​solo playing entails a constant state of reaction to a sound or idea at hand in total isolation. the lack of musicians to interact with leaves you to focus on what you yourself have just produced. this creates an obstacle. when dealing with this obstacle, most performers choose to showcase their particular techniques. this often leads to a one-dimensional performance. the performer in this situation is not focused on reacting to sound as much as they are focused on how to demonstrate their refined sonic language to the audience.

 

this is a reductive solution.

 

the lack of people to interact with is both a blessing and a curse. the silence at play is a unique challenge. it is best to lean into the awkwardness of it. being able to so exactly control the space between phrases is something particular to solo music. in the past i found myself ignoring this and tending to blow through it. i tended to not value silence in my phrasing while instead choosing to fill space with lines that only accomplish one sound. for example, tremolo picking and alternating pinch harmonics in one pulse. my response to the silence obstacle was very one dimensional.

 

in an effort to make my solo music more dense in ideas, i found a way to synthesize my influences rapidly. instead of doing one singular methodology for however long, i am switching consistently, which becomes a sort of methodology in and of itself.

 

i once heard an anecdote about sam rivers preferring to practice with the radio, and the tv on all at the same time. to me this is not only profound in the sense of what it can accomplish as far as an exercise in focus while many other events are happening, but also creatively what one can achieve by generating semi-controlled independent sources to grab from in a solo setting. a way i can juxtapose the very stark silence in solo playing is by playing samples, the music of others. instead of consistently being in the foreground of things i can now play background to the sample, or ignore it or overpower it, adding a new layer to what i am playing. the results are something i simply enjoy, which is more important than any of the other stuff.

 

i am not interested in creating a piece of work that is solely representative of merely my technique. when i first started working in “21” i found if i solely focused on the tools i deploy in a group setting the result was very flat and devoid of vigor. i am mostly disappointed with solo records because i feel the musician is consistently avoiding actually improvising. they are interested in performing a “Piece”, something pre determined and all encompassing of what they are able to do on their instrument. this usually is achieved by playing one idea or technique for the duration of a segment or even a duration of a set. i get very bored just playing my shit. it is much more engaging if i Improvise, react to myself in the moment.

 

there is a tendency in solo playing where the performer views the solo as a parlor trick and do not to take the sounds being made at face value. the performer does not react to themselves but instead retreats to what is more comfortable to perform, what they know. There is always the threat of being beholden to ones technique, but in solo music it is rare to hear a performer truly take a risks and improvise. to break this habit i have found constantly reacting as a methodology creates the most interesting results. i am improving via what i know not repeating what i've already done.

 

i am aware there is a large gap of communication about this to the listener and it is the main reason i write. i don’t think you get the full spectrum of music when you view it as anything less than what it is, which in the case of solo playing, is a reaction to the singular elements of what previously came before it.