There are many roads into musical zones. And, zones are ever-present. What works for some, to get into one, can work for others. Universals do exist. Yet, there isn’t some pre-given zone waiting for discovery. We shape our world through perception, action, experience, and interpretation.
There may be many classes of purists. Let’s discuss two possible types.
The first, the replicators, want to play things exactly as written, recorded, or played. These purists want to recreate what has been done, and do this with the highest standard of exactness.
The second, the explorers, want to use the materials of music as a source of experimentation. These purists view tonal content and potentials as voices awaiting interaction. The lens is exploration as the foundation for playing.
As players, we can shift between these types, through time, through phases of our playing life. Both are viable and available as modes of activity. And at some level, they can be blended. It is interesting to know our mode however. Are we replicating? Are we exploring? Are we doing both?
Where I Zone
Having grown up playing metal and Classic guitar, I was primarily a replicator for many years, though exploration was present. Now, I fall into the explorer category, nearly all the time. As a transcriber, I still have to do my best to replicate, but I do this only for students, and not as a means of artistic expression. And, the personal spin is always present on playback.
My days are filled with nearly 100% improvising as a mode of practice and being. Even songs and fingerstyle tunes I’ve written aren’t as fun to replicate any longer. For Classic songs we are working on, my students and I play each measure as written and use each as a source of tonal content for exploration. This is a good mix of both replicating and exploring.
I love discourse. Yet, I am never reading from a script. Maybe through lens’ that have mental scripts, but I’m not replicating previously written statements while dialoguing. This is the primary model I also choose for music making.
