Q: How do you divide your time between creating and between doing things that will help the creativity come out the way you want it to?—Yakiros

A: Hi Yakiros,
Well, I basically decide what I'd like to accomplish - in 5 years, in 2 years, in 1 year, in 6 months, by next month, by tomorrow, and plan it out the best way I can. There's always a lot of teamwork with others to make things happen well, of course. Planning time is a very high ability and a good one to develop. Start with planning out 1 day—like tomorrow—of things you need to do and then get that done. Then you can stretch it out further and further into the future. You have to follow through on your initial plan.

Good luck,

-- Chick

Have a musical query for Chick? Submit a question

Add a comment

Q: I saw a video on the Five Peace Band website, and it's obvious that you were going for the minimalist approach: will this continue to be the case? —James

A: Hi James,
My electric keyboard rig setup is definitely a work in progress. Not having been using Rhodes, Minimoog, and synths for so many years (except for the occasional E. Band reunion) I lost touch with the developments in electric keyboard and synth technology. When I dove back in with RTF, there was so much I wanted to evaluate in such a short time that I ended up with probably an "overkill" setup—but, in the process, learned a lot about what works and doesn't work for me these days. It's certainly an ongoing creative area for instrument makers and programmers and players. Great, fun stuff!

Aside from time, the other barrier is always "cartage" when traveling on a tour—which leads me to the practical solution of trying soft synths via the laptop—MainStage, Logic, Spectrasonics, Absynth, etc. And, in fact, there's a whole other world of sound and facility available there, too. So, it's A Work In Progress—and probably will continue to be. But, so far, no software sounds have fully been able to replace the richness of the acoustic piano, Rhodes or Minimoog—but, each year they're coming closer and closer.

All the Best,

-- Chick

Have a musical query for Chick? Submit a question

Add a comment

Q: I've been studying a three-tonic scale recently. Where do you apply this scale? What type of chord suits it best?

A: Try these ideas on for size. They work for me, anyway:
Let’s define “scale.” I see it as any series of notes that go up from one note, ending with a higher note several or more steps above – or that go down from one note, through a series of notes, to another. There are the standard Western scales which I learned growing up (such as the Major scale, Minor scales, Diminished scales, etc. You can find these scales defined in most books on beginning harmony or beginning music). Then there are the scales that are used by non-Western musicians from non-Western cultures that I know the sounds of, somewhat, but am less familiar with—like Indian, Japanese, or Balinese music. But just start with the idea that a scale is ANY series of notes that go up or down or up and down—no matter what intervals make up that scale—and no matter that it’s from our Western 12-tone scale or any other scale. It’s still “a series of notes that go up and/or down."

Ok, now let’s address the last part of your question: “… What type of chord suits it best?” This is the cheap advice that I will continually repeat. It’s that each musician must develop the courage and integrity to make these decisions completely on his own and from his own viewpoint and tastes. That’s a tall order, and it may take all kinds of trial and error to attain that self-certainty—but the end goal should be kept in mind, that in the matter of what parts of music go together best, your own tastes and decisions are the only ones that really count for you.

So here’s my cheap advice as to how to go about it:

1) Learn all the scales you can find - from books, from recordings, from listening to live music, from questioning other musicians—and especially from transcribing from recordings any scales that sound interesting to you.

2) Take these scales (you can start with just one or two) and start experimenting with them. Play them—fool around with them. See what music you can make with them. See how they may fit into songs or improvisations that you like. Make sure you continue to use your own judgment about what works or doesn’t work—what sounds good to you and what doesn’t.

3) When you find some scales that you really like and the music starts to flow, write songs and phrases with the new scales. Improvise with them. Perform the songs. See how it goes. Then write some more.

4) Once you see that you can do these first 3 things (and you can do them over and over again)—then begin creating your own scales. Try a series of notes that sound good to you. Write them down. Even give them names if you want to. Write songs and improvise with these. Combine them with other scales you’ve learned.

4a) By the way, you can do the same thing (1 through 4) with chords and voicings.

5) And finally – forget all about “scales” and “what chords and notes fit into them”—and just play what you hear!

You can do 1 through 5 over and over and over – - and build up your “repertoire” of scales, chords and various techniques—and keep inventing new ones. Eventually these “techniques” become part of you because you are now “inventing” them—therefore you now never need to rely on “memorization”—it’s all just a flow of creation, always in a new unit of present time.

Ahhh—easy to say—but—the test and the fulfillment is in the ACTION! Good luck—and many happy (and/or grueling) hours of searching and creativity—and making Music!

-- Chick

Have a musical query for Chick? Submit a question

Add a comment

Q: What do you think are the options to learning orchestration? Studying in institutes seems to be the standard option, but are there any alternatives?

A: The 2 alternatives that pop to mind are:
1) Read scores while listening along to your favorite pieces and check out how the composer/orchestrator did it.

2) The other is, apprentice under a great orchestrator and observe and learn. In the arts, and possibly in any field where skill is required, apprenticeship is a sure way -- work with and for the individuals who know and do the art at the highest level.

Good luck.

-- Chick

Have a musical query for Chick? Submit a question

Add a comment

Q: When playing in a jazz band and a drum solo comes along, I sometimes find myself lost in the form of the song. How do you approach not losing track of yourself in the drum solo? — Eric

A: What you ask about keeping the form of the song during a drum solo is an interesting point concerning playing together in a group. The simplest way I have of looking at that problem is through understanding the exchange of communication that is going on.

To break it down, if two musicians in a group “lose” each other one way or the other, then there’s a breakdown of communication. Between any two in a group, when the communication is good, it is 2-way. Let’s take the pianist and the drummer. They’re “playing together.” Communication-wise, that means they’re “agreeing” over and over again where they are and that they’re hitting “together”—every note, every phrase. If one “loses” the other—and it’s agreed that they shouldn’t—then something the drummer played didn’t get understood by the pianist—or vice versa.

It then becomes a responsibility on both their parts to become more understandable to the other. Again, it’s a 2-way proposition: the pianist must learn what the drummer is playing and the drummer must play in a way that’s understandable to the pianist.

Ok, so much for theory. Practically speaking, if you “lose” the drummer and if he’s playing the form correctly, then you may have to listen to recordings of the performances and try to work out what he’s doing. If that’s a problem, ask him to show you what he’s doing. On the other hand, if he’s blowing the form and you’re trying to understand that, then it goes downhill from there.

And an even more practical piece of advice: talk to the drummer about it.

Good luck.

— Chick

Have a musical query for Chick? Submit a question

Add a comment

Q: What do you like to listen to when you're not working? Any non-jazz style? Or, are there any other groups you like to hear? Thanks for dedicating your life to music!

A: I listen to a lot of different music. Lately, I’ve been listening intently to John Coltrane’s legacy of recordings—especially the recordings “Sun Ship” and “Living Space.” I find the music of this quartet to be of the highest order and constantly inspiring to me.

I also have been listening to and studying the piano and orchestral music of the French composer Henri Dutilleux. I only just discovered his great compositions a few years ago and have been listening to and playing some of his piano music ever since.

A couple of new recordings that I think are really great are: Victor Wooten’s Palmystery and Jimmy Herring’s Lifeboat.

Good luck and all the best to you,

—Chick

Have a musical query for Chick? Submit a question

Add a comment