The Art Of Active Listening.

In the art of making music Listening is crucial.
That sounds like a given, and most musicians think they are listening, but unfortunately this is not always the case.
Dave Isaacs says on Guitar Player Zen:

Let’s define “listening” from a musician’s perspective as an active rather than a passive activity. In other words, a musician who is listening is constantly evaluating and reacting to what they hear, and those reactions are expressed in how they play or sing. Simple example: if the lead singer feels that a certain part of the song should be delivered with a softer, more relaxed energy, a band that is listening will simply react and follow the singer’s lead. The first rule of accompanying is that the lead voice/instrument sets the tone: volume, intensity, feeling - and the accompanists (e.g. the rest of the band) follow suit. In a good band, this happens easily and the entire performance is dynamic and musical.

So why WOULDN’T someone not be listening? It’s generally not a question of ego, or childish onstage behavior…..for the most part, people want to do their best and for everyone to sound good. But because playing an instrument or even singing comes from certain physical/mechanical movements and actions, it’s often easy to get more focused on that aspect than on the sound that’s being produced….

…What all of this means to any musician is that your goal is to be an active, attentive listener. And while musicians who study formally take classes in “ear training” these skills can be picked up simply by paying attention to the right things. Listen for dynamics, the rise and fall of volume and energy. Listen for who has the primary voice at any moment….if it’s you, grab the spotlight, and if it’s not, stay out of the way until your turn comes. If you’re jamming along with a band you’ve never played with before, don’t play your guitar licks WHILE the singer is singing but in the spaces in between. A great performance in almost any genre of music is a conversation in which each member gets to have the floor….sometimes the spotlight shifts quickly and you might only have a moment to add something, but a moment is all you might need. It’s as simple as choosing to pay attention and being as aware of what’s going on around you as you are of what you’re doing yourself…..and that’s a worthwhile thing to strive for in many aspects of life, not just music.

Amen to that.

You need to think of your playing as part of a whole. In this way you can elevate your awareness of the other segments that make up this whole.
Sometimes the guitar is icing the cake and sometimes a conversation will develop between the guitar and the lead vocal - it shouldn’t be a shouting match but a mutually inspiring collaboration that will leave a dynamic in the air that no monologue can.

To read more of what Dave says about listening go over to Guitar Player Zen.