Direction for musical improvement.

I had an encounter with Mapquest that drove home a lesson we need to remember in music.

First statement – You can’t get anywhere with out directions!

Second statement – You need 2 pieces of information – your starting location and your destination address.

Then press - Get DIRECTIONS..........

I knew I needed to get to the Sioux Falls airport. That address was easy to find.

Problem was the house I was staying at, out in the country. I could not find an address anywhere in the house so I guessed cross streets and wrote down those directions. Problem was I didn’t remember the street names/numbers EXACTLY and that meant my directions started somewhere unknown, but I didn’t know that.

SO – you want to play better sax, guitar or whatever?? The place to start is listening to your instrument played really well. Sounds like a natural, but I find too many kids have never listened to – lets say – jazz alto sax – yet come to me for private lessons to teach them jazz solo improv for the alto sax.

You have to listen to have any idea what you are supposed to sound like. Listening is not a quick scan of the first 30 seconds of a song. Listening is sticking it on an iPod and listening every day. You need to let it get into your brain and subconscious too…

If you do only 1 thing to learn or prepare for any music playing job – you need to listen so you have a chance of knowing how the song goes. Song form, the style of playing your instrument is employing, and where each part goes comes from listening to your instrument in any song style you want to play well. If it is in your head – it will have a chance of coming out your fingers! If you are clueless, you will sound clueless.

This is a MapQuest DESTINATION. You have to have an idea were you are going or directions wont matter. As ScareCrow said in Wizard of Oz, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will lead you there!”

If you want to improve and be better as a musician – You must have an idea what 'better' sounds like!

MapQuest has a starting location box. Where are you?

As I drove lost thru the cornfields, my friend called my cell and asked, “Where are you?”  He wanted me to join them at the airport, but we both realized there was a big problem when I couldn’t tell him where I was. I was in corn fields! I couldn't even tell how long it might be before I saw a street sign. I had NO IDEA where I was.

Where are you at musically?? Do you really know? Do you even want to know? Few ever ask that question. Many would rather believe a fluffy lie than look hard into the truth that they need to improve.

I record myself all the time. I have recorded myself as far back as I can remember – even in Junior High School with a giant Kmart tape recorder! If any one wants to know how I have gotten better on sax – the answer is RECORD and LISTEN BACK! I hear things I hate – It makes me want to fix them and be better. That formula times 30+ plus years equals = really good musicianship.

Tascam has a digital recorder under 100 bucks – flash – sounds amazing – easy to use.

If you care about getting better – get serious about it. Record yourself, listen, and practice to sound better.

This is the entire formula – neat and simple!

Listen to your instrument played great (You Tube, CDs, Pandora?)

Listen to the music you need to play (Jazz music, classic rock, country?)

Assess where you are musically (Honest, record and listen for real)

Start with where you are – move in the direction of where you want to go.

After spending some time trying on your own – get a teacher if you need technical help moving forward.

Most people don’t spend enough time trying to define where they want to go.

Even more people are guilty of ignoring where they are starting from.

A vast majority of people never figure any of it out yet say, "I really want to get better on my instrument.

Most people can use MapQuest and GOOGLE Maps without any real trouble and do every month with great success.

Where are you?

Where do you want to go?

Get Directions!

Head in that direction!

Greg Vail