David's Tip of the Day: Space (phrasing) - Discussed, Part 1

"The listener wants more space (rest between phrases) than the player is usually willing to give."

Space gives the listener a quick moment to digest what you just played, just like the small pauses in speech allow us to quickly digest what someone is saying. No pause equals a story difficult to follow. These quick moments of rest allows the listener to recognize theme and variation easier, thus making your Chorus Form work that much more effective.

BTW, you can play more actively, leaving less space... but this is where dynamics take on a very important role. If your spaces are filled with playing, make sure that these spaces are played softly, chording being the most effect thing to play. Check out what Kim Wilson has to say about this in the interview videos titled "Kim’s Approach to 3rd Position Playing & Dynamics' and "Kim’s Equipment: Using the Bullet Mic & Dynamics."