BY XANI KOLAC
Xani Kolac is an expert in improvisation and will present her skills in a concert featuring her own music this month. The violinist has shared the stage with big name artists including Clare Bowditch, Tim Rogers, and even performed with Kav Temperley on RocKwiz. Last year, Xani teamed up with Dots+Loops to showcase skills with those in the contemporary classical world. And now, she’s set to perform at the Melbourne Recital Centre alongside Vaudrey on 7 April. Here are her top tips for improvisation before you watch her in action.
1. Listen.
Track down some recordings of the great improvising violinists of all time: Grappelli, Luc Ponty, Lockwood, Venuti, DBR…
2. Listen to something else.
Now, listen to the great improvisers of all time playing other instruments/singing: Nina Simone, Coleman Hawkins, Brian May, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans…
3. Stop listening for a bit.
A lot of teachers say you should transcribe improvised solos and learn to play them. Do this for a little bit, but don’t do it all the time. Play around with your own ideas.
4. Go global.
Immerse yourself in a musical style from somewhere else in the world where improvisation is key. Maybe try Argentinian tango, or Flamenco, or a type of Indian music.
5. Learn.
Find a teacher of any instrument and in any style to give you some lessons. Improvisation is a lifelong pursuit and there’s always more to learn.
6. Put it into practice.
You can learn everything you possibly can about improvisation, but it means very little if you’re doing it in your bedroom. Get out and play with other people.
7. Listen to yourself.
One of the best ways to learn is to record yourself improvising and listen back to it. Be critical, transcribe what you’ve played and analyse it what works and what doesn’t.
8. Compose.
Write your own tunes with sections in it to improvise over. Knowing a chord progression so well can help free you up to try new things with your improvisations.
9. When you’re stuck…
Practising improvisation can be overwhelming. There’s so much to learn and so many places to start. When you’re stuck, make a playlist of all your favourite improvisers and observe what it is that you love most about their playing. Is it the use of timbre, rhythmic phrasing or note choice? Whatever your answer, work on that first.
10. Take risks.
The greatest improvisations happen when improvisers take risks. Maybe they go for something really challenging and miss, but fall onto something great. Maybe they try playing over a super fast tune. Maybe they risk playing something so simple where others would play something tricky. In the moment, it’s up to you.
Watch Xani perform with Vaudrey in Songs and Strings at the Melbourne Recital Centre this April 7. On the program are works by Xani Kolac, Richard Vaudrey, Gang of Youths, and Giuseppe Colombi.
Images supplied. Credit: Michelle Grace Hunder.
