space

My most common comment to students when improvising (I state this every day in my lessons) is to leave more space. Main licks and fills can quickly run together into a frantic mess when space is not utilized... like a run-on sentence. You often hear music coaches of non-wind instruments say to pause, as if to take a breath. This provides space between your phrases and enough time for the listener to digest what you just stated. This also tends to fix rhythmic issues. continue reading...

Use more space in your playing. Most of us have a tendency to over-play, especially when excited or trying to play a burning solo. Space not only gives the other musicians an opportunity to uplift what you're playing (by playing fills and pickups to chord change for example), but also provides the listener with the space to digest what you played so they can appreciate when you repeat, use variation or move away.