Re: [Harp-L] Are there pro harp players who do not know theory?




On May 20, 2011, at 2:03 PM, Joe Leone wrote:



On May 20, 2011, at 2:32 PM, sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:


Hi Richard

<I like to use what little theory actually exists in jazz to shine a light
<under the hood while the car is in the garage.


First, I don't really understand what the 2nd sentence means.

Just rolling with the car driving analogy. I don't like to think of theory
while in an improvisational setting (on the "road") but away from those
settings (in the "garage") I often think about tonal relationships (look
under the "hood").



Strangely, I understood the 2nd sentence. (I think I'm in trouble).


I had no problem with the car analogy, the part I didn't understand was "what little theory actually exists in jazz". From my perspective, there is actually quite a lot of jazz theory to be learned, and it's not easy for people like me to get my head around it all.


Although Hendrik Meurkens once mentioned in a seminar I attended that for him, jazz theory was a piece of cake (not necessarily his exact words, I think he said it took him a few days to master) -- it was playing legato on the chromatic that was hard.

I guess not all brains are created equal ;-).

- Slim.

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