Or something else it wasn't?

People tend to panic when thinking "what notes do I play?!" when improvising. But a beautiful improvised line has more to do with the other elements of music: dynamics, articulation, phrasing. Don't forget about those - if you do, it will sound like you're stuck in your thoughts just worrying about which note names to play next. Instead, choose just a few notes and focus on playing them beautifully, expressively. As a listener, I enjoy listening to two notes played with lots of intention more than I like listening to dozens of notes played without a creative direction. Have you fallen into this trap? I sure used to. But when I listened to my recordings I started noticing what sounded beautiful and what sounded stressed.

Check out this image of the muscles around the mouth. Can you find the Orbicularis Oris? This set of muscles helps us to make "kissy" lips and to create our flute embouchure. It draws the lips together like you're cinching up a drawstring bag.

This group is not just about me teaching what I've learned... It's about us sharing what we've learned and supporting each other! Let's start a trend of teaching each other. What's something that you learned in your life, maybe even outside of music, that is helpful to your improv journey? Next, go share your unique voice in the INTROS CONTEST (and get a chance to win a private duet session with me!) and vote on your favorite!

Rate yourself 0-5: Then, teach us something