I’ve had the stunning realization that I’m not very creative. That’s all there is to it. Noticed it the minute someone asked me to start improvising. I also am a bit of an artist in my free time and I find that I have little to no original pieces and end up just copying a picture I found online. With music solos, I end up playing the exact same solo for every song I’ve played (especially on the banjo). Anyone else relate? I’d like to think I’m talented but not so much creative. 
Non-creative Musician looking for some advice
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Hey Trev! I think I can offer some words that might open up some concepts to you. Bear with me as this discussion is on the theoretical side, but I think it’ll make sense 
The first concept you mention, and the first one I will address, is the notion of being “creative” or “not creative”. There’s no doubt that people vary in their “level”, if you will, of creativity, along with the fashions in which they express themselves with that creativity. This can be seen in your personality, your tendencies, and all that good stuff, but overall, one’s personality does not make a certain kind of musical skill inaccessible. It certainly can have an influence over what kind of musical expression one tends to or prefers or finds easy, but one being “uncreative” doesn’t mean they have a mental inability to improvise on an instrument, write songs, or paint an original scene.
With that in mind, I would suggest that you don’t need to create an identity of yourself as an “un-creative”, etc. – don’t let that make you hesitant to approach the more seemingly creative aspects of musicianship.
You may eventually decide that you don’t lack creativity at all. I thought your Teach Me contest entry, for instance, was quite “creative”– I don’t know your thought process behind creating it and you may have been inspired by other content creators, but it was unique and seemed like you were thinking outside the box!
Oftentimes, we don’t lack creativity, but we are lost when it comes to how to harness it.
The second highly important truth to understand is that improvisation, specifically, does not live or die based on creativity.
I’d offer up this key point on improvisation: You already know how to improvise, and do it often.
“How,” you ask?
Recall a discussion, argument, or other long-form conversation you’ve had with another person.
- Did you have to explain your thoughts to that person on a particular matter?
- Did the other person ask questions, etc. which you were able to answer?
- Finally, did you perform all of those verbal actions without a pre-organized script written by someone else which you memorized and subsequently recited during the conversation?
If “yes”, then you improvised! You entered into a conversation, and used your command of a language to express facts, opinions, and feelings.
Your familiarity with the English language allowed you to string together coherent English statements and carry on a conversation. You did not feel lost as to where to place your nouns or verbs, and did not need to think about that. You easily made use of common idioms, and perhaps you even used a “signature phrase” or two.
You improvised – you just did it in English, not music.
Now, consider doing the same thing in Chinese.
Assuming you don’t speak Chinese, you would feel totally lost. You would try to express a thought you have, and realize you have no idea how to do so. You would try to speak some of your favorite phrases, and realize you have no idea how to do so. The Chinese conversation around you would be bewildering, almost magical.
Thus, you would say, “Wow! These Chinese speakers are crazy talented and creative. They just string sentences together on the fly, and in context! I don’t know how they do it. I can’t do it because I’m not creative.”
No, you wouldn’t! You would understand that they speak Chinese fluently because they have spent hours and hours listening to Chinese being spoken, learning and internalizing Chinese vocabulary, and carrying on conversation in Chinese.
Musical improvisation follows the exact same basic concept.
You may have heard someone say, “music is a language,” or use the term “musical vocabulary”. That’s not just a comparison – music is LITERALLY a language, consisting of vocabulary. Fluent musical improvisers and composers are simply fluent in the language of music. Improvisation is quite literally carrying on a musical conversation or monologue, while composition is more akin to writing a novel.
Improvisation, in any language, is essentially using components you are already familiar with to create a new work on the fly.
Remember your conversation? You did not recite a pre-memorized transcript, but you did combine pre-memorized words– words that you already knew and used thousands of times beforehand– to create your own transcript in real time.
Similarly, when a fluent banjo player improvises a solo, they are taking licks, rolls, rhythms, chords, and melodies they are already comfortable with and combining them to fit the structure of the song. The concepts themselves are not new, but the combination of those concepts become unique, and they have spent hours upon hours getting comfortable with the act of combining them on the fly.
So how does one actually start learning to improvise? I would point you to practices similar to this:
- Build your vocabulary. If you don’t know any words, you won’t be able to speak. On a smaller scale, one way to do this is learn licks! C chord coming up? You’re gonna need some pre-memorized little phrases to play over that C chord until it ends. You can learn these by stealing from solos/arrangements, learning from lessons like Ben’s Bag O’ Licks, or actually making up phrases from scratch (this is the hardest of the three, and I recommend you start with the other two). On a larger scale, learn lots and lots of songs so you are already familiar with them when they come up.
- Practice, practice, practice that vocab. Know 10 G, C, and D licks? Practice combining different licks in different orders. Practice combining them over every bluegrass song with G, C, and D chords that you hear. When you go to the grocery store and a pop rock song with three chords comes on, imagine fitting your licks into it and where they would fit. (Yes, you will be standing stationary, moving your right hand fingers on a pretend banjo head in the grocery aisle. Find an aisle away from other people who could call management. )
- Take note of what notes your licks target. That’s your gateway to using the licks over the melody, and soon you’ll realize that you can play lots of melodies with the licks you already know!
- Don’t neglect learning whole songs – improvising can be A LOT easier if you already know how to play the melody of the song! Learn Ben’s solo to Salt Creek for instance, and reach for it when you need to play Salt Creek. Then take note of the chord structure of the song itself and try to add some of your own licks in there too.
- Jam with other people anytime you can get the opportunity. Sometimes this can remind you of specific areas you need to focus on. I understand that chances to pick with others can come often or hardly ever. If you can’t play with others, playing with your favorite recordings is one of the next best things.
- Don’t get discouraged! Remember that it takes time to understand where these little components fit musically AND also get proficient at physically playing them. It’s a never-ending journey!
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The fastest way to kill creativity is to try to think creatively.
Creative: Being able to see/hear/touch/smell the world as it is…from a little bit off center.
If you’ve ever spent any time in the woods, you know you cannot see a darn thing. Too many trees, bushes & leaves in the way. But often, if you take a slight step to one side, lanes open up and you can see deep into the woods. That’s creativity. Seeing the world from an ever so slightly different perspective.
Creativity is not a talent, but rather a skill that can be acquired, but it’s not easy. You have to first let go of your own ego. There’s an old saying, “Dance like nobody’s looking.” That’s the fundamental attitude behind being creative.
Creativity does not come with a switch. It cannot be turned on & off. It can only flow. Creativity doesn’t really get going until you get bored. Sometimes easily, sometimes with great effort. The less ego, the greater the creativity.
Creativity can be over-rated. Often, doing it well is better than doing it creatively.
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Hi Trev
Your not alone, I could pick up a set of bagpipes and play Amazing Grace without having studied the instrument. I said could but I no longer have the puff in me now.
The banjo I have a had to study long and hard to get close to playing a tune. My goal has never been to play on stage at the Ryman or Carnage Hall. That said @BanjoBen has given me the knowledge and skills to be able to play in my bedroom, on my porch and with friends when the opportunity arises. I am content, what more can an old man wish for. Well there is one thing, to have my health back so I could meet my friend and mentor at a cabin camp.
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WOW!!!
Hey Trev,
Michael_Mark’s response is one that bears reading, re-reading and then re-reading. He’s got what we call in my profession “The Big Idea”. Once you get the Big Idea all else follows.
Think about the question… “Do you walk to school or carry your lunch?” Give it enough time and you’ll get the Big Idea.
Until then…Play fast and take lots of chances!
Blessings and Grace,
J
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