I don’t know about you, but I like to get things right.  So much so that I can put a lot of undue pressure on myself to do so.  Sometimes, isn’t done just good enough or just close enough for jazz?

After a long session of practicing, my High School orchestra conductor, Dr. Scott Johnson, would normally say, “That’s close enough for jazz.” “Dr. J” (as we called him) was a seasoned musician who was skilled at playing the string bass in many jazz bands. He knew what it took to make music work and create something that was palatable to both the musician and to those in listening distance. Years later, his simple words have had an impact on my life often – reminding me that the jazz of life, that of happiness and enjoyment, are not in getting it perfect, they are in sheer enjoyment of what is going in the moment. Happiness and enjoyment are in the playing of the piece. In today’s fast paced, high stress, and anxious world, we all need to get a little jazz back in our lives – the essential elements are the same.

Melody
What melody are you playing? The melody we play in life affects all facets of how we interpret, process, and play as musicians. At times, we might play the blues. At other times, we might be playing swing. Regardless of the melody at that time, it should be right for us. We should feel it and it should speak to us. It’s okay to play any melody as long as it’s not played continually. The same melody played continuously gets mind numbing, dull, and boring. Swing or blues; bebop or traditional – variety in melodies is the key to keeping your song of life fresh, new, and exciting.

Rhythm
What’s your rhythm like? Or, should I ask, how’s the pace of your melody? If we go too fast, we might skip essential elements that give the piece meaning. If we go too slowly, we might turn what could be a happy melody into a dirge. The key to keeping your rhythm good is to listen to the cues that your melody dictates. At times, even a happy, swing melody can slow down a bit. In the same respect, playing the blues can bring inspiration, growth, and renewal. Pick a rhythm that is right for you and keep your melody flowing!

Improvisation
Jazz isn’t perfect; it’s about aligning your feelings with the melody and rhythm (and vice versa). There is a freedom that comes with really enjoying what you are playing. When you are in the moment and in tune with the melodic harmonies of life, it allows you to improvise – to take risks, adapt to new melodies, and readily shift as changes in timbre, tempo, and key come rushing towards you. If you aren’t aligned, you won’t be able to flow with the melody or rhythm and add your special “touch” to the piece. The piece will seem awkward, ill suited, and faked. To get pleasure from what you are playing, take a deep breath, feel it, flow with it, and add your essence to it.

Let’s face it, this isn’t a dress rehearsal, it’s the only life we have. We can spend years playing a melody that isn’t right to a rhythm that is WAY too fast and still never seem to be able to feel it or flow with it. Or, we can dig deep and look to find a melody that we are passionate about, play it to a rhythm that suits who we are and add heart to whatever comes about. In the end, happiness and enjoyment don’t come from being stressed out in not getting it perfect but from “getting it close enough for jazz.”