[Django]

Most say during practice or self teaching, whatever, that's when you consiously work on scales, intervals, theory, the math stuff, if you will.
For god's sake don't think about that stuff while you are performing!
That's the best of both worlds, you get the skills ingrained and at your fingertips - but in performance you just open up and let the muse move you.
Jackaroe summed up my experience very well. Those bad note choices can also become bad habits. That's why I am persueing the CAGED system from step one, to try and learn my way out of my bad habits.
When I am playing I still throw out enough of those unplanned notes to not worry about falling prey to 'too vigorously following the language'.
Nice post Jack.

[High Peaks]

Check out singlpilot on youtube. He gives a great example of this technique.

[sack the wack]

I remember reading one time, they asked Jerry what was going on with him after a particularly magical show expecting some prophetic response and he looked at the interviewer and said, "My freaking feet were killing me."

[Jon S.]

I think I understand what appears to be an important sentiment in this thread. Perhaps Edgar Allan Poe said it best:

"Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes.
Why preyest thou thus upon the poet's heart,
Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?"

However, personally, I do believe it's possible - not necessarily to a total extent, but to a large extent - to describe, objectively, the technique behind art, even poetry and music, without compromising our appreciation for its grandeur and spirit.

For me, describing how Jerry constructed his solos is relatively easy as compared to someone like, say, Derek Trucks, because I grew up in a Western culture and am better educated as to Western music than Indian microtonal approaches. (An Indian might be the other way around.)

I also, and again, this is just me, don't feel it to be minimizing to Jerry's art or spirit by analyzing and objectively describing the scales, meters, and techniques behind his "sound" any more than I view my understanding of the genetics and ecosystem principles behind the beauty and diversity of planet as minimizing my appreciation for its beauty and spirit.

Only other thing I'd add is that I can analyze Alex Rodriguez's swing from now to kingdom come and it doesn't mean therefore I can replicate it. There are just too many physical and mental elements to it that I can understand but just can't do. So please don't misconstrue my saying that there are many aspects of Jerry's playing that are understandable and explainable as suggesting I'm somehow bragging that I can therefore replicate it myself.

[milobender]

just my limited .02 with some esoterica...

I think it takes a fundamental shift from linear, reductionist thought to Chaos theory, and dynamic systems point of view... analysis is fine, as long as you don't expect a limited quantitative answer

[Chuckles]

Yes, well, ahem.

For me, the latest Jerry note I've learned is the 7th in the EMaj7 in Eyes. HUGEly importante, si.

[Jon S.]

just my limited .02 with some esoterica...

I think it takes a fundamental shift from linear, reductionist thought to Chaos theory, and dynamic systems point of view... analysis is fine, as long as you don't expect a limited quantitative answer

I, for one, dig esoterica.

BTW, FWIW, to me, an underlying principle of Chaos Theory is that in reality, lurking underneath the seeming Chaos, is an even eerier sense of non-linear order (that may be in part what you mean by "don't expect a limtited quantitative answer). Indeed, Chaos Theory may be misleadingly named in the same sense as is the Theory of Relativity (which, more than saying everything is relative, actually provides the mathematical tools to convert everyone's relative observations into common absolute values).

Both, though, are classical theories.

But even if you take a quantum approach now, what it might suggest is that while we can't predict with certainty what note Jerry might play next, we can quote you the probabilities! So don't you let that deal go down!

[tigerstrat]

"Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes.
Why preyest thou thus upon the poet's heart,
Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?"

Should be the sub-header of this entire forum! A certain gear forum too...

[milobender]

BTW, FWIW, to me, an underlying principle of Chaos Theory is that in reality, lurking underneath the seeming Chaos, is an even eerier sense of non-linear order (that may be in part what you mean by "don't expect a limtited quantitative answer). Indeed, Chaos Theory may be misleadingly named in the same sense as is the Theory of Relativity (which, more than saying everything is relative, actually provides the mathematical tools to convert everyone's relative observations into common absolute values).

Both, though, are classical theories.

Absolutely! That "non-linear order" is really the way things work It is unfortunate that "Chaos Theory" isn't understood by most yet, and it is equated with "no order at all"... I love the concept of the "Strange Attractor" which in this context might be equated with "The Muse"