0:07 Herbie Hancock 3:03 Victor Wooten "When you hit a wrong note, It's the next note that you play that determines whether it's good or bad." -Miles Davis
As my teacher explained: ''It is neither the note nor the chord it accompanies, it's the context that matters. If it feels wrong, change your context.''
@@Jesterday31 Funnily enough, he told the story about Miles, turning a ''mistake'' into something uselful, and said that you can go from any note, to any other note. Much like in grammar, certain sentences can be non sensical, or they can make perfect sense, depending on the context you view it in. IDK how to explain it properly, I am not that proffecient at music theory but i took a lot of the abstract to heart.
I met Thelonious Sphere Monk, Jr. back in the day, and he told me that his father once said, "If you play a note that sounds wrong, keep playing it until it sounds right." True story.
I totally use that Technique when I hit a sour note I start repeating it and eventually it sounds like it was done on purpose and then I can move on from there
If I played bass for him he would quickly rethink that idea. Sounds nice, but if it were the case, every single person could play jazz/music flawlessly, all the time. No need for auditions - there are no wrong notes, or time signatures or accents....etc.
"If you play a note that sounds wrong, keep playing it until it sounds right." That is how I learned to play by ear...keep hitting keys until I hit the right one...lol
That’s not what he said though. He said to play that “wrong” note until you find a way to make it sound right, not to play “wrong” notes until you find the “right” one.
My favorite is when my jazz teachers or my friends playing jazz would play some riff on a trombone or something and say "ohhhh..... Ooohh..... That's NASTY" and then they'd scowl but they would just continue playing playing it while scowling. Not even skipping a beat, there's no mistakes, if it brings forth an emotion, any emotion, and it resolved, it's good
@@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266 Funny story- many years ago I picked up a gig w/ my buddy and he ending the 1st tune on Maj7. Very nice. I bet him he couldn't end every song w/ Maj7 but he did. It was cracking me up but the bandleader threatened to fire us after the first set. Had to cut that out 😂
I can’t remember who said it, but someone once said, “A wrong note played timidly is a mistake, but a wrong note played with authority is an interpretation”.
Wow! This is crazy eye opening! When he played that G flat over and over my mind was like “please god resolve this!” lol and then it hit me….it’s not a mistake, just the tension before the release. So sick ❤
Jazz is the art of not only not being defined by context, but by creating the context. A wrong note is only wrong if every other note is right. When every note is wrong, the right note stands out as the one that sounds off. The context is the notes that make a note sound wrong, and being able to change it on the fly is the art of Jazz. Of course, there's more to Jazz, there always is... But it's versatile in it's very nature, playful almost. And i just can't help but love that part of Jazz.
Honestly, one of the most helpful, yet simple, music teachings I have come across. So liberating to see how ' there is no such thing as a wrong note ' is actually put into practice.
Herbie's anecdote is not only a testimony to Miles' greatness, it also reveals one of the pivotal points of his evolution into the unique jazz artist that he is today...he has made recordings in f-i-v-e decades
I was mentored in music since my childhood to never view music as a mistake, ever and it’s allowed me to play some crazy things by “accident”. Miles found a challenge in your “mistake”.
Damn, this will impact my playing and my life. This isn't just advice for your instruments, this is advice for your life. Weird how an artisan in their respective field can give advice that applies to that field but also to other things as well, true wisdom between the lines.
As a guitar player I learned how to read tabs and just started pushing buttons and fishing for notes remembering the patterns and intervals, not even knowing what a scale or octave was when I first started. I guess I was doing something right all these years... I have always played intuitively, although I do know a little theory now, but I'm glad I came across this video, because I never thought of this, I'm definitely going to add this to my practice and see what I discover.
Same for me. It's like I was running the fretboard with my eyes. Using mostly pentatonic scales. Now I tend to write my solos with my ears and that makes me go "out of the box"
My band teacher told me " you're only a half step away from where you want to be!". 30 yrs later and it's still one of my favorite tricks to this music thing! 🙂😀
I practise chromatic scales, Victor! And I very occasionally use them when actually playing a song. I find that, on sax, the chromatic scale really helps me to connect with the instrument and understand it better.
This is so enlightening. I could hear Victor Wooten Speaking and playing all day. What a master of his craft. And Herbie Hancock, well, he his a legend.
That's what I tell myself about my mistakes, they're not mistakes, they're 'events' and keep playing them... hence why I still suck after 20 years playing guitar
-Follow band members' playing -Keep confidence so the other aspects of your performance doesn't fall apart, keep feeling the sound to orient yourself I hope I can learn from that even though I'm not a jazz musician (more electronic side, but I dabble in some instruments) and even less so a band member myself. music shouldn't impose itself too rigidly because if you want precision too much it can cost your confidence, and the fear that it'll sound bad can hinder your playing further playing (and the mistakes that come with it) is natural and alive.
I once had a client book studio time to hear / purchase beats, so I showed him all of my best beats, some which would later sell for a decent chunk of change, and he wasn't feeling any of them. So we decided to start from scratch & I play all my best piano / guitar chops, and nothing was working for him, until I accidentally hit a few wrong notes that clashed in a horrible way. His eyes lit up and said ''that's the one!''. We proceeded to make a beat that consisted entirely of ''wrong'' dissonant notes, in no scale / key. Picture 2 cats walking on a piano over a drum loop. I hated it but the client absolutely loved it. The fact that these sounds brought him genuine joy taught me that there truly is no right or wrong, only popular and not as popular.
i do this sometimes, it comes naturally after a while, just keep jamming you guys will feel/see it too, when i play a wrong not i just continue the riff, never stop playing when you make a mistake just ignore it, it was just a split second of mistake in the middle of a long song, the audience just wants to have fun (unless youre classical) lol
Great video. I was introduced to this philosophy a few years ago by Victor Wooten's workshop (the second part of the video), I recommend watching the entire workshop (multiple times). Thanks for the upload.
This video is indeed enlightening. I play guitar 48 yrs. 6 7 and 8 string. Im going to incorporate these ideas in my soloing as well especially in gospel, jazz, and funk.....
Transitions, accidentals, and the chromatic scale. All where my favorite topics in music. The concept of observation(which accepts and gives you the power to transition) vs judgement(which causes fear of wrong notes).
Bass chords sounds so freaking amazing and I play guitar. I do own a 5 string Music Man which I will start playing chords on the bass and the chromatic scale.
I have watched this video several times over the last few days. It’s soooooo good and profound. God bless Victor, Miles, Herbie, and all our wonderful music teachers
great revealing lesson....ill no longer frustrate my self about trying to understand modes, scales and outside improvising...ive been doing em right all along😄👍🏽
Everything in life should be like this. Like creating music and dancing. Some play the music, some dance, but everybody is enjoying every single step and if it's over the only thing you wish is to go again. It's not about the end. It's about the Now.
This is how I naturally learned to play. I fucking sucked at finding the right pitch and correct notes, so I just played a bunch and made up my own thing as I went along. If it felt good, I did it again. If it felt bad…we’ll yeah I suck anyway so I’ll just play it again instead of getting upset. Helped my mentality so much years later and I love exploring “ugly” notes because it’s just different from what you’d expect to hear. It’s fun. Music is fun. Play shit until it sounds cool.
I'm a classical musician and so I was very used to the theoretical approach to music back in high school. In one of my first jazz improvisation lessons in school, our teacher told us: "If you play something completely off, that just sounds terrible, make sure you do it again. If you repeat it a few times people won't think it's a mistake anymore. And resolving it will feel even better." He was right. I wasn't a god at improvising. I even messed up the recovery. But even by chance I was able to resolve it eventually. And by just being self confident, and not losing my temper, I could make it sound good. After the session people came up to me and told me how impressed they were by my improvisation skills. No wonder; it was unique. Because it was wrong. I'll never forget that. All you need is some confidence. And suddenly your weaknesses become your strength. Live by that. Be proud of your mistakes. They're what makes you unique.
Very cool and misterious at the same time how that "off" notes became bigger then other notes. I play and guitar and bass and i get idea now how to incorporate chromatic scale and on guitar and on bass guitar. I am stunned by Victor Wutten "ear" theory. 👏👏👏. Thank you Maestro.
'Once is an error, twice is jazz.'
- some clever musician
- Sun Tzu
or Sun Ra?
Repetition legitimizes, repetition legitimizes, repetition legitimizes
Dayam thats dope
Prince said it. ‘When you played a wrong note, just play it twice.’
My brother is a jazz musician, and his teacher once said: "There's no such thing as a mistake; just a bad recovery."
That's a saying as old as jazz itself.
Maybe the best life advice ive ever heard if you boil it down.
Well there cant be a recovery if theres nothing to recover from 🤔
@@sterilesteve5565 I think you always move on and recover no matter the note
@@sterilesteve5565 Recover from a boring solo
As my teacher explained: ''It is neither the note nor the chord it accompanies, it's the context that matters. If it feels wrong, change your context.''
Looks like the creation of the universe of The Lord of The Rings.
Yummy!
What did your teacher mean by context, can you elaborate?
@@Jesterday31 Funnily enough, he told the story about Miles, turning a ''mistake'' into something uselful, and said that you can go from any note, to any other note. Much like in grammar, certain sentences can be non sensical, or they can make perfect sense, depending on the context you view it in. IDK how to explain it properly, I am not that proffecient at music theory but i took a lot of the abstract to heart.
I like the grammar analogy
I met Thelonious Sphere Monk, Jr. back in the day, and he told me that his father once said, "If you play a note that sounds wrong, keep playing it until it sounds right." True story.
czcams.com/video/2TX6Z7NiF0E/video.html
Jr. appears in the documentary "The Jazz Baroness" several times!
I totally use that Technique when I hit a sour note I start repeating it and eventually it sounds like it was done on purpose and then I can move on from there
Repetition legitimizes.
So true, works with Mars Volta solos too lol
@@hermask815 Repetition legitimizes.
I don't really listen to jazz, I don't know who Victor Wooten is, but he is the most calming man I've ever listened to. He exudes chill.
Bob Ross of bass
if you liked him in this vid, check his speech during a university graduation, you'll love him
@@raffataia That's what I came here to say. It's such an ever-relevant speech.
You should listen to him with Bela Fleck. They are incredible.
same, i never listen to jazz yet enjoyed this video
“Do not fear mistakes, there are none” - Miles Davis
and dont let your bandm8s alone. thats what i took from it. its not a competition of each bandmember.
If I played bass for him he would quickly rethink that idea. Sounds nice, but if it were the case, every single person could play jazz/music flawlessly, all the time. No need for auditions - there are no wrong notes, or time signatures or accents....etc.
"-just happy accidents." - Bob Ross.
Great minds think alike.
Mistakes only get pronounced when you over react to them, plus some mistakes introduce new ideas, so it’s not a curse to runaway from rather an event.
Ron Carter would have felt so much more comfortable if he knew Miles was like that. Unfortunately, Ron knew better.
"If you play a note that sounds wrong, keep playing it until it sounds right." That is how I learned to play by ear...keep hitting keys until I hit the right one...lol
keep hitting keys until you hit the right one or it sounds right?
@@Mathemarius I think he means the actual right one, but both what you said is correct :D
That’s not what he said though. He said to play that “wrong” note until you find a way to make it sound right, not to play “wrong” notes until you find the “right” one.
@@Watermelon_Man Sure, that's a huge difference.
How long did it take you?
"When you hit a wrong note in jazz"
Well make sure you hit it twice
That bass guitar session was excellent.
Seems he was talking about the principle Miles used to fix other people's mistakes.
Yeah man, I don't even play bass but I've watched a few times.
One of my instructors in college would say, "salvation is only a half step away." 🙂
My favorite is when my jazz teachers or my friends playing jazz would play some riff on a trombone or something and say "ohhhh..... Ooohh..... That's NASTY" and then they'd scowl but they would just continue playing playing it while scowling. Not even skipping a beat, there's no mistakes, if it brings forth an emotion, any emotion, and it resolved, it's good
Like adding spice to the dish.
Actually, sometimes leaving it unresolved is even better. It all comes down to the player's ear.
@@goodpeopleoftheworldunite except the spice is shit
@@thenoblemute7669 Nah, the spice is spicy. Your taste is what's shite.x
@@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266 Funny story- many years ago I picked up a gig w/ my buddy and he ending the 1st tune on Maj7. Very nice. I bet him he couldn't end every song w/ Maj7 but he did. It was cracking me up but the bandleader threatened to fire us after the first set. Had to cut that out 😂
I can’t remember who said it, but someone once said, “A wrong note played timidly is a mistake, but a wrong note played with authority is an interpretation”.
I like that one, I can eke out another life lesson from that and add it to the one Herbie brought up in his Miles Davis anecdote 🙏
Dude this shit blew my mind, making wrong notes sound right. Not only is this concept applicable to Jazz music, but to life as well
exactly what i thought
불협화음이 있으면 그 옆에는 협화음이 있다는 말이 진짜 좋다
Miles didn't saw it as a mistake, he saw it as a challenge.
Wow! This is crazy eye opening! When he played that G flat over and over my mind was like “please god resolve this!” lol and then it hit me….it’s not a mistake, just the tension before the release. So sick ❤
To me, that note was a blue note and was actually the right note for the job. He could have stayed there all day, I'da been fine with it.
Victor embodies music. There is joy when I hear him play or talk.
have you read his book?
@@maxonmendel5757 no, I haven't , but now I'm going to look for it, thanks!
This is blowing my mind for both music and life
Jazz is the art of not only not being defined by context, but by creating the context.
A wrong note is only wrong if every other note is right.
When every note is wrong, the right note stands out as the one that sounds off.
The context is the notes that make a note sound wrong, and being able to change it on the fly is the art of Jazz.
Of course, there's more to Jazz, there always is...
But it's versatile in it's very nature, playful almost.
And i just can't help but love that part of Jazz.
Victor is so damn cool.
I actually managed play along on my bass, and it sounded amazing
Honestly, one of the most helpful, yet simple, music teachings I have come across. So liberating to see how ' there is no such thing as a wrong note ' is actually put into practice.
Does the audience agree though.
@@klapsigaarenbasgitaar1931 there's no such thing as a wrong comment 😃🎸
Herbie's anecdote is not only a testimony to Miles' greatness, it also reveals one of the pivotal points of his evolution into the unique jazz artist that he is today...he has made recordings in f-i-v-e decades
I was mentored in music since my childhood to never view music as a mistake, ever and it’s allowed me to play some crazy things by “accident”. Miles found a challenge in your “mistake”.
Damn, this will impact my playing and my life. This isn't just advice for your instruments, this is advice for your life. Weird how an artisan in their respective field can give advice that applies to that field but also to other things as well, true wisdom between the lines.
As a guitar player I learned how to read tabs and just started pushing buttons and fishing for notes remembering the patterns and intervals, not even knowing what a scale or octave was when I first started. I guess I was doing something right all these years... I have always played intuitively, although I do know a little theory now, but I'm glad I came across this video, because I never thought of this, I'm definitely going to add this to my practice and see what I discover.
Same for me. It's like I was running the fretboard with my eyes. Using mostly pentatonic scales.
Now I tend to write my solos with my ears and that makes me go "out of the box"
You're never more than a half step away from a diatonic note
깊은 깨달음을 얻고 갑니다
감사합니다
My band teacher told me " you're only a half step away from where you want to be!". 30 yrs later and it's still one of my favorite tricks to this music thing! 🙂😀
Why is Victor just actually the coolest guy in every room?
The Victor Wooten video is like someone showing you a cheat code after you've been trying to play music "the right way" for your whole life. Crazy.
I practise chromatic scales, Victor! And I very occasionally use them when actually playing a song. I find that, on sax, the chromatic scale really helps me to connect with the instrument and understand it better.
And I just heard a sax playing a nice chromatic run in my head!
I do this on my guitar while playing the blues, helps me too
" *I practise chromatic scales* "
That's what I do too! Usually because I'm lost, but that counts, doesn't it? ;-)
@@bakters Absolutely
@@bakters if you're practicing then you're not lost, my dude, you're on your way to it
"If you play a wrong note, just smile a big grin and play it again, so people think you meant it!" - Edward Van Halen
This is so enlightening. I could hear Victor Wooten Speaking and playing all day. What a master of his craft. And Herbie Hancock, well, he his a legend.
as a beginner guitarist , i've learned so much from victor wooten . i love this guy
That's what I tell myself about my mistakes, they're not mistakes, they're 'events' and keep playing them... hence why I still suck after 20 years playing guitar
-Follow band members' playing
-Keep confidence so the other aspects of your performance doesn't fall apart, keep feeling the sound to orient yourself
I hope I can learn from that even though I'm not a jazz musician (more electronic side, but I dabble in some instruments) and even less so a band member myself.
music shouldn't impose itself too rigidly because if you want precision too much it can cost your confidence, and the fear that it'll sound bad can hinder your playing further
playing (and the mistakes that come with it) is natural and alive.
Victor Wooten's message : Redemption is always a half step away
Such a gift to have this lesson for free, thank you very much for uploading this Arion
I once had a client book studio time to hear / purchase beats, so I showed him all of my best beats, some which would later sell for a decent chunk of change, and he wasn't feeling any of them. So we decided to start from scratch & I play all my best piano / guitar chops, and nothing was working for him, until I accidentally hit a few wrong notes that clashed in a horrible way. His eyes lit up and said ''that's the one!''. We proceeded to make a beat that consisted entirely of ''wrong'' dissonant notes, in no scale / key. Picture 2 cats walking on a piano over a drum loop. I hated it but the client absolutely loved it. The fact that these sounds brought him genuine joy taught me that there truly is no right or wrong, only popular and not as popular.
You can't help but smile as Victor plays, he is having so much fun
My gosh that guy just oozes confidence, this was incredibely enjoyable from start to end
this video gives me a huge message, not about only music, it's about whole life
So revealing, thanks for the research you put up to find the footage, it’s invaluable
Astonishing demonstration by Victor Wooten!
..it is the start of novel arrangement with some sick scale choices.
This is one of the most beautiful thing's I have ever watched. Thank you!
I love interviews like these
This was awesome. Vic just blew my mind and really gave me a lightbulb moment! I need to practice this!
i do this sometimes, it comes naturally after a while, just keep jamming you guys will feel/see it too,
when i play a wrong not i just continue the riff, never stop playing when you make a mistake just ignore it, it was just a split second of mistake in the middle of a long song, the audience just wants to have fun (unless youre classical) lol
Great video. I was introduced to this philosophy a few years ago by Victor Wooten's workshop (the second part of the video), I recommend watching the entire workshop (multiple times). Thanks for the upload.
Great teacher! He feels the music!!!! Thanks!
This video is indeed enlightening. I play guitar 48 yrs. 6 7 and 8 string. Im going to incorporate these ideas in my soloing as well especially in gospel, jazz, and funk.....
Ladies is Gents that is a beautiful lesson on improvisation. WOW!!
This is a gift 🙏🏼✨
Love this tale.
Transitions, accidentals, and the chromatic scale. All where my favorite topics in music. The concept of observation(which accepts and gives you the power to transition) vs judgement(which causes fear of wrong notes).
Wooten is such a legend
This video just increased my love for jazz.
i need to learn that groove playing in the background sounds impeccable
I like how that dude is playing chords on bass in that post 12 fret zone. Actually sounds pretty nice
Bass chords sounds so freaking amazing and I play guitar. I do own a 5 string Music Man which I will start playing chords on the bass and the chromatic scale.
Brilliant lesson!!!
I have watched this video several times over the last few days. It’s soooooo good and profound. God bless Victor, Miles, Herbie, and all our wonderful music teachers
I'm happy to hear that
Never seen such as accessible video to try playing jazz, its brilliant.
great revealing lesson....ill no longer frustrate my self about trying to understand modes, scales and outside improvising...ive been doing em right all along😄👍🏽
I can't love this enough, thank you🙏💖
"repetition legitimizes" (incidentally the words i was taught to repeat in my head while counting 9/4)
Suddenly Darrell Brooks' legal strategy makes more sense.
Legitimation repitizes
Thats the power of music. Understanding life.
"Just an event."
I like that approach.
One of the best tips for any musician
Everything in life should be like this. Like creating music and dancing. Some play the music, some dance, but everybody is enjoying every single step and if it's over the only thing you wish is to go again.
It's not about the end. It's about the Now.
Perfeito! Isso deveria passar na TV e nas Escolas, todos os dias! 💖💝
This is how I naturally learned to play. I fucking sucked at finding the right pitch and correct notes, so I just played a bunch and made up my own thing as I went along. If it felt good, I did it again. If it felt bad…we’ll yeah I suck anyway so I’ll just play it again instead of getting upset. Helped my mentality so much years later and I love exploring “ugly” notes because it’s just different from what you’d expect to hear. It’s fun. Music is fun. Play shit until it sounds cool.
Beautiful and inspiring! Ty for this.
This is gold!
Amazing lesson
Beautiful
Excellent , and i am so glad the title said , IN JAZZ !! . cheers .
Just amazing!
*bassist*: and you expect me to fix myself too?
GREAT LESSON
I'm only just getting back into music. And this was absolutely beautiful. I will need to keep this in mind as I relearn bass and electric
Such wise words, but honestly I was smiling all the way through this. Music like this gets me excited for music.
This is my new favorite video of all time
I'm a classical musician and so I was very used to the theoretical approach to music back in high school. In one of my first jazz improvisation lessons in school, our teacher told us: "If you play something completely off, that just sounds terrible, make sure you do it again. If you repeat it a few times people won't think it's a mistake anymore. And resolving it will feel even better."
He was right. I wasn't a god at improvising. I even messed up the recovery. But even by chance I was able to resolve it eventually. And by just being self confident, and not losing my temper, I could make it sound good.
After the session people came up to me and told me how impressed they were by my improvisation skills. No wonder; it was unique. Because it was wrong.
I'll never forget that. All you need is some confidence. And suddenly your weaknesses become your strength.
Live by that. Be proud of your mistakes. They're what makes you unique.
Just repeat it 3 times. You're golden
Very cool and misterious at the same time how that "off" notes became bigger then other notes. I play and guitar and bass and i get idea now how to incorporate chromatic scale and on guitar and on bass guitar. I am stunned by Victor Wutten "ear" theory. 👏👏👏. Thank you Maestro.
This is absolute Gold!
even this interview itself give me goosebumps all over my body)
That's why I love jazz with all my 💓
this is a gem of a video, thanks
Had the privilege of seeing him live with the great Prasanna and the one and only Viku Vinayakram in Kolkata... just mesmerising!!! 🎉❤
This is brilliant. Thank you
Incredible
1:42 It is exactly this 90s ringtone that I ear when I play a wrong note ! 😂
I didn’t know Victor is such a great teacher!
That was hella clean.
Beautiful story
This video was great! Of course, they are amazing! Thanks!!
Wooten is just crazy creative and such a good bass player
Never understood jazz. Thanks man! Now I see how it works! Much love to you my friend! You ve opend up the entire new world for me!