This week's YouTube tutorial was inspired by a question from one of you reading this newsletter (thanks Lanny!) -- what are acceptable melodic variations in a session environment?
I think with our "telephone" nature of learning tunes and putting our own spin on them, there is always going to be some natural chaos when you play with someone new or someone who interprets tunes differently than you do.
I also think that's okay! We're not aiming for a pristine "all bows going the same way" orchestral environment here.
But there is a fine line between what's natural in variation and what's "over the top" or "too much" in a session. And I think a lot of us that like improv or like to noodle around the tune can worry about how this will be perceived.
Have a listen to this week's video, and let me know what thoughts come up for you! What kinds of variations are too much for a session (but may be acceptable in a solo or band performance), and what kinds of natural chaos do you like to lean into?
And if you're not attending sessions -- do you prefer listening to cleaner recordings, or the ones that getting a bit grittier?
No wrong answers here, just curiosity!
Happy exploring in your music this week!
~Hannah