Getting those creative juices going

[Victor Saumarez]

Sometimes, however hard you try, the jazz just isn't happening. All
artists get creative block, and there must be dozens of methods for
breaking the impasse. My thoughts are if it isn't happening you can't
force it, but breaking the cycle, routine, or practice method just may
remove some of the cobwebs. Here's what I do over tunes for a chorus
or two at a time:

1) Play very, very minimally, just a sprinkling of notes without
paying much attention to which notes, so much as just standing back
from guitar. It's harder that it seems, because you constantly
fighting the urge to let rip.

2) Play minimally, but very rhythmically, using unusual punctuations
that make no sense, and sound completely out of kilter with the pulse.
Let yourself go, and free the usual time and rhythm constraints.

3) Play a chorus without stopping to pause at all, and depending on
the tempo another chorus doubling up. This relieves the pent up
impulses for the previous exercises and builds back flow.

4) Now play like you normally do but with as much feel as you can
possibly muster, paying attention to dynamics, attack, tonal
qualities, range, and rhythmical variations. In other words putting
everything together from the previous exercises, but with emotions.

Even if it doesn't break the creative block they are good exercises in
their own right.