Chick Corea: "Cheap But Good Advice For Playing Music In A Group" 🎹

Shout out to Arun for bringing this to my attention, and Annabeth for hanging this up in the Relateful Studio bathroom!

Jazz legend Chick Corea’s musical advice below is so on point for relatefulness. When reading the list below, if you’re not a musician or the parallels aren’t otherwise obvious: Try substituting “playing” for sharing in a flow session. Consider ‘intentionality’ awareness. And consider ‘balance’ attunement. Easier said than done—both as musicians and relaters—but a fine ideal to aim toward!

1. Play only what you hear.

2.  If you don't hear anything, don't play anything.

3. Don't let your fingers and limbs just wander--place them intentionally.

4. Don't improvise on endlessly--play something with intention, develop it or not, but then end off, take a break.

5. Leave space--create space--intentionally create places where you don't play.

6. Make your sound blend. Listen to your sound and adjust it to the rest of the band and the room.

7. If you play more than one instrument at a time--like a drum kit or multiple keyboards--make sure that they are balanced with one another.

8. Don't make any of your music mechanically or just through patterns of habit. Create each sound, phrase, and piece with choice--deliberately.

9. Guide your choice of what to play by what you like--not by what someone else will think.

10. Use contrast and balance the elements: High/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, tense/relaxed, dense/sparse.

11. Play to make the other musicians sound good. Play things that will make the overall music sound good.

12. Play with a relaxed body. Always release whatever tension you create.

13. Create space--begin, develop, and end phrases with intention.

14. Never beat or pound your instrument--play it easily and gracefully.

15. Create space--then place something in it.

16. Use mimicry sparsely--mostly create phrases that contrast with and develop the phrases of the other players.

Also cool as a metaphor for living, where 'the group' is everything, the music is experience.

With love, Jordan