Originally Posted By: flatfoot
.

Merriam-Webster covers the word pretty well HERE:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chops

(..never knew that it started with horses, but it makes sense.)


The term as used by musioians did not "start" with the given horse-related definition and the article does not say nor imply that.

The definitions in a dictionary are simply listed in order, typically the editors will try to list them in order of chronology as to the history of usage, but that does not imply any kind of evolutionary development as you go down the numbered definition list. Sometimes it may, in this caae I don't think it does.

And, yes, a Pianist can also suffer from fatigue, too, and if that happens, you might indeed hear a jazz pianist refer to the situation as lacking the Chops to continue.

Even if the Pianist doesn't use the term, odds are good that any horn players associated with said worn out pianist would.

Of course, I'm not talking the rather shallow methods of piano playing typical in a lot of musics that are popular today.

But if you are into the more esoteric pianists and styles, yes indeed, you can run into the situation as a pianist where you run out of the chops needed to play accurately and well.

Anything by the late Phineas Newborn comes to mind, here is his "Harlem Blues" - a fun excursion that, if you've already been playing all night, is better left to another time when the brain and body are fresh and ready:



Phineas was a BAD DUDE.

With BIG CHOPS.

And I won't even go into Art Tatum here...


--Mac

PGmusic FAQs, Tutorials and Updates! click here

You must be Audiominds.
www.audiominds.com