Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Playing this standard tonight at the home studio and working on playing lines only with mallets 4 and 2. From time to time, I like to practice this way in a session. For example, thinking about the choice of what mallets to use, what kind of sticking we want to focus on or how to incorporate dampening when playing lines and so on. I think picking specific parameters and limiting ourselves is a good way to practice and open up more possibilities. For me it's about trying to stretch, grow and extend the possibilities. Also, we have to keep working at it or we can stagnate or even regress with regard to the playing. I know there is the philosophy of just playing what we hear and the technique will develop along the way, but I think trying to open up and create more possibilities with various techniques is also a good way to go. Granted, technique is not the end all, but I think it has its place in the overall development of being a good musician. The more possibilities we have in terms of technique and various concepts and techniques, the more possibilities we have in creating music to the best of our ability. For me, that for me is the end goal.
Playing this standard tonight at the home studio and working on playing lines only with mallets 4 and 2. From time to time, I like to practice this way in a session. For example, thinking about the choice of what mallets to use, what kind of sticking we want to focus on or how to incorporate dampening when playing lines and so on. I think picking specific parameters and limiting ourselves is a good way to practice and open up more possibilities. For me it's about trying to stretch, grow and extend the possibilities. Also, we have to keep working at it or we can stagnate or even regress with regard to the playing. I know there is the philosophy of just playing what we hear and the technique will develop along the way, but I think trying to open up and create more possibilities with various techniques is also a good way to go. Granted, technique is not the end all, but I think it has its place in the overall development of being a good musician. The more possibilities we have in terms of technique and various concepts and techniques, the more possibilities we have in creating music to the best of our ability. For me, that for me is the end goal.
