“I’m just going to take 5 minutes and warm up. I have to; we had a day off.”

– Pat Metheny

I love watching my musical idols warm up.

It’s rare to come across. Maybe you’re attending a clinic and they warm up in front of you. Maybe you find that rare clip on YouTube. But mostly, all we see is the result of their hard work, not the details of their labor.

What book(s) should I practice from?

It’s a question I’m asked weekly. And I get it. I used to ask it. There are hundreds of books promising excellent technique, better licks, and secrets to sounding like the masters. So it often feels like if you just knew which books were the right ones, you’d be off to the races.

There’s a deluge of video tutorials on YouTube, too. And nowadays, you’re likely to find books and/or videos titled things like “129 Licks Every Jazz Musician Must Know!”

Sounds appealing. Who wouldn’t want those secrets?

Trouble is, this is not the path taken by our heroes. (At least, not my heroes.)

And look, this is not about bashing books. I have plenty of them myself. And I refer to them at different times for ideas and inspiration. But, here’s the thing: I’m not concerned with reading through the book. I’m concerned with lifting the concept and then working it out in my head.

Great players discover and create practice ideas for themselves based on things they can’t do yet or want to do better.

They know it’s about addressing their deficiencies and getting to a relaxed state on their instrument in order to be available mentally and physically to improvise with clarity and intention. And to have the dexterity to go places they’ve not yet imagined.

These videos of Pat Metheny warming up offer an invaluable look into the mind of a master as he prepares himself to improvise.

Pat Metheny warms up

In this clinic for a group in Italy, you’ll notice Metheny cycling through various chords, intervals, and tempos as he relaxes his mind and locks in his fingers. The secret here is not what he is playing but how he is playing it. Take notes.

The major takeaway is mindfulness.

Because he’s not working from a book or checklist, he is (likely) more present, focused, and connected to his inner musical compass.

A terrible thing can happen when practicing from a book: your mind wanders because you believe the information is all in front of you.

You are more likely to stay mindful of your sound and technique if you are consciously deciding what you are about to do next–with your ears, not your eyes.

Pat Metheny plays the blues with a metronome on 2 & 4

In this early nineties clinic, Metheny plays a face-meltingly-awesome blues accompanied by nothing more than a metronome. Listen to how he makes that “click” groove!

Ridiculous, right?

And through all of this, notice how he always sounds like Metheny, not some practice-room version of himself. His sound and time feel are always happening.

He’s not just practicing, he’s practicing sounding good.

The takeaway

Next time you reach for a book to practice from, ask yourself what it is you’re searching for. What do you hope to glean from that book? Now, try grabbing one idea from the book….and closing it. Work that one idea — with a metronome — over and over. Close your eyes. Be in your mind. Think of a baker kneading dough. Over and over. Exhaust that one idea. See if you feel a different level of depth when you’re done.

And remember the time–the way you make whatever it is you play feel–is what truly sticks with the listener. The more comfortable you are with one single idea, the more you can relax and focus on the delivery (where you place that idea in time).

Always allocate some practice time to practicing sounding good.

Remember: your goal as an improviser is to deliver music spontaneously. It’s not a recital where you’re performing a written piece of music. To develop those skills, you need to invest time practicing things without a book in front of you.

If you’re a member of my Virtual Studio, check out the lesson Make It FEEL Good: Do This To Get Better At Keeping Your Place And Landing Your Phrases In The Pocket