[quote name='blue' timestamp='1477467347' post='3162352']
Dave, I love improvisation. I think it's a dying art.
Against my better judgement I recently went to an open mic. When I was called up me and the drummer started a groove improvising in G major 7th.
We were waiting for the young guitarist to come in. He didn't come in. He walked over to me and to and says;
'I only know songs"
?
Blue
[/quote]
Sounds like an awful lot of highly skilled classical musicians to me.
I play in a local educational orchestra (and smaller ensembles) and the drummer / percussionist and me have a lot of pub gig experience. We piss about with the tunes as we feel like it (or up to the point we get told off!)
The vast majority of the classical guys get upset when we are doing that, let alone when they are told they can improv! They seem to freeze, or play what is written with the odd added octave or rest!
One of my mates is a cellist. Could sight read Grade 8 exam pieces in a dark room wearing sunglasses. She can't improvise worth a damn.Funnily enough the players of the "jazz" instruments (trumpet, clarinets etc) seem to be far better. I suppose there is more of a cross-over for those instruments. But the bassoons and cellos etc - not a chance.