Soloing - It Isn't What You Think It Is

1) I signed up to Nebula IMMEDIATELY upon viewing your video. Your motifs were SICK yet beautifully simple, and I want to be able to solo with that combination of creativity and simplicity, almost Miles Davis-like. I can't believe they were all off the cuff, but I know that they were. All tasty! 2) Is it me, or is your son getting BIG?! 3) I would have loved to have met you in person- Come back to New York! 4) I hope not to see your epitaph for a looooooooooooong time- but that is a great one! 5) You've been teaching for a while now, congrats on doing it via this new platform. You've got MY support. ***EDIT*** I just applied your motif in choosing five notes and played over the chords of 'My One and Only Love' on flugelhorn. No scales and no licks. I played the first pure improvised solo in my life and it was simple and BEAUTIFUL, and it was all mine, from my brain. THANK YOU for giving me an AHA moment with your video! <3

"Find a motive, see it trough till the end" - Aimee Nolte. That's so brilliant, love the two meanings that derive from this. Existencial e musical.

I noticed a long time ago that jazz piano players are often humming along quietly with their solos. I was like "why are they doing that?" I started to figure it when I tried the same. My solos became more lyrical, less mechanical. Muscle memory is important but it makes solos sound like they come from the fingers only.

How did I learn more about improvising in this video than in my entire jazz degree!? 🥳😮

That's why I love George Benson so much. He's basically just scatting all the time while soloing and then you gotta breathe at some point, way more natural way to create lines.

You don't have to put it on your gravestone, you are living it in real life.

This video is so true. So many improvisers need to learn to stop their fingers running around scales etc - just to fill in the gaps (as impressive as this skill is) - and instead concentrate on finding notes and phrases that mean something on a human/artistic level rather than just what our shared understanding of the geometry of music theory points to, and as Aimee stresses, bring it together into a sort of narrative that has its own internal sense - eg seeing it through to the end.

I'm halfway through Aimee's course at Nebula on improvising. Really wonderful and so accessible. The instruction comes from HER HEART and flows effortlessly into the listener--whether the listener (me) wants it to be that easy or not. Why? Because of how clear Aimee is that I can do improve, I now can't have my favorite pity-party about not being able to improvise. Seriously, Aimee, I've been following you for the moment you came onto YouTube and severe rheumatoid arthritis has prevented me from playing piano like I want. But using the same song of "Take The "A" Train through each teaching technique and showing simple voicings that I can manage on the piano, made it so clear that great improvisation is within my capability. I'm very grateful.

Probably the best lesspn on entire youtube

The bit with your son was so beautiful. And what a quick learner he is - caught on to that modulation in All The Things You Are right away! Anyway, I have always instinctively played what I hear in the moment as beautiful, even if it’s not technically impressive. Still, as I’ve been becoming more competent in jazz and bebop, I’ve felt a pressure to get flashy. At a certain point I realize that whatever happens to be expressive and organic is what matters.. if flashiness happens, then wonderful! If not, then wonderful! it’s best not to let one’s ego push oneself around. The best music comes from somewhere other than the one who wants to look impressive. :)

Kenny Burrell is a master of playing simple thematic solos, using lots of space and well-timed phrasing. You don't have to be a guitarist to learn from him. Check out his album Midnight Blue. Stanley Turrentine plays great bluesy solos on the record too. And you can hear the changes even though there's no piano (sorry Aimee!).

Aimee, this is so helpful. I used to think that I didn't like jazz and it was because the solos sounded much like your first examples of using modes and scales where you could not hum or sing back what the soloist played. The melodic solos are my favorite and once I knew that they could be played that way, I found that I love jazz after all. Thank you for verifying that they can be played this way too.

Thank goodness for someone who so deeply understands the difference between just being skilled and being truly musical. Thank goodness for Aimee.

"with the courage to hold onto it" rings true in the classical world too. Play a note and let it settle into the ensemble. Musical truth!

i always watch your vids when im having a difficult time staying motivated to practice. it never fails to renew my urge to get on the piano again!

Hands down one of the best music educators on YouTube.

Aimee, your son blends so perfectly and naturally with your singing! A delight for that alone, and then we get some great jazz on top of that!

Such wise words. The bit with Charlie nearly made me cry it was so beautiful. 😥.

Hi Aimee. I love your approach to improvisation. As a 40 year career classical trumpet player who played "jazz" in college (my idol - Clark Terry), this really speaks to me. I'm tired of hearing jazz solos that, first they go up, then they go down, then they go up, etc etc etc. As you say, there's a time and place for that but.... I once told Warren Vaché that I loved his solos because he didn't just play scales up and down ad nauseum. He appreciated the compliment and the observation. Anyway, I'm gonna sign up for your Nebula thing. Can't wait to get started.

Hearts. Lots of hearts. FEELING outside the box! Wonderful observations on how emotion of Jazz so often gets lost in the technical presentation and displays of virtuosity.