Learning how to improvise is confusing for most. The sheer number of choices becomes a burden. Should I play this note? What chord next? Where do I go from here? All valid questions newbies (and oldbies) at improvisation sometimes ask themselves.

The number one reason people have problems creating in the moment is that they won't let up on themselves and just play.

Fortunately, there is a solution. It's really a two-pronged solution because once we do learn how to ease up and just play, we are left with another problem and that is, what game are we playing?

The game of improvisation is a game like any other. We have a few rules, some guidelines, and then the game is played. You see, we must have some kind of structure to play the game of improvisation. Why? Because without it there would be way too many choices and this would prevent most people from even beginning.

Some think working within a set of limitations is uncreative. I thought so too once until I realized that until I learned how to do this by following the examples of others, I couldn't be free to create my own set of limitations.

Schoenberg would certainly say that working within limitations is still creative - and that the inverse is simply daunting. What's more, you can't break the rules until you understand them.

I would intermittently mess around during practice sessions (which isn't and wasn't the best thing) but after a while, I got a feeling of what sounded good after this, so that now I can decently impovise classically. This wasn't Jazz improv because I didn't hear much jazz as I grew up - a lot more classical.

I remember reading his book on composition. Pretty cool. And he came up with his own 'rules' for composing serial music. I should probably listen to some of his stuff soon.

If you have good hearing, you can just sing the melodies and the chords in your head, then you can translate to the keyboard. People who do not have good hearing will have hard time improvising.

This approach seems one step removed from the first-hand experience of improvisation. The point I always stress to my students is not to think but to feel and play using chords and melody.

Thinking is good...I think.

Thinking is good. Feeling is better. Why? Because the music that comes out of you is a direct experience with intuition and the right side of the brain.

That's why improvising with limits works so well for newbies. They get to play piano without thinking about which chord, what notes, etc.

If one stops thinking, then how does one continue to observe these "limits"?

Automatically, like brushing your teeth. I start students off with simple materials. A black key pentatonic improvisation is a good example of this. For instance, in the first lesson I offer students I set up a scenario where they play just 2 chords and can play any note from the minor pentatonic scale. With these 'limits' in place, students can forget about the technical aspects and focus in on self expression.

But, then, said student must think about that pentatonic scale. There can be no such thing as thoughtless playing (though I've heard many pianists whom I would say were thoughtless).

I love improvising!! but i tend to get carried away and end up smashing loads of octave-scales! and at times i think i'm the only one it sounds good to. much like Sorabji's music

Not if they adapt an attiude of exploration. Then there's no need to think. It's like fingerpainting. You have some colors in front of you and the idea is to dive in and have fun. That's how piano improvisation can be. When you're in the moment and improvsing on the piano, there's no time to think. There are choices yes, but they too can come automatically as play becomes the primary focus.

I understand what you're trying to say, but any time there's a choice to be made thought is required. If you're to place limits (your pentatonic scale) on your improvisation, then at some point thought WILL occur, or more than likely, you'll fall outside of those limitations.

eweiss, I've heard your improvs, most are quite basic that alternate between 2-3 chords. It floats along with no real tension or release, good for background stuff like you seem to do but not engaging for a listener.

You don't have any real melodies or motifs and honestly there isn't much feeling.

If you want the real deal better learn how to play jazz or some good rock and roll.

The real deal as in better? Or the real deal as in different?

I generally agree with eweiss here. When I improvise, I'm completely in the moment, relying mostly on the feel of the notes beneath my fingers, and intellectual concerns occupy a small percent of my consciousness-- 5% or less.

Maybe we disagree on what "thought" is in this context, but I consider my improvising to be relatively "thoughtless" (although, I hope, still musical).

I recently posted a few samples to the Members' Recordings section; here is one of them.




p.s. Wizard, shame on you for insulting a fellow forum member's work. It only reflects badly on you, imo.

Hey if Yanni is who you like, then that's personal taste. Lots of people buy Kenny G or Lady Gaga's music, doesn't mean it's good.

If you want real improv, watch this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnqpOFcBiMM

Insulting, nah. I'm just saying what I think of the music. I mean I teach high school students who can improvise better than that.

Everyone here is at different levels and goals. If that type of music is what you like, hey, keep playing.
It doesn't engage or challenge me for the reasons I stated.

Beet, your improvs are quite interesting. Keep it up.

Regarding the Wiz, I don't think he was insulting Ed, but rather offered his critique.

"Insulting" would be to sling some mud at Ed, (like some political types do, for example), and attack Ed as a person, and say that he is stupid, brain dead, a moron, a musical criminal, etc. (None of which is true for Ed, I am sure).

Instead, what the Wiz did was examine Ed's music, and critique it relative to his personal taste, relative to other forms of popular music.

From what I understand, Ed's music is primarily New Age, which is soothing and calm, and thus by definition lacks extreme tension and release, etc.

Nothing wrong with that, IMHO.

I don't want to belabor the point too much, but I think saying "honestly there isn't much feeling" and "If you want the real deal better learn how to..." (implying that what eweiss devotes his musical life to isn't the "real deal") go way beyond an impersonal New Age genre critique. Eweiss doesn't seem particularly insulted (or insultable ), which is great, but this kind of thing hurts the community in general.

Not that you can't make outrageous statements (I personally happen to like rap and country both way more than New Age), but they shouldn't be about forum members or their playing.

-Jason

Wiz, you're always saying put up or shut up. Where's your lovely creative output? As far as 'real improv' goes, you're talking about taste, which is subjective.

I personally don't like most Jazz, but would never put down another's appreciation of it.

Exactly rocket. In fact, if someone were to sling some mud your way, (like so many on this forum might do) and attack you with comments like imbecile, pinhead, pedant, and fool, none of which is true for you as well, that would really be insulting.

hey I've posted several of my songs on the jazz threads, go look it up.

I'm not referring about "taste", I'm talking about actual musical content.

There's lots of great classical players who have talent, I just don't like classical. I can differentiate the music even if the genre isn't what I like (except country and rap, which all sounds like...)

One of the "new age" guys, John Tesh has some decent music, although I would consider it more popular/mainstream.

He composed several sports theme songs, like for NBA on NBC, Tour de france, the Olympics.


Now, if you were a beginner I'd say that's good progress. However, for a guy who's offering lessons it's really limited. Any jazz or classical player could teach that in 1 lesson.

I've seen better free tutorials on youtube.


as for beet, I think you're just too sensitive. All I said was the music wasn't challenging. If you ask most of the jazz players here they would say the same thing, albeit with more tact.

You're talking about technique. I don't view technique as the most important thing to teach. As far as being a beginner goes, I actually take that as a compliment and refer to the following ... "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few."

I tried to look your music up but can't find it. Can you point me in the right direction?

I'm not talking about technique at all. I'm talking about is the music engaging, does it have peaks and valleys, suspense, mood altering, does it give you goosebumps and chills.

Technique is a tool to get you to there. Like speaking a new language, if you don't have the vocab and sounds right, expressing yourself in that language will be difficult.

You can tell when someone isn't a native English speaker, or any language if you have native or near-native fluency in that language. Same with music.

As for my music, it's in one of the old jazz threads. I can't remember which post but you can look through all my archives if you want to find it. I just don't have the time nor inclination to do that.

How convenient.

Hey man if you're too lazy to look through a few hundred posts then that's your problem. Nice self-portrait btw!! Where's the halo oh holy one.

Put up or shut up. Isn't that what you say to everyone you disagree with? No worries. Just upload something new for all to see and hear.

You are very quick to criticise another's playing and slow to respond with something original of your own. But I guess that's to be expected from someone who hides behind an anonymous icon.

Hey I got no problems uploading something. My old stuff is out there, if you couldn't be bothered to find it then you should be blaming yourself. Just how lazy are you?

I got no recording device at the moment, buy me a Zoom 4 and I'll send you a personal album full of improvs.

As for your online lessons, how'd you manage to write a 342 page book and do over 100 lessons?

The stuff you play, I teach kids that in 2 or 3 hours tops. Looks like an infomercial scam to me.