Chords for Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge Discuss Improvisation | Reverb Interview

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_ [Em] _ _ _ [Am] _ [Em] There is something really cool about improvising [A] with another person, [C] and I feel like it has
to do with listening. _ _ _
[D] Really, really step back and just really try and take in whatever's coming in.
I [Em] feel like that's kind of the essence.
That's [E] definitely step one in terms of having that [C] musical [G] conversations.
I don't know, growing up I always felt like, you know, it's [F] like you have to go to [Dm] jazz
hell and [Gm] back, learn everything [Eb] about modes and scales and technique, and [Gm] then you're
awarded the ability [G] to speak fluently.
It's just not, [Eb] none of that's true.
And [G] often that's the catalyst for getting better [Ab] for me.
You [G] know, where I'll play [Am]
with someone I'm improvising with and I'll want to play something
I realize I actually don't know how to do.
[Gb] I don't know how to support them the way I think they [Bm] need to be supported.
[C] So I go home and I practice and I study the people who can do it well.
[B] So in a lot of ways I feel like it's essential.
Like without that, a lot of educational direction or your own development can kind of be wandering.
[G] I feel like that was a big thing [C] in the writing of this record, is that we would, [D] you know,
get together and set aside like an hour.
There was a lot that was born of [Em] sort of like improvising [Am] exercises.
[Em] We would like sequester ourselves for [E] like an hour a piece and [G] each guy would, the agreement
[C] would be like, okay, come back in an hour, [D] write four songs.
You're still, man, if you've got 15 minutes to get something [Eb] together, like you're turning
your improvising brain [Bb] on.
You know, improvising can also be thought of as spontaneous [Eb] composition.
So we would, [G] you know, [Eb] improvise little [E] one [Bb] or two or three minute pieces and just try
and play together with our iPhone [D] voice memo going and try and play a piece with a beginning,
[B] a middle and an end.
It [A] wasn't a lot of us sitting around being like, that was cool, do that [G] again.
It wasn't, it was very [Am] pointed _
_ [Em] with the directive being just keep [D] ourselves interested and [G] engaged.
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_ _ _ When we're talking about spontaneous [C] composition, involves setting up [B] an expectation, which
you could [E] consider your [B] theme.
[Em] This expectation is that [E] this is an event that's worth listening [G] to or following.
And then you have the option to either fulfill that expectation and say, [B] we're going to do
lots of it, we're going to play a lot of it, [Eb] or you can avoid it and create kind of a misdirection.
So just because [Gm] one of us plays something that we think is cool _ doesn't mean that we
need to pounce on it.
If anything, [D] that's been a [Ab] big directive for us of like, [A] kind of like point and don't shoot.
Like if I'm doing it, don't do [E] it as well because [G] then we're both doing [Am] it and then
[B] it just kind of falls apart.
[E] So I think one of the skills we're always trying to refine as a [B] duo or as a band is
if [E] I hear Critter doing something, every bone in my body [G] wants to say, I also see that [Cm] harmonic,
you know?
But I have to go, well, [Em] what is not a harmonic that would make that sound _ more harmonic-y?
So that the narrative gets built often with more of an [C] antagonistic approach.
[Bm] Poise is a [Em] really interesting concept to me and it's not a novel concept.
_ Poise for me has a lot to do with a [Am] combination of [Em] being responsive [Am] to what [G] you would like
to have happen, which is a big thing in [Am] jazz at least, this whole concept that you think
you hear it and then you play it.
And where poise comes into it is as I hear this thing coming out of the guitar, [Bb] am I
physically _ [Cm] able to accommodate [Am] _ [C] the follow-up to it?
[Gm] In other words, if I play something and it gets me way up [Gb] here, the reason poise [Em] is important
is that if I am not alert, if I kind of get locked into my own [Dm] thing, I start to create
this ripple [G] effect of problems for the next measure and the measure after that.
As it relates [C] to Critter, I mean, it's all [E] about poise.
There are many occasions [Em] playing together if I'm tired or whatnot, I will lose that
alertness, that spark, and I'll kind of be in, my attention [Cm] goes inward.
What's even worse [F] is that when Critter looks out to me [Bb] to have any sort of like [Eb] help or
like, hey dude, we're in this together, I'm [Gm] unavailable.
The [Bb] simplest way to ignite [Eb] poise is for me is often through [G] distraction.
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You know, for a second [E] I might be looking at some [Dm] guy with a funny hat or I might [Am] be
like, oh, that's, you know, whatever, this is happening.
But within [Bb] short order, all [G] of a sudden, [E] I like, I stand [Cm] taller, I'm alert.
So I try to get distracted as much as possible when we play Honestly, and I let something
real bring me back into [Am] focus.
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