I don't know. I guess this is one of those thoughts that just float around in my head. I always had much greater value for the ability to do things without planning. I thought it showed more skill/talent in a way. If you prepare something, you can just simply get used to doing what you are doing and be comfortable that way. Without preparation, you are speaking off the top of your head or acting intuitively and I thought this gave way to who you were more accurately. But sometimes, I feel like my own arguments are irrational because I'm dejecting a way of thought. Because when you do prepare, your best work tends to show. But it's also impractical to rehearse everything in a day and I feel it loses authenticity in your actions.
Just a thought.

jrkirby

United States1510 Posts

October 17 2013 02:38 GMT

All of my piano playing is impromptu.

DarkPlasmaBall

United States46264 Posts

October 17 2013 02:46 GMT

I prefer being organized and prepared whenever I have the opportunity... I like to consider as many options if possible, and try to choose the best one, rather than just wing it. I've seen far too many people not be prepared for something because they have a "just wing it" mindset and miss out on things they could have had with at least a little planning.

I can be spontaneous, but I'd rather have knowledge ahead of time.

Jerubaal

United States7684 Posts

October 17 2013 03:00 GMT

Once in a high school, I had to give a speech to be nominated for a state club office (HOSA, if you've heard of it). I was unopposed and it was a pretty Mickey Mouse scenario so I thought I'd give some bullshit speech modeled after Creon's first speech in Antigone (some crap about the ship of state). I didn't really prepare though and for my hubris I lost my train of thought and muttered 'oh shit' in front of about 60 other people. There were some titters but I wrapped it up and no one ever brought it up again.

More on topic, what particular scenarios are you thinking of? In important discussions, I think it's important to go very slowly.

Kenpachi

United States9908 Posts

October 17 2013 03:13 GMT

On October 17 2013 11:38 jrkirby wrote:
All of my piano playing is impromptu.

I want to get to that level!

Yeah, I guess it can also be argued that impromptu skills develop in a way if you prepare enough, right?
Assuming you've practiced to be able to do that >>

On October 17 2013 12:00 Jerubaal wrote:
Once in a high school, I had to give a speech to be nominated for a state club office (HOSA, if you've heard of it). I was unopposed and it was a pretty Mickey Mouse scenario so I thought I'd give some bullshit speech modeled after Creon's first speech in Antigone (some crap about the ship of state). I didn't really prepare though and for my hubris I lost my train of thought and muttered 'oh shit' in front of about 60 other people. There were some titters but I wrapped it up and no one ever brought it up again.

More on topic, what particular scenarios are you thinking of? In important discussions, I think it's important to go very slowly.

The thought arose when I was thinking about how I have piss poor conversational skills sometimes. I just blabber something that implies other things (Freudian slips :x).

jrkirby

United States1510 Posts

October 17 2013 04:19 GMT

On October 17 2013 12:13 Kenpachi wrote:

Show nested quote +

I want to get to that level!

Yeah, I guess it can also be argued that impromptu skills develop in a way if you prepare enough, right?
Assuming you've practiced to be able to do that >>

Well, when I first started playing piano, I was forced to take lessons and read sheet music and all that. Then I stopped playing because I didn't enjoy it, and my parents would let me stop. After that I took a music theory course, and started to understand why songs were written the way they were with key sigatures and all that. I started playing a bit again, but this time instead of reading music I just sort of played whatever I felt like. After a while whatever I felt like playing started actually sounding pretty good. Now I play piano whenever I get the chance, and it's all entirely impromptu.

13th Marine

United States344 Posts

October 17 2013 05:03 GMT

In my opinion, effective preparation allows for efficient improvisation.

hp.Shell

United States2527 Posts

October 17 2013 05:40 GMT

Both are admirable. It's a battle of talent vs practice; hard work beats talent unless talent works hard.

Edit: I have bad conversational skills too, even to the point of unintended double entendres, that sometimes makes stuff with friends super awkward. Sometimes I don't even realize that there even was a double entendre in what I said until days later, so I can't imagine what other people are thinking when I say something like that. I have had people think I'm gay before, and that is probably the major reason. So I'm definitely trying to improve my conversation skills so that others don't get the wrong impression. I'd love to get to a conversational level where I was able to use double entendres with women, though.

doubleupgradeobbies!

Australia1353 Posts

October 17 2013 12:18 GMT

Both are incredibly important, and mutually benefit each other.

Obviously, you can't prepare for every situation (probably not even most situations you expect to encounter in life), but when you are sufficiently prepared you almost invariably perform better than by improvising on the spot. You simply need to be able to do both.

The good thing is, the ability to do things impromptu makes the process preparation/practice much easier and more effective, you able to arrive at the optimal way to do things more intuitively and faster, the rest is just practice to iron out the details. Preparation also helps you improvise, every decision, action, skill that you have prepared will be another tool in your arsenal for improvisation, something you can quickly integrate into your skillset because you have already trod down that path and worked at it.

The general rule, for just about everything, but especially for important things is: be prepared whenever you can, but be prepared to have to perform impromptu where there is a preparation shortfalls (a shortfall which realistically will happen far more often than you being fully prepared for most things you do).

BirdKiller

United States428 Posts

October 18 2013 02:38 GMT

#10

Preparation reduces the frequency of impromptu/sudden response. Being adept at executing and proper impromptu acts reduces the impact of uncertainties in your planning and removes unnecessary depth and complexities to it. Both are needed. Both are not mutually exclusive.

biology]major

United States2253 Posts

October 18 2013 02:56 GMT

#11

I love this distinction, and I think life would be more fun if we did everything impromptu as it comes to us. Practically though we would probably be homeless and jerking off, so a balance of both is the best. When it comes to self expression- impromptu is far superior to planning, because it is no longer authentic in the present. When it comes to goal setting and achieving planning is superior imo.

mizU

United States12125 Posts

October 21 2013 20:46 GMT

#12

You need preparation, a foundation to improvise with.
You need the basic skills and knowledge down before you can start to improvise anything.
But yes, non-rehearsed performances or presentations are the most genuine, but are normally backed by a ton of preparation.