Jessome/Segger/Gill - free improv

Originally Posted by SSC

I wish I had a group to do this sort of stuff with, but most of the people I know are scared of even trying some improv.

Though it's a lot harder, solo improvisation is often as satisfying [Please ignore the sexual connotations]

Guitar/piano whatever - anything can lend itself nicely to solo performances.

I know, I tend to improv lots on my own. Like, hell, that's half of my practice time. Just tryin' out stuff, etc etc.

On guitar is a little harder than on keyboard instruments, but still, you can get some nice grooves going and sing some in between, or whatever. I just like to have fun when I'm playing instruments, which I'm usually not having if I'm studying a "piece of music" until I'm actually good at it (hence why I don't study a lot of pieces...)

But depends on what mood I'm in, though I totally have the urge to improv the moment I'm within reach of an instrument. Even if I don't know how to play it (that's how I learned to play the guitar, ta da.)

Originally Posted by SSC

I know, I tend to improv lots on my own. Like, hell, that's half of my practice time. Just tryin' out stuff, etc etc.

On guitar is a little harder than on keyboard instruments, but still...

Actually - I find the guitar offers many MORE options - timbrally, than, say, piano. Different tunings, 'preparations', percussive, electronic...the list goes on and on. Things that are hard to do with a piano.

Cats like Marc Ribot, or Derek Bailey take the guitar to so many places, colour-wise, it's amazing.

Well, if you're ready to prepare the piano with all kinds of stuff and play directly on the strings in crazy ways, you have lots of timbral options. There's lots of fun stuff you can do with a piano, as long as the piano either belongs to you, or the owner doesn't mind risking rusty strings

But of course you can do many things on the guitar too. I'm a sucker for bottlenecks, personally

Originally Posted by Gardener

Well, if you're ready to prepare the piano with all kinds of stuff and play directly on the strings in crazy ways, you have lots of timbral options. There's lots of fun stuff you can do with a piano, as long as the piano either belongs to you, or the owner doesn't mind risking rusty strings

True...but it's a lot more complicated picking ping-pong balls out of a piano than it is to remove a set of chopsticks from guitar strings. And yeah, finding someone willing to leave their Steinway at the mercy of free-improvisors is troublesome.

Originally Posted by robinjessome

Cats like Marc Ribot, or Derek Bailey take the guitar to so many places, colour-wise, it's amazing.

Bailey is the MAN

After a while you get used to taking a piano apart to get all your pencils back - or ping-pong balls. But yes, the sanctity of Steinways is a major problem. There have been several minor dramas at my school because of illicitly prepared pianos