19d • General discussion
Practicing “licks” is good, but it is like practicing phrases from a foreign language dictionary!
Practicing “licks” is good, but it is like practicing phrases from a foreign language dictionary: If you never learn the grammar, and why the phrases have meaning, you’ll be at a loss when you try to engage in a 2-way conversation!
At various points in my music life I have met musicians, trying to learn to play jazz, who practice licks a LOT but rarely if ever practice playing slowly by ear. They were sometimes able to whip out an fast lick in a jam, but often it sounded disjointed, disconnected, or out of context. They didn't know how to continue the musical conversation once the lick was over.
That's why I focus in Improv Games on playing by ear and with chords relatively slowly, so you practice understanding how the notes fit into the overall musical conversation.
That being said, I intend to learn more licks this year! The more you have in your mental musical library, the more you can use them as a source of creativity in your improvisations.
A lick is any quote or small segment of music that can be snipped out and re-used elsewhere in another song. Listen closely and you might hear famous licks like bassoon intro in Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" or even "Happy Birthday!"
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Practicing “licks” is good, but it is like practicing phrases from a foreign language dictionary!
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