Building Blocks Of Musical Training.

No matter what musical tradition you train in, there is a logical sequence to
developing your skills: 1) Learn the basic techniques of your instrument, 2) Learn
existing material, 3) Develop your own style. This sequence is just the way humans
learn things in general. You have to crawl before you walk, etc.

Within this sequence of learning there are a lot of different possible paths to
take. Some musical traditions emphasize one path over another, some are more rigid
than others. High art traditions (schools of training that are very formal) tend
to have rigidly prescribed ways to learn, tend to be conservative and discourage
innovation or incorporation of new material. European art music, Indian classical
music, Japanese traditional music, these are all examples of such formal high art
traditions. They are tough traditions, elitist, conservative, but they produce
high caliber musicians.

Folk music traditions are often contrasted with high art traditions, because it is
easy to see major differences. Folk music is taught less formally, usually orally
and passed from the older generations to the younger, in social or family
situations. There is greater room for part-time, amateur, and individualistic
participation in these traditions, so they seem less rigid. But they can produce
highly skilled practitioners. Folk music traditions may be more inclusive, but
they still have their building blocks, and if an individual invests time and
concentration into these building blocks, the result can be highly skilled and
artistically deep music.

The jazz tradition occupies a unique place in music, I think because it defies
definition as a particular type of music. It has characteristics of folk, popular
and high art music. It is American, but it is international. Structurally it is
linked to traditional African music, but it is also so adaptable that it draws
from musical traditions around the world and through the years. But, like every
music, it has its building blocks.

Let’s look at some specific building blocks. Music can be broken into 4 basic
elements: Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Timbre/Tone. Different traditions approach
these 4 elements differentally. For example, many traditions have only incidental
harmony, rather than functional harmony. Some traditions have a very narrow range
for acceptable timbre, while others have a broader range.

In the European tradition, students learn basic musical skills by practicing

scales and arpeggios. These are your building blocks. Once you have the basic
elements, you expand them into increasingly complex combinations of patterns. Look
at any music method book and you can see this learning sequence laid out. It is
logical and it works.

But there is another way of thinking about music, and by extension, about life.
Learning isn’t merely linear; you don’t just start with simple things and get
increasingly complex. Learning is also cyclical. As your knowledge deepens, you
gain greater perspective and this influences how you see all music, from the
simple to the complex. Thus, you can go back and see the building blocks in new
ways, appreciate the possibilities inherent in them in ways that you previously
didn’t. I think it is important to emphasize this view of music, and life, because
it will make you a more complete musician and human being.

Here’s one example: We learn basic music intervals, like a major third, a perfect
fourth, and so on. We train our ears to recognize these intervals. Then we can
recognize combinations of these intervals which create basic harmonies, major and
minor triads, diminished chords, and so on. As we create more extended chords,
with 5 and 6 notes in them, the sound gets thicker, more ambiguous. A jazz pianist
hits a complex chord, and we say “Oh, that’s C7 with a flat 13,” or something. But
the chord itself is still made up of basic intervals, 3rds and 4ths, and if we
listen a certain way, our ears can hear those basic building blocks at the same
time as we hear the thick totality of the chord.

It is possible to hear the simple components within the complex totality. Likewise
it is possible to hear the complex possibilities implicit in simple building
blocks. This keeps music fresh, and keeps our outlook on life fresh. Building
blocks don’t have to be heard as unchanging, static and formulaic. Of course, they
can be used that way, and a lot of the time they are, to produce formulaic music.
Music made this way is similar to the other things we surround ourselves with:
cubicle offices, fast food huts, treeless parking lots; functional but so much
less than they could be.

Listen to the musical building blocks in new ways. Your other senses will thank
you.