Stepping Away from Style

Can you work on playing today while stepping outside of whatever style it is that you think you work in? How can you strip away any of the stylistic identifiers from what you do, and take a look at your sound from another perspective?

This is probably easiest if you slow everything down, quite drastically. Maybe you improvise lines today that are all half notes, and remove any other features of your sound (articulation, phrasing etc). Be vigilant, and if you hear something that is a trademark of yours, step away from it, take the line in a different direction. Stop, change your tactic, and see what presents itself.

I hope that this work presents you with something new, and if so, please remember to make notes and keep track of what came up, especially if there was something that sounded truly new to you and not part of your usual language. Also, take notice if this is difficult. Do you miss something about your usual playing, or is this refreshing? Are you very much attached to your style of playing? These are the questions that can be very valuable to ask, that can provide new avenues for you to explore.

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