“[W]hat jazz improvisation is, is if you take the analogy of a tune being like a glass mixing bowl, you can put rocks into it, take out the rocks, put a goldfish into it, take out the goldfish, put in jello, take out the jello — but the container stays the same size and it’s transparent, but it’s solid.”

“When I teach, I use a lot of tennis analogies. Like, if you’re in the back of the court and you’ve hit the ball, and the opponent drop-shots you right over the net, you can’t say, ‘Hey, stop, can you hit it to me.’ You have to be prepared to get there.” — Fred Hersch

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I suspect some people might wonder “where’s the need for discipline in music you just make up?” That’s why the quote above is so sensational. 

Discipline makes the bowl.

It’s knowledge of standard tunes, technique, scales, modes, chords and changes, riffs, licks, other artists, other songs and music that inform how we “get to the net.”

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From my own experience, I’ve found that, as singers, we aren’t always taught to be disciplined about our craft.

Sure we learn songs (usually by singing them over and over again along with a recording), but how much do we know (or are we taught) about music?

You know, form, chords, harmonic movement and groove? (If you’re wondering what these terms mean, I may have made my point. *smile*)

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To me, this is where discipline comes in. It’s one of the reasons I returned to school to get a vocal degree. My mentors and vocal instructors concentrated on technical — and theoretical — fundamentals. They kindly assumed I already know how to learn a song. They challenged me to ask myself new questions and learn and develop new skills.

Can you control your pitch? Can you sing chromatically? Tritones? Fluidly? How’s your agility? 

Do you understand the harmonic structure and movement of the song you’re singing?

Are you familiar with jazz turnarounds? Bebop licks? Are you comfortable and familiar with lots of musical genres?

(Can you yodel?)

Can you read music? (Now, I know this is touchy subject for some of you. Rest assured, I’m not saying you have to read music to make music, but … reading music adds another dimension to how you understand the music you’re making. Think of it like being able to write in a foreign language in addition to speaking it.)

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Being disciplined about developing your voice creates structure and direction. It creates the bowl.

And, hey, once you’ve got the bowl, anything goes.