Spare Time Improvisation

[lostinidlewonder]

Today I had a little spare time at lunch time and decided to record some improvisation. I had nothing in particular in mind while playing (If I had to find the source for the inspiration I would say I was aware that I was in the church and was thinking about God and the space of worship and drifting in-between that and free thought), I think it starts a bit rough but then I got myself somewhat focused. I didn't manage to get to the end as a visitor came to disturb me and in a bit I was pretty interested in too, it always happens like that! I've got several recordings which I thought where going great then my mobile phone go off and I have to stop!! Thus I always turn off my mobile when recording because of that! Maybe I should write a DO NOT DISTRUB RECORDING sign on the door? That might be a bit unfriendly and they may have to wait a few hours lol.

Running time: ~8:30

[furtwaengler]

It is meditative, the recording. By "space of worship" do you mean the room in which you are playing or something inside your soul?

Interruptions come, and sometimes this leads to adventure, and other times completely breaks the moment, popping that semiconscious bubble. Ah well, what are we to do. Sometimes with the exterior events improvisation collaborates with uncontrollable events, sometimes unnoticed until listening to the recording, yielding a sort of chance music that is real chance music with astonishing results.

So, what would have happened if you had kept going?    

[lostinidlewonder]

It is meditative, the recording. By "space of worship" do you mean the room in which you are playing or something inside your soul?

My grand is held at a church which is just down the road from where I live. Space of worship I guess means many things, there are so many different events in the church, from charity to funerals, weddings, church services, community get together etc etc. I was just being aware of the space and the random things that have happened in this space while I was in while improvising but having no real motivation to focus on a specific emotion.

I really think good improvisations come from having something meaningful to meditate upon especially while listening to the sound you produce from freestyle improvising.

Interruptions come, and sometimes this leads to adventure, and other times completely breaks the moment, popping that semiconscious bubble. Ah well, what are we to do. Sometimes with the exterior events improvisation collaborates with uncontrollable events, sometimes unnoticed until listening to the recording, yielding a sort of chance music that is real chance music with astonishing results.

So, what would have happened if you had kept going?    

I can keep going if people interrupt me but just out of politeness I will stop and greet them. I can't keep playing if someone comes into the room who is coming to meet me. I find it rude of me to keep playing I guess. I may finish a phrase then stop, sometimes they tell me to keep going so I will (but usually I am not recording then, when I am recording I just hate interruptions, although in some of my recordings posted on here you can hear interruptions like cars, washing machines (in the 3 cocktail piano recordings), Pink and Grey gallahs in the background, my dad saying "one more time?" while controlling the recording device lol, they add some special memory to the recording I guess, because i anticipate it when listening to the recording).  Some pianists find it rude of people to stop them while they are playing, but I feel no problem when they rip the music away from me, it's not like a hungry baby and its bottle.

[pianowolfi]

To me this has something orchestral. Especially considering you are playing in a church, playing also with the acoustics, listening to the reverb. Could be the beginning of a "requiem" or a "Kyrie eleison" nice bluesy touch sometimes. I also like these "sparkling" figurations over pedal points, especially those you were getting into shortly before the interruption, somehow I feel like there you had just started to "play yourself free" as we say here.

[keyofc]

very nice - sounds like you are truly lost in wonder

[quantum]

To me, it sounds like you were trying to loose yourself in the space, allowing it to direct the music.

Very calming.

[lostinidlewonder]

Hey guys, I am glad that you found something interesting in the improv! I wonder where it would have gone if I wasn't interrupted although it did sound like I came to an end around 7:33. pianowolfi I did feel something different in the last moments of the recording a "freedom" what have you, it was a shame that it had to end there.

Improv is more relaxing for me than playing composed pieces and I certainly get lost in it. I don't know about it being suitable for other people to listen to though, I am not sure about it, i know here on pianostreet there is a forum where people can appreciate it, but what about improvising in concert? I have only ever done that once in a small concert and people enjoyed it oddly enough. But for me performing the improv I don't know what it sounded like really as a whole. That is the scary thing about it, it might really sound bad or good you don't know! When I first listened back to an improvisation of my own I was quite surprised where parts which I thought where bad as I was improvising actually sounded quite ok, and places where I felt I was doing well sounded pretty formulated, boring or wrong.

[quantum]

Regarding improvising in concert.  I've done some of that myself, and I find it better going into the concert not expecting some very specific things to happen.  After all it is spontaneous music, and a lot of the gems in improvisation come when something you did not expect to happen occurs. 

I find it interesting how classical organists are much more active improvisers than many other instrumentalists. 

Look below, they even have competitions dedicated to improvisation!
https://www.organfestival.nl/en/page/9/competition-general-information#english

[pianowolfi]

Hey guys, I am glad that you found something interesting in the improv! I wonder where it would have gone if I wasn't interrupted although it did sound like I came to an end around 7:33. pianowolfi I did feel something different in the last moments of the recording a "freedom" what have you, it was a shame that it had to end there.

Improv is more relaxing for me than playing composed pieces and I certainly get lost in it. I don't know about it being suitable for other people to listen to though, I am not sure about it, i know here on pianostreet there is a forum where people can appreciate it, but what about improvising in concert? I have only ever done that once in a small concert and people enjoyed it oddly enough. But for me performing the improv I don't know what it sounded like really as a whole. That is the scary thing about it, it might really sound bad or good you don't know! When I first listened back to an improvisation of my own I was quite surprised where parts which I thought where bad as I was improvising actually sounded quite ok, and places where I felt I was doing well sounded pretty formulated, boring or wrong.

I know that I will someday play a completely improvised concert. But I feel I am not there yet, I'm not ready yet. It's another way to go. But I am sure it will happen.

I think you will feel when it's time to do it.  

[keyofc]

I think of playing the piano as communicating.
What if you were a public speaker?  Maybe improv for them would be
to go on up and just put the speech into their own words without notes.

I've heard speeches like that - that seemed more convincing.

[chopinatic]

Very trancing and haunting, i can feel you putting yourself in the music. Good work

Chopinatic