How much to use trills & tildes/embellishments? without overdoing it…

[Jazz Cat]

Hi Johnny, quick question —

I was just practicing ‘Birdland’ again and couldn’t help myself adding lots
of trills, tildes/embellishments like falloffs… wwayy too much. It’s fun though.

Like growling, embellishments I know should be like a little spice, not
pouring pepper all over dinner or it’s too much…sounding amateur/sloppy.

any ideas on how to be restrained from noodling all over a fun upbeat song too much?

I’m getting ready to record it soon in my greenscreen studio…it’ll be fun to
make the final video.

thanks..
-k

[john]

Overdoing it is a great idea for practicing them, but you’re right, they can be over used. How much I don’t know…maybe a few times during a song. I use them all the time…recently in Mercy Mercy, and also in Ghost Riders in the Sky so check those song videos out and at least you’ll hear how many times I did it. But I’m just talking about a regular trill….you can also add more embellishment along with trills such as mordents which are when you incorporate the note above and below the main note you’re playing. As for fall offs, I don’t think I can play a tune without having at least 1 or 2 of those! But nobody want to hear every long note you play end with a fall off.

[Jazz Cat]

thanks Johnny, makes sense… will do a few times, trying to make it sound natural…I’ll watch those videos for ideas; thanks

-k

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