Some thoughts of some things I try and work on.
On a practical basis, I normally do my final practice for a gig the day before, or possibly the same morning.. A lot of this is done outdoors – not particularly out of choice. One can often get a quick burst during sound checks, but in essence, the first few moments of many gigs are a warm up of sorts. I marvel at stories of folks like trumpeter Doc Sevresen warming up for two hours even before a sound check – on a brass instrument! I think there is a certain amount of freshness that I would lose if I tried this. It’s almost like practising climbing Everest by climbing Everest. There has to be some discovery left for the actual event; you have to trust the Muse. Just a thought.
- Siguard Rascher’s 158 Exercises and Top Tones books. Follow the exercises in Top Tones, pay real attention to the whole note envelope: clean starts and ends, and maintaining a consistent pitch during changes of dynamics
- Everything in every key (play the same tune, and improvise in the same character, irrespective of key), think in degrees of key
- Exercise them ears: Try and identify notes / chords of every piece you hear and know
- Trust yourself, play melodically
- Emphasize rhythmic command over speed
- Closed tube harmonics to be aware of the partials (Top Tones has many exercises). There are some who favour a sound with fewer upper partials, but I like vitality in the sound – especially for clarinet where the 12 above the fundamental is the most prominent overtone and gives the sound that “ping”
This is all well and good, and one tries to be in good shape. The real thing, whether there be some improvisation or none, is what you help conjuring up and what you help being communicated. Even if you’re in great instrumental shape, you, and everyone else, will know without doubt whether you had anything to really contribute to what was being created and shared.