Aydin Esen and the Art of Improvisation - A Musical Gift

Comments · 308

• CE

  @CenkEsen · 9 years ago

  As his son, I approve this video!

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• DA

  @davekinci · 9 years ago

  I grew up listening to Aydın Esen. We used to see every concert he gave in Istanbul with a bunch of friends, and some of my friends even took classes with him. One day during a solo piano concert his son ran  into the stage and sat by him when he was in the middle of a very intense solo and watched his father play for a while, then started tapping random keys, Aydın just kept on playing and responding to the random notes with humorous phrases, and eventually his playing turned into a children's song. What a moment!

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• BJ

  @bjerkely12 · 9 years ago (edited)

  I found some Turkish TV shows he attended, he says before Berklee he was actually considering going to Russia rather than U.S. Then one day Gary Burton happened to visit one of his live performances in Istanbul and invited him to Berklee, this incident changed his life. When asked how he was spending his time in youth years he says he was reading a lot, especially all sort of music theory books and fiction.   He also mentioned that he deliberately chooses to stay unknown to the world and in the background as this enables him to pursue his studies and ambitions in the direction he wants, not in the way that music industry defines it.

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• GR

  @Gryukyueeks · 1 year ago

  After 7 years, I still come back to this video and am continually amazed

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• DI

  @diggyonutube · 9 years ago (edited)

  Can we crowd-fund an Aydin Esen album? Who's with me?

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• YA

  @yamax.x · 9 months ago (edited)

  Rick you should do a interview episode with Aydın Esen. I'm sure it will be very interesting and inspiring.

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• HU

  @hunterthompson2206 · 7 years ago

  I really appreciate how Rick can pivot from a video like this about jazz improv and poly chords to a breakdown of why AC/DC kicks ass. A true polymath.

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• FR

  @FredDornelas · 9 years ago

  Besides the whole musical thing, which is marvelous, the most beautiful thing here is the love. Love for a friend, for the music...That´s a blessing. Thanks Rick, you´ve made my day...

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• PE

  @peterkadarmusic9728 · 3 years ago

  I'm just discovering this in Sept. 2023.  This man is a master genius that should be as well known as Keith Jarrett.

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• TH

  @TheCopyHolder · 6 years ago (edited)

  This is an amazing salute to a musician whose skills massively exceed my own, massively exceeds most listeners' capacity to appreciate - I'd imagine.  Listening to them is alternately frustrating and provocative... like there's a wonderful breakfast wafting down the street.  You know it exists.  You don't know exactly where it is, you're not even sure WHAT it is... except that it's morning and it's a meal so it's probably breakfast.  You know that you do not have it.  And the menu, should you ever find it, will be written in ancient Sumerian.  But YOU will get it and so I have some faith that any of us can.

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• MM

  @MM-tf5ct · 8 years ago (edited)

  This is spellbinding stuff, Rick. I burnt my dinner over it. It's touching and inspiring, and the music is, well, just as you say it is. Incredible. Thank you for introducing us to Aydin Esen. Man, I'm glad I found your channel!

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• ST

  @stevengregory3991 · 9 years ago (edited)

  I have to start by saying: I would never have believed by how much I&apos;ve improved in just a month of doing this, but Aydin Esen inspired me to start just noodling and vibing around with the piano, while attentively witnessing whatever sets of intervals my fingers happen to play, along with being aware of the context that particular combination of intervals evokes in my mind.<br><br>I never practice. I may try to get something right a couple of things and then move on. I intentionally hit intervals I&apos;m unfamiliar with, there are no wrong singular notes, &nbsp;everything depends by choosing the right next note. You can play through a surprisingly long line of notes that are all merely compensating for the previous note instead of creating new independent harmonic direction. I&apos;ve begun to play like a child plays with a toy, or like a buddhist meditating while inspecting a flower, with attentive joy and curiosity.<br><br>So like I said, the level of improvement has been incredible in just a month. My hands automatically learn through continuous experimentation new finger shapes and patterns that sound pleasing without me having to think consciously about it. My ability to just come up with a monotonal melody and harmonize on the fly has become impressive. Often I would just toy around with the piano all day long and in the end of the day be significantly better. It&apos;s so much more fun than listening to music.<br><br>Jacob Collier said in some recent interview how important it is to get just get your hands dirty and play more instead of reading books, and I agree.<br><br><br>10/10 would recommend aydin esen

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