What is creative playing?
Broadly speaking, it’s any kind of musical playing that’s not already written out in notation. For lessons, we focus mostly on various types of improvisation, which means creating within a boundary. This could look like:
-Choosing an image/feeling/style/tempo/key, and trading phrases to create a melody. This can feel like “free play” while allowing us to explore a key signature, bow style, and get the sense of how melodies hold together.
-Playing on top of an established beat and harmony (i.e. a “groove” or backing track). The security of the background framework gives us lots of room to play with harmonies, rhythms, various sounds and techniques. It’s also great for noticing relaxed, confident form!
-Using a lead sheet, or a backing track with a clear chord progression. This gives us a chance to focus on harmonic progression–which is not always intuitive for us since strings tend to be melody instruments! This is also a good entry point to cross-genre playing–bluegrass/fiddle, jazz, pop, rock, and even worship music.
-One-point focus-this can be very cerebral or very whimsical; basically free-playing that focuses on one type of sound or point of technique. For some students this works really well for technical work; for others it’s best used alongside something more structured, but gives a different way to notice.
Why Creative Summer?
Creative playing (the whole spectrum–from improv within a tight structure, all the way to free playing) is a vital aspect of musicianship. It strengthens technique and solo/orchestra playing, in all the ways described above and more. It’s amazing for developing an overall sense of musicianship, and an individual musical voice. And simply, it’s just an important part of being a musician–to be able to make your own music, both independently and as part of a larger group.
Also, creative playing is fun!! And we need that! Violin and viola are precise and sometimes demanding instruments–and we do play music for order and for beauty–but also for joy (and really for expressiveness of every human emotion!) Creative playing allows us to keep the “work” of practicing in perspective. It refreshes us. It leaves the realm of high-performance and allows us to learn in the context of play.
In lessons, especially during the spring concert/audition season, it can be easy to focus on technique and repertoire, but not take time for creative playing. Summer is a great time to purposely re-focus on the creative side of things.
Here’s what that might look like for your student:
Most students–intentional creative focus for our technique and musical content, with some repertoire to round it out. (Beginners will be a mix.)
Some students may want to use the summer as a “workshop” for learning how to harmonize chords with and without a lead sheet; this is a great option!
Students with an upcoming performance, or with really good momentum on their “regular” progression, may want to stay more on that track and just add in some creative stuff “a la carte”. That’s also fine!
