3 Techniques Jazz Musicians Use To Spark Their Creativity
You can apply them to any creative field
If you’ve ever watched a jazz improvisation jam session, then you’ve witnessed one of the most inspiring yet confounding examples of creativity. Starting with a single note, they play off each other, responding instantaneously, creating beauty where none existed.
The musicians who master this skill not only create something from nothing, but they do it with little planning. Their techniques might seem music-specific, but you can apply them to any domain.
Fourteen-time Grammy winner Herbie Hancock best exemplifies these practices. Whether he’s the greatest living jazz pianist is a matter of opinion, but nobody doubts his impressive talent.
His flair for creativity started during his early days as a performer. That’s when an older musician gave him advice about what to do after playing the wrong chord.
“Play something wrong; play it again.”
In other words, if you make a mistake, repeat your mistake. The advice sounds illogical at first. But here’s why it’s genius.
If you play the wrong chord once, everyone will know you played a wrong chord. But if you play the wrong chord twice, your audience will think you did it on purpose.
