Hi!

I just started to learn improvization, so can you tell me if i`m any good at it? And it would be really nice if you could give me a feedback and say what i have to improve etc.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePianistAZ - here you can find my videos. (feel free to subscribe )

Welcome to PW AndrisZ.

I am not able to tell you whether you're "any good at improvisation", but it obviously is something you're interested in and exploring, which is great. There are many ways to explore improvisation. You are using a fairly straight forward harmonic progression and melody line that sounds "sweet" but also a bit generic. I'd encourage you to explore a variety of approaches and not worry to much about what it sounds like in trying to make an improvised piece. Perhaps explore sounds, rhythms, textures that might not initially seem pleasing or comfortable to you. Some people prefer a structured and analytic approach, for myself I like to feel my way in to improvisation, sometimes using a variety of scales, patterns, chording, transitions, etc.
Be willing to experiment, open to new possibilities, listen to diverse types of music and composition.

Best wishes, Dara

You have a good start there! It's hard to tell how much musical knowledge you have, but you are setting up some nice melodic tension and release. Exploring various chord options may open up more melodic ideas. Surprise your ear and see where it takes you. For instance, you're playing in C minor, but I don't think I ever heard the dominant chord (G7). You played a few G chords, but with no third. The most important of the G7 notes is B which creates tension and wants to go to C. If I were to take your playing a step further, I'd add more chords and see where that takes your ear.

Also, on Dara's point, I like to teach structure and have my students know a lot of scales and chord progressions, but sometimes it's also beneficial to throw all the rules out and see where your hands take you. Turn off the lights and just explore the different sounds of the piano without worrying about what's right and wrong.

Andris,


(from your YouTube page…)

I liked your improvisation. Even though you are just starting one can hear that there is a story behind what you are playing. It is very reflective and introspective.

As far as what you need to do to improve? That is what you need to learn to do on your own. Keep playing every day and find your own way to progress and grow. I feel that one helpful way to learn is to listen to your heroes play. Grasp their sensitivity and adapt it into your own way of feeling the music. Of course, try to become a student. It is great if you have the time and finances to attend a college that would have a program that offers your area of interest. But if that is not possible, you can teach yourself. There are countless books and learning materials written by excellent musicians that if approached slowly and with patience can bring you ahead miles and miles.

As a beginning improviser you already have the most important aspect, a tool without which, a musician could never even think about becoming a good improviser, and that is passion. One can hear it in your YouTube clip “Love Letter to Nobody”. Keep that passion, grow that passion, and explore many different areas, whether they be in minor tonalities, major tonalities, modal music, bebop, new age, etc.. whatever keeps your ear listening in order to grow your musical spirit.

Work on and develop more pieces. Become organized if that is within your nature. Keep posting so you can work toward goals and so your piers can listen to you evolve….

Dan Pincus

Thanks, your advises is very useful indeed.And yes, by the way I study in 8th grade in music school, and have had few lessons in improvisation. So not so big knowledge here.

I really liked it. The first few seconds or so + the comments here made me expect something that I wouldn't like, but it turned out quite good.


(I'm talking from how much I personally liked it. I can't speak for its technical value, but that's only because I don't know enough to be able to comment on that front.)