Thelonious Monk's 25 Tips for Musicians
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- Going through a list of tips Thelonious Monk gave young saxophonist Steve Lacy!
Let's go, baby.
Brian Krock's channel
/ @briankrock
The TIPS
- Just because you’re not a drummer, doesn’t mean that you don’t have to keep time.
- Pat your foot and sing the melody in your head when you play.
- Stop playing all that bulls***, those weird notes, play the melody!
- Make the drummer sound good.
- Discrimination is important.
- You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig?
- All reet!
- Always know
- It must be always night, otherwise they wouldn’t need the lights.
- Let’s lift the band stand!!
- I want to avoid the hecklers.
- Don’t play the piano part, I am playing that. Don’t listen to me, I am supposed to be accompanying you!
- The inside of the tune (the bridge) is the part that makes the outside sound good.
- Don’t play everything (or everytime); let some things go by. Some music just imagined.
- What you don’t play can be more important than what you do play.
- A note can be small as a pin or as big as the world, it depends on your imagination.
- Stay in shape! Sometimes a musician waits for a gig & when it comes, he’s out of shape & can’t make it.
- When you are swinging, swing some more!
- (What should we wear tonight?) Sharp as possible!
- Always leave them wanting more.
- Don’t sound anybody for a gig, just be on the scene.
- Those pieces were written so as to have something to play & to get cats interested enough to come to rehearsal!
- You’ve got it! If you don’t want to play, tell a joke or dance, but in any case, you got it! (to a drummer who didn’t want to solo).
- Whatever you think can’t be done, somebody will come along & do it. A genius is the one most like himself.
(⌐■_■)
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Peace,
Adam
You've got to licc it to LICC it, you licc? [Super fun to chat with you, Adam. Thanks for having me!]
this is how we should all greet Adam from now on
Get ready, brother. Your channel's about to blow up👏🖖
Love the lobster shirt, man. 😎
“25 rules for musicians - an antidote to sounding sh***y”
off topic: what glasses are you wearing in this? they look super cool!
I was not aware of this, Monk's music rules!
thelonius monk makes good music
Thelonious Monk makes pretty good music
these are indeed monk's music rules
The two interpretations of this comment:
-Monk’s music rUles
-Monk’s mUsic rules
Great to see we are learning together then :)
My favourite musical advice was Miles Davis to John Coltrane, in response to Coltrane struggling to stop his solos at the appointed number of bars: "Take the damn horn out your mouth" :D
Or to Herbie Hancock "Don't play the butter notes."
@@jyutzler *bottom notes
Lool
My favorite advice came from Orenet Coleman, Charles Ives and Elliott Carter all three: the Pulister Prize.
RUclips cuts to an ad right after Adam says "Always leave them wanting more."
I laughed so hard. Well done, Adam. Perfect place for your midroll ads.
Yeah I just came here to find this comment
It happened with me to
Got'Em
Damn, I thought I was just lucky and/or unique. Guess not.
Protip: make sure that the vocals and the synths are in the same key.
Good meme bro
@@VikingSloth Protip: polytonality makes you look cool.
Unless you’re writing atonal music! Peace.
You ruined my dissonant mathcore 7” 😭
put reverb on the sub bass
More importantly: wear funny hats and dance in the middle of your solo!
thundercat who?
those are both in there, dress sharp and move your body
@@martinkrauser4029 my joke meant specifically wearing funny hats and dancing in the middle of his solo literally. Monk often stood up in the middle of his solo and danced around before sitting down and continuing his solo.
Mono Neon mastered that
Hahaha 😂😂
Great video (and idea for a video :) )
Looking forward to it Jens! Us guitarists could use a list like that too :)
@@omnigodx11 Haha! Well, I don't know of other lists than this one, and there already is a video on it. I do have a million other list videos :D
Omg! Yes!!
Would you make a video on any of these advises?
@@abraarmasud9194 I think I have covered half of them already :D
Bob Ross: Happy little accidents
Adam Neely: *Creative injuries*
Jackson Pollack: I deny the accident,
Stay in shape, cause you never know whats coming. I got real depressed one year and never REALLY practiced. Sorta figured in my mind i was finished with playing(along with everything else). Then i get a email from a fella from the other side of the world ( I'm in the far northwest of Canada) that i dont clearly remember meeting, to come to Serbia to work on a movie soundtrack with another close friend of mine. I couldn't say no, and had 2 weeks to get my life in order to leave along with dusting myself off musically. Well i got there and spent 5 weeks of really intense practice and all went well.
I found that even with the practice, the break i took really diminished my confidence and I struggled to be a part of the music in my mind.
So keep in shape, you never know what is around the corner.
Wow, from Canada to Serbia, that’s something else 😳😂
What’s the movie
@@penguinexpress12 It is called Komunistički Raj. Covid has slowed the project down. Should be out in the fall or early winter 2021.
@@AnnaKhomichkoPianist haha,yeah. To be fair I've spent a fair bit of time in the balkans learning and playing throughout the region. Once you play music for the people of the balkans particularly Serbia. A person is left wanting when playing back in Canada. They have a very deep connection with music unlike anything I've ever experienced.
@@datsunlambchops4624 Man, I'm really glad you pulled yourself from depression, also I'm really glad you had fun in my home country. Hope you'll come visit us again 😁
P. S. :Stay safe y'all, COVID is a b*tch
Bill Evans liner notes that he wrote for Thelonious' 1964 self-titled quartet album:
"Thelonious Monk is an example of an exceptionally uncorrupted creative talent. He has accepted the challenges that one must accept to forge a music utilizing the jazz process. Because he lacks, perhaps fortunately, exposure to the Western classical music tradition or, for that matter, comprehensive exposure to any music other than jazz and American popular music, his reflections of formal superficialities and their replacement with fundamental structure has resulted in a unique and astoundingly pure music.
Make no mistake. This man knows exactly what he is doing in a theoretical way - organized, more than likely, in a personal terminology, but strongly organized nevertheless. We can be further grateful to him for combining aptitude, insight, drive, compassion, fantasy, and whatever else makes the "total" artist, and we should also be grateful for such direct speech in an age of insurmountable conformist pressures.
In a recent 'Down Beat' Blindfold Test, I was played a Thelonious Monk track. I might repeat here part of my reaction: Monk approaches the piano and, I should add right now, music as well, from an "angle" that, although unprecedented, is just the right "angle" for him. Perhaps this is the major reason for my feeling the same respect and admiration for his work that I do for Erroll Garner's, though they might seem poles apart to the casual listener. Each seems to me as great as any man can be great if he works true to his talents, neither over nor underestimating them and, most important, functions within his limitations.
You will experience an absolutely inimitable performance when you listen to this recording and bless the beauty of the fact that there just ain't no other like it. To exemplify this is a noble accomplishment and testimony to an exceptional, worthwhile life."
Wow! Bill Evans really had a way with words, never heard such profound words of respect.
gorgeos
Except that Monk could play Rachmaninov, and had a varied record collection. Evans seems to be playing into the myth of Monk as some kind of idiot savant.
@@stephencarroll230 You're correct of course. Monk did study with a classical piano teacher who gave him excersies from Rachmanninof's body of work as well Chopin and Liszt and started learning to read sheet music at age 10 from his sister. However, I disagree that Bill sees him as an idiot savant. He is mistaken in assuming that his originality is derived from being unexposed to traditional music education but his adoration of Thelonious's genius is very clear in these liner notes.
Tom Parker Bill Evans was a great pianist. His playing is what we normally associate with inwardness, or contemplative, in jazz. Just imagine Evans getting up and dancing on stage in the middle of a song! The Kelley biography on Monk is worth reading.
I’m wondering if tip #2 was Monk telling Lacey to tap his foot and hear the melody in his head DURING soloing. Maybe not, but it is a good thing to try to do regardless, I think. This is great Adam. Thanks for making it!
I think that is what he meant simply because that is clearly such a big part of what Monk does when soloing. Almost all of his solos involve some variation on the melody and that's one of the things I love about his style.
Auditing is one of the most useful advice I've heard when soloing
Monk also hummed when he played. You can hear it sometimes in the background. Glenn Gould had this habit too.
@@mulkvisti So did McCoy Tyner (on his Ballads and Blues album), Oscar Peterson, Brad Mehldau (on his solo piano album in Tokyo) and Keith Jarrett.
@@UkuleleAversion Especially Keith Jarrett!
#18 is also like a common saying in chess: "When you see a good move, look for a better one"
Ah yes good old Lasker quote
Was it Lasker or Alekhine? Could have been both, as it’s good advice.
I prefer Eric and Haman's "When you see mate in 1, look for better".
"A genius is the one most like himself" recalls Plato's definition of justice: "doing that which is its own."
In regards to music, the greats literally pour their souls, their very being, into their work. In regards to life in general, our most essential task is to become the best and most pure versions of ourselves.
Monk's playing is singlehandedly what got me into jazz. When I first heard that bopping of notes in between rests of raw silence it struck me so deep and pulled me into the music form.
A very minor point - we in Yorkshire still say "reet".
..where?🤔
@@joycesanders4898 British county
I thought exactly this.
It's still trendy bitches
Parts of Greater Manchester too!
> If you're swingin, swing some more
Don't ever apply this to drugs
...or do.
90% of people agree with this comment
98% now my man.
@Jeff Sylvester Cigarettes maybe more so.
Or relationships.
Most misunderstood quote:
Make the drummer sound GOOD.
Or maybe I should say, the thing that musicians constantly get wrong... Most musicians don't understand what it takes to make the drummer sound GOOD.
@@AdrianAshMusic To be honest I don't understand what it takes but I'd love to since drummers don't get enough love. I play piano and I always love playing with a good drummer, they really elevate everyone's playing.
james hetfield knows all about it
@@mcmastermouss Ooh, slick burn lol
@@UkuleleAversion honestly if your a pianist your already ahead of other soloists because you can comp for yourself. Therefore if you're listening- the comping is already congruent with the soloing ideas because they're coming from one person (if your at a certain level I guess) and therefore making the contours of your solo more obvious and facilitating a real conversation. It's why drummers always get mad excited to play over piano solos.
I'm right at the start of this video, so I don't yet know what the 25 tips are, but the best tip I ever heard; Sing everything you play when practiceing.
Even if you 'can't sing' It really helps a lot.
My second top tip would be; learn another instrument, don't give up on your main instrument, but supplement it by learning something else. As a Guitarist, piano has helped me immensely.
🎸🎹💗
"Number 20 : always leave them wanting more.."
- ad plays
..... I see what u did there, Adam
LOL same experience and same thoughts
RUclips Premium Gang: Ah yes. Ads..
@@dysenteryenthusiast6196 Adblock gang: uh yea, for sure...ads
Just get adblock already
@@GoScience123 only if you’re on a computer.
Sadly I don’t even own a computer and I don’t know if there’s an Adblocker for iPads.
Longtime fan of Monk's music, but didn't know about this. Thanks Adam!
WHAT A QUIST COMMENT ON AN ADAM NEELY VIDEO??
"It must always be night, otherwise they wouldn't need the lights" is the one that struck me the most.
I interpret it like, you, as a live musician and a facilitator of music are always fulfilling a role, and you must keep that in mind when playing.
"If it were not night, why would I be playing then?" If there's no music to be played, no emotion to convey, no audience to entertain, why play? why keep the lights on?
There must be night then, there must always be night, for I am gonna be playing and I am gonna be keeping the lights on.
“I tried practicing for a few weeks and ended up playing too fast.” - Paul Desmond
I can’t not like a comment about Paul Desmond
@@raphcourte420and I can't not like a comment about a comment about Paul Desmond
@@SharpElevenMusic and I can't not like a comment about a comment about a comment about Paul Desmonds
@@darrelsvids158 😂😂
@@darrelsvids158 I can't not like a comment about a comment about acomment about a comment about Paul Desmond
Mr. Neely, "Creative injuries" is a keeper.
Love this channel.
Needs to be a T-shirt!
@@thomaskesel5703 or an album name!
Bonus tip: USE all caps on words that DON'T need CAPITALISING
NO matter what WORDS you put emphasis ON, it WILL always make SENSE, though THE meaning may CHANGE slightly :p
ALTHOUGH this may not be very PRACTICAL, it is very fun, AND can give you A good laugh SOMETIMES.
How the hell am I only finding out now that Monk influenced The Internet? Steve Lacy and his time travelling smh
lol, Steve Lacey was 26 playing with Monk and 18 producing for The Internet. He's also transracial, the opposite of MJ
@@theaddictofgaming9174 this is a good one
New Sungazer album title: Creative Injuries
I’d play the heck out of that tho
To summarize: wear rings and let the voices inside your head tell you which notes to shmack
esoteric thelonism
I knew the "current" Steve Lacy wasn't the one composing all that jazz that appeared in his RUclips Music channel.
r u talking about “the internet’s” steve lacy?
Yes lmao
@@sierra3644 yup
Monk remains the most mind-blowing musician for me. He was totally himself and a true genius.
The "You got it" one, sounds more like he was saying "You have the solo, now you get to choose what to do with it"
"Keep in shape"
As someone that played their first gig in 8 months on Friday I feel particularly called out
The ad at "always leave them wanting more" was perfect
Yes 😂😂
"It must always be night" sounds like Debussy's remark about not doing matinees. Something to the effect that music is a magical ceremony, and magic happens at night.
That Sharp as Possible tip is inspiring me to go to zoom university in real clothes instead of my pyjamas lmao
Do it! Changing clothes before going to school or playing music can actually help you learn better. I've found that formalizing things I want to practice and get better at makes them easier to tackle in my head.
I feel like he meant, more physically fit or being warmed up on your instrument.
@@notoriusdrifter40 Nah, it was in line with the culture at the time to try and be the flyest on the scene.
@@6thdim Oh okay. I still think if you are in good health, you'll play better then when you aren't.
@@notoriusdrifter40 ofc I think this too, but a lot of the jazz musicians were doing heroine before gigs at the time, I don’t think they were too concerned with that lol
Love this!!! An excellent video on a legendary piece of jazz history. Thank you.
"Wrong Mistakes" ...this says it all. It's so right, the "right" mistakes are pure bliss !
How does one play the "right mistakes" though? Will I find out before death or is a lifetime not enough? Damn, I hope it's enough.
Good question! I guess you won't know it till you make them, right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
How did y’all get here so early...
They’re too good
@@gabethebabe8187 I’m tryna figure out the same thing 😂
@@JeremyhTheBounce This video was likely released early for Channel members
I feel like “Make the drummer sound good” means pay more attention to style and dynamics. Let the drummer communicate stylings and let that inspire your comping and soloing. Especially in bepop and in latin jazz, the swing/montuno/clave is the rubric for interpretation, not just accompaniment for your ideas.
I think it just means pls give us something else that isn't the same 4 bars pls I'm begging you even the bass has a solo
That is true
That was really moving, thank you for your work Adam.
Number 26: your music automatically becomes better if you got that STANK FACE
#27: play the L I C C
If you're in the vibe you get the stank face, I don't think it works the other way around.
false. stank face usually looks so stupid
@@dam7196 it doesn't matter how it looks, it matters how it SOUNDS
@@jpnavarromusic when in doubt...
Just bought a Monk album a few weeks ago so this is perfect timing. Also, rule #10 reminds me of the Dostoevsky quote, “The darker the night, the brighter the stars.” I kind of interpret Monk’s rule as making the musician aware that everybody has darkness in their life and music can be the light in that darkness, lifting the spirits of listeners. Idk, maybe that’s not at all what Monk meant but I like the idea.
“Creative injuries”? Sounds like a jazz album to me...
Aw man, I needed this today. Great to process monk’s thoughts together like this, thank you!
Thank you man! This is such a blessing at this time in life.
There is a rumah Monk’s wife nicknamed him “Melodious Thunk”.
Venomous trunk
Humungous junk
Or just Nellie
Hideous Punk
Hey Adam, you have a super popular channel now; would you consider captioning your videos to make them more accessible?
And for not natives too!
++
The automatic captions work like a breeze for me..
@@earlyretirement787 They weren't available when I made my comment. I believe Google generates these after the fact, and yes I agree they tend to do a good job. That said, I definitely notice when content creators made their own captions; there's a noticeable uptick in quality. Especially when jargon, such as music theory, is involved.
This is a huge amount of work, even for english subtitles.
Foreign subtitles however, like some guy mentioned, are insane.
You’d need to hire and pay a translator for this and you’d have to make sure he translates all these musical terms correctly, which is near impossible.
If your translator would make just slight errors when translating these terms, it would lower the quality of the content immensely.
So to me it’s better not to do it, than failing while trying to do it.
Of course it is unfortunate if you do not understand everything, but maybe try to see it as a motivation to work on your skills of the english language.
My mother language is german and the english I learned in school is far from enough to get along in the english speaking world.
So I just tried to read a ton of books and only watch english movies and RUclips videos to hone my skills.
I’m far from perfect when it comes to speaking and writing, but at least now I understand 95% of what is said or written in a video or book.
It helped me immensely to stop using subtitles, because you always concentrate on them instead of what was said.
(At least that’s what my dumb brain does, always taking the easiest path possible)
Thank you for this list Adam, awesome video!
Excellent. Renewed respect for Ben. TFS, very creative-with fun visuals, too.
OMG that's so crazy; your take on "when youre swinging; swing some more!" the first thing i thought of was in chess there's a common mantra "When you see a good move, look for a better one."
The "don't read the comments section" part reminded me that I should just mention more often that I really enjoy your videos. Instead of just commenting when I have something to say that can easily sound... negative... to anyone who doesn't really know me.
So.... thanks for all the great videos Adam! (And for the fun t-shirts you have for sale)
The horror of the comments section is that negative emotions are the strongest call to action!
Love love love this! Thank you. 👍😁
Great advice, and insight into the masters who came before us. Thank you for the meaningful content.
"Always leave them wanting more..." *ad* ... nice
That’s interesting… What I liked about monks melody in relationship to improvisation was that he chose notes that were not super show-offy But they were carefully chosen and very colorful and emotional whether these notes are distant or continent.
*consonant
I totally agree, though. Big like.
I like that. Musical humility. Beauty of simplicity. Less is often more.
Great stuff, Adam. Thanks!
Awesome work! Thank you!
Aha! Finally! After 40 years, I know the origin of Crissie Hynde saying "so reet" in the "Brass in Pocket" song. Classic
"Always know" also means always know where you are in the music.
awesome video, definitely looking forward for more like this
My band teacher gave a copy of this to me as a young high schooler and a lot of them have stuck with me. Really cool to see you cover them
This thrust of this advice applies to research mathematicians, systems analysts, molecular biologists, etc. I am going to use this in class.
Monk/Adam: "Always leave 'em wanting more."
RUclips: (Ad plays)
I doubt this was on purpose, but it was still ironic.
Very nice episode! Thx again, Neely!
This is one of the best videos that I have seen. Thank you
#19: I was thinking, when you're "wearing" your music, stay tuned as "sharp" as possible.
6:34 I was hoping you'd reference Jon Batiste's "How to Jazz" series
Thanks for sharing the tips, loved 17!!
definitely one of my favorite of your videos!
Number 26: Write with Vampire Weekend, that shit'll definitely slap
Yoo Steve Lacy... so that's where he gott it from... J. Cole knew what he was doing!!
I love Monk...you know? Great tips, and a great pice of history. Some of those just floor me! Imagining being at one of gigs from that stand in the ‘60s? Must have been absolutely amazing...
Thanks for the post. It made me smile 😊
Wow.. I love this video.. Thanks Adam! I hope you stay safe🔥🔥
All reet? Thelonious Monk is secretly from Yorkshire
Tip 24 said another way: Practice 40 hours a day.
69*
@@omarjimenez8934 as you see, there's only cultured people around
Thelonious Monk's the Ling Ling dad, another mystery uncovered!
@@Lodinn who was Ling Longs mom?
@@moonlightcocktail Davie504.
I have a copy of these thelonious tips framed on my wall. I coined a phrase about 20 years ago when ending a conversation or leaving a place with fellow musicians I say, "keep your chops up!" The obvious reason is you never know when you will get "the call".
THNX!! I Learned this sitting in with Von Freeman in Chicago, DECADES Ago!! It CAN be Devastating, if you Don't do your "SHADOW" Work!! In OTHER Words, you WILL get your Feelings Hurt!!
4:53 I think what this means is that playing at night and playing during the day have very different vibes and feelings.
Night is dark, and so that means lights will need to be turned on and focused on them specifically, as they will stand out
If playing in the day, there’s light outside, which is probably more brighter and more attention grabbing then what’s on stage and doesn’t have the “late night” vibe
He mentioned Adam Larson and I was like “hey, I’ve met him! He arranged a piece for our high school jazz band cause he was friends with our director!”
Funnily enough, the piece aligned with tip 18; it was definitely musicians’ music
Man, I literally was wondering how I can't recall you ever speaking about Monk just yesterday and went on a Monk youtube binge. This is great!
monk born in north carolina ,grew up in new york with carolinian parents ;sounds like some southern zen to me,love it
It's the 1960s version of "Don't read the comment section" LMAO 😂😂😂
🔥🔥
Tip 4: ..accept that you are not going to impress
Me: check.
Made my day! Thanks a ton
I remember seeing this list many year s ago! Its really good advice
This doesn't help the video, but to conclude:
"You have to listen to the notes she's NOT playing."
"Hmph. I can do THAT at home."
HA!
fastest click of my life
Man these tips are awesome!
This was the most pleasing video of yours I've seen! Kudos to you, your friend, Lacy and Monk! Definitely subscribing!
Rests are notes too.
I think it's that kind of BS from mentors, that students take deadly serious and makes mentors laugh. People try to find some magical formula in the notes but that formula does not exist...it's all about energy - if you emanate energy to your audience, then they get it, if you play boring and think about finishing gig, then you don't produce any energy and audience don't care about your play. Cheers !
Great video and great list.
Love this one , Thanks man .
Tip 26: PROTIP! make sure the synth and the vocals are in the SAME KEY!
...and then Steve Lacy would live on to produce and sing RnB albums...
Always a good time to learn from legends
Oh wow! This is awesome!
I was studying him up this morning before your video.
Thanks, Adam.
"talking about music is like dancing about architecture" - Monk
I'm gonna write a ballet about Stonehenge now
In my little world, I was the first one who said this. (Or did I think it?) But, most people attribute it to Mr. Martin Mull. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Mull
I can live with your attribution to Monk, and all other thinkable, because en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_on_the_shoulders_of_giants
and especially
books.google.de/books?id=svkcAYr8JhEC&pg=PR3&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Nope. That's Frank Zappa
1. Play the LICC
#2 I think refers to knowing where you are in the song with reference to the original melody (not just the chords) and improvise accordingly.
Great List, thanks for bringing it to our attention again.
Fantastic advice:
Emphasise what you don't play
Always leave them wanting more
This has always worked with me - my audience love hearing me play less, most of them love it when I don't play at all