Keep It Simple, Stupid?" Blunt, but also very true.
Teaching is even a bigger challenge, due to the fact that
anything can appear complicated to someone trying to learn
a musical instrument. One of the reasons that I shy away
from overstressing theory and physical technique is that
I truly believe that regular exposure to real world musical
elements (i.e. great tunes, riffs, solos, bass lines,
chord progressions, etc) is a simpler concept to grasp.
There's also ample proof that many of the most successful
musicians were often somewhat lacking on the theoretical
and physical side, yet they still managed to effectively
communicate the message very well.
Perhaps "communication" is what this is all about, whether
you're playing, teaching, writing, or whatever. After
all, if your message ends up being over the head of your
audience, then you've failed to deliver that message.
Keeping it simple. Definitely three words to live by!
About
the author
Mark Stefani is a jazz guitarist and eduactor in Portland
Oregon. He has written many books in the guitar educational
field. In 1987 his career was spotlighted in Guitar
Player Magazine where he was described as possessing
a 'versatile style on both electric and acoustic guitars'
in addition to having a 'master's touch'. For more
info and to contact Mark go to www.visionmusic.com |
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