Practise Tips 2 - Priorities.

When considering what to practise it is very important to consider what is important. Many good practise sessions are ruined by noodling, so a way to avoid this is to practise the important things first. You guitar players know what I am taking about, and I am sure other instrumentalists do the same from time to time.

So, think about this: what do all great musicians have in common? I would say they all play with great rhythm and they all have great sound, among other things. No two people play rhythm the same, nor have the same sound, but these musical elements are clear and definable in every great player in my opinion. Think of Brian May or Miles Davis as salient example. These two musicians, while very different, both illustrate the power of good rhythm and sound.

So for me I put these two elements first on my practise schedule. The longer I practise the more likely I am to noodle (which isn't totally bad - it is still playing after all) and the more likely I am to be less focused so whatever is first on my list gets the best chance of being done effectively.

... and while I am at it, you should definitely have a practise list. This helps you to use your time effectively but also makes you to think before you practise. Maybe it's just me, but if I can do three hours of practise and get certain things down that would normally take four hours then that allows free time for other things (either work or fun). I like to think of it as working smarter not harder.

Maybe a big priority for you is reading music? If so, that should be first on your list.

Your list really is an individual thing, as you probably know your own playing best and what you need to work on... and be honest! You are not doing yourself any favours if you tell yourself you are a good reader (for example) when in reality you are not. I know this is tough, but it is the best way to get better. Try recording yourself then asking the tough questions.

So, make a list of things you want to practise and consider what is most important to you; put these first.

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The best gigs / concerts I have attended and what I learnt from them.

Matt Penman, Joe Lovano, Matt Wilson, me and John Scofield

As a professional musician I am often asked by punters about concerts I have enjoyed. People assume I get to attend many concerts and gigs; unfortunately I do not - I am often too busy doing my own. This has lead me to do a lot of thinking lately (yes, I know it must have hurt, right) about what it is that makes certain musical performances special and others not so much. The same band from night to night can fire one night and fizzle the next; for any number of reasons. How do we as musicians make it so we fire on all cylinders every time we play?

The best gig I have ever seen was the John Scofield & Joe Lovano Quartet at Skycity Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. I was fortunate to get on this tour as the person who looked after the band and I got to see both the Auckland and Wellington concerts; and I would have seen the Christchurch concert if it had gone ahead, but unfortunately it was cancelled due to lack of ticket sales - come on people, go to the gigs or it is likely the artists won't come back!

For some reason the Auckland concert was on fire. Maybe it was because bassist Matt Penman is originally from Auckland (now residing in New York) and felt a bit of pride about playing with these heavy players in front of a home crowd? Maybe these guys came with the approach to play their hearts out? Maybe the sound was amazing on stage (it was!) and they were responding to a nice acoustic space? It is highly plausible it it was a combination of all the elements and more.

Don't get me wrong, the Wellington concert was good, amazingly in fact, but it lacked the same spark that the Auckland gig had the night prior. Maybe it was me! Maybe by the second night I had made up my mind about the gig, and was not as open minded going into the performance?

I can not help but think the attitude and general willingness of the musicians has a lot to do with why some gigs are great and other not so much. One of the best concerts I have been to was Chucho Valdes and the Afro-Cuban Messengers at the Wellington Jazz Festival. Chucho had a young band who were clearly 'amped' about playing. That energy made this performance special - you could feel it in the air. These guys had decided to smash it out of the park that night and thats exactly what they did.

Two other performances that have stood out for me over the years were the Pat Metheny Trio and the Esbjörn Svensson Trio (EST). Pat is one of my heroes and it was awesome to see and hear him play. I would have traveled a long way to attend this gig. Christian McBride was the bass player and Antonio Sanchez the drummer. Antonio blew my mind. He is the complete drummer - great groove, chops, knowledge, tone etc.

Roger Waters, The Wall. Photo shows an example of the
projected images on the wall. Incredible. 

I think the reason EST stands out for me is that it was totally unexpected. I was given free tickets for their gig as Ben Monder (New York based jazz guitarist) was opening for EST and he was using my Mesa Boogie amp. I heard EST and was completely blown away. They are one of the most original concept groups I have ever heard. Also the sound guy absolutely nailed the gig; incredible.

The best 'show' I have seen is undoubtedly Roger Waters The Wall at Vector Arena, Auckland. The sound was amazing (surround sound), the band 'nailed it' and the visuals can only be described at epic. Stunning concert.

I am convinced what makes a great performance is partly attitude of the performers, partly the acoustics, partly audience participation and open-mindess, the visuals and partly some kind of X factor -  that something just happens. When all these things combine, magic happens and it sure did at these performances I have mentioned. I keep all these points in mind when I am putting together my own shows.

The interesting thing is, in the case of most of these concerts, I wasn't supposed to have gone to the performances, but for a number of reasons things lined up or people made it happen for me. These days try to attend as many gigs and concerts as I can, because one never knows what might end up being a life changing experience.

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