Improvisation, how do you approach it? Options

[ashmoors]

Hi. I was just wondering if anyone has been taught any "rules" when it comes to improvising.
Some I have been taught include: plenty of rests- dont play heaps and heaps of notes, breaks in between are effective; things work well in 3s - e.g. repeating the same rhythm or same little riff. I was just wondering if anyone has been taught little tricks like this.

[another crazy pianist]

I think the best thing you can do is getting to master all scales you could need, listening to musicians and what tricks they use and then just playing around, trying to exploit the tricks you've got to know and trying to find new ones that could make up your own style... Try to avoid clichés and search for surprising rhythmic and melodic effects; your playing should be like a game: spirited and roguish. It must never loose animation.
Easily said, isn't it ? I'm a beginner myself, by the way... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
Anyway I hope this can help you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[bohemian]

Best advice I ever got was to "play it like you would sing it". It works so well!

[Jazzman340]

One must approach improvisation with all mental barriers down, a free flowing emotional river which your fingers will reproduce on the keys.

There are no black and white keys on the piano to a Jazz pianist. Everything is numbers and every student I guide knows this. It's irrelvant that F# is a black note. It's a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, a 9th, an 11th, a 13th, a #11, b13, sus4 etc.

You can't let those black and white notes be valued into "hard keys and easy keys". It's irrelevant. I say this because not many people see it like that so I'm hoping readers take it away and think about it and have more confidence to approach other "keys".

Impro is about how you feel. What you want to portray with the chord structure you have been given, at the speed you have been given. You can choose to slow down. You can choose to play an 11 note chord, or you can chooose to repeat a fast lick 20 times with the left hand alternating through the chord sequence.

What one must realise is that NOTE VALUES CHANGE depending on the chord you are playing. So, if you repeat a lick say Gb, G, Bb C, C#, D, F# with C and then G. I dunno I'm just picturing one but it sounds good I know it does..Then play with your left hand "E, Bb, D" and then go to "Eb, A, D" you'll hear how the notes seem to change sound even though they are the same notes. NVM (note value modification" is a very cool trick which makes people think you're playing amazing runs, when really you are playing the same notes but their value is changing thanks to the left hand. The notes I gave with the right hand in the example...Play with the rhythm of those notes as you play the two chords I gave and see how cool it sounds. I'll give you F A B and E also in those three chords. Then you're playing C9/F13/and G13(+9)

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Dan.

[jonscott14]

when i improvise i like to extemporise on a tune, rather than make up something completely different

[bassdud78]

To append to Jazzman340's lesson, as much as it is necessary to think of everything as numbers and not be afraid to play anything in any key, etc. Please realize that to master all combinations, etc of the piano is a life long task...you can only approach improvisation free flowing and effortlessly after many years of study, listening and much MUCH practice. A strong foundation of functional and non-functional harmony helps too, but is not totally necessary. A good ear is the key... theory, listening and practicing are just exercises to get your ear hearing the correct way and your fingers playing what you your ear wants to hear them play... hope this is helpful... sorry to blab

eric

[Jazzman340]

Agree. But one can only type "so" much on here without writing a novel on Jazz!

[bassdud78]

Agree. But one can only type "so" much on here without writing a novel on Jazz!

Ha! What a brilliant idea!!! Let's get started immediately!!!

[Jazzman340]

Yuo statr ym Englihs is teribol

[susanna]

Hi, I'm a piano teacher (mainly classical) but I use the ABRSM Jazz syllabus aswell, which I think is great fun. I don't think there should be any rules for improvisation - that's the whole brilliant point.

However if I am "teaching" improvising to someone who has never improvised before, I do use quite a systematic approach. For example, you can experiment with fixed pitches (to start off with, just pick some from a blues scale) - then use these notes and vary the rhythm, articulation, dynamics, octave, etc etc. Next pick a favourite rhythmic motif and keeping that fixed, vary everything else. You can experiment with different sonorities - clusters, octaves, traditional chords, single melody lines, and you can explore silence, pedalling, staccato playing etc. You can take aspects of a peice and expand on them - eg a particular rhythm, a particular chord shape, a melodic phrase etc. You can use scales and modes a lot - the blues scales are brilliant for jamming on. You can experiment with different embellishment techniques - chromatic notes, repeated notes, altering octave, adding chords, etc. I often find that if I am teaching someone who is basically classically trained, these methods are really useful. Then they find out what they like, and what sounds good, and go and do their own thing.

I hope this is helpful!

[tbjhilton]

You would be surprised how effective it can be to simply repeat the same note in varying rythm for a few bars, particularly when the chords change fairly frequently underneath - a nice trick to get you through an ocasional short solo. However, a friend of mine plays with someone who plays every solo like this, in every number throughout an entire gig! Gets a little repetetive... so use it sparingly.