Hello Ardith,   
      
   On Thu 2012-Jun-07 23:56, Ardith Hinton (1:153/716) wrote to Richard Webb:   
      
   RW>  HOw do you get a guitar player to turn down?   
      
   RW>  Put sheet music in front of him.   
      
      
   AH>            Good one!  I can well imagine that such an individual   
   AH> might be more confident when improvising and/or playing by ear,   
   AH> where I'm just the opposite.    
      
   I can do both.  I'll solo alright, but unlike a lot of jazz   
   players, when I run out of ideas I'm very glad to hand it to the next guy.    
   That's what always frustrates me the most   
   about "modern" or "progressive" jazz.  Guys who will stand   
   there and noodle the night away on a piece, and once they've run out of ideas   
   just noodle scales or something.   
      
   Even then, I find that after playing a certain piece I end   
   up playing the same thing, even though I tell myself "I'm   
   going to try to bring somethign fresh to this one tonight."   
   IT often doesn't work that way.  Once I've developed my   
   moment in the sun that flows it stays with me.   
      
   AH>            There's a drummer in our community band who is at his   
   AH> best when the conductor wants him to do a solo & tells him "Just   
   AH> make up something."  I'm at my best when all I have to do is read   
   AH> the notes or when the conductor wants me to keep a low profile &   
   AH> enable somebody else's work to stand out... [chuckle].    
      
   That's as much an art in itself, and what I really try to   
   drive into the heads of a lot of players, especially guitar   
   players.  There are guitarists I know I almost dread sitting in with a band   
   I'm working with, because they don't support   
   the ensemble well.   
      
   IN fact, it frustrates me, and one reason I don't do well   
   with less than high quality players.  The more secure you   
   are in your musical ability I find the more willing you are   
   to support the ensemble properly.  If you've got an ego   
   problem coupled with a bit of insecurity it's all 'hey look   
   at me." and not a good supporting player.   
      
   I had it drummed into me with our high school stage band   
   though, I think I've told stories about that band director   
   here before (the guy who went ballistic on the guy giving me the kick to   
   signal me) and with a stage band he was big on   
   instruments such as piano adn guitar doing the support role   
   well, and i was piano for the stage band.   
      
   IT was something I lost touch with when first working on the raod, but as I   
   got older and gained more real confidence in   
   my abilities came back to me, all those old lessons he   
   taught sometimes in a very brusque manner.   
      
      
      
   Regards,   
              Richard   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:116/901)