Some thoughts on learning to improvise
i found that my personal path to improvisation was to plan out solos carefully, which at first would take a long time. as you get better, you reduce the amount of time it takes you to plan out a solo until you can do it on the fly. especially if you are just playing alone, i think this method works pretty well in teaching you how to "spontaneously compose". in essence, you are more working towards improving speed than improving quality, trying to keep up a high quality of composition from the beginning. of course, as you get to true improvisation there is an added level of quality which surpasses anything you could do in planning out solos.
There are no comments, leave a comment.
paul
(of course some go in with a completely set solo, but that's not totally kosher. is it?.)
having a bunch of solid ideas about what you're going to do over the solo changes gives you some points of departure (and can also save you if you're not feeling particularly inspired that night).
but by not "over-solidifying" those ideas, you leave yourself room to experience some nice surprises and allow yourself a good deal of lattitude in case the number is faster or slower or a completely different groove from what you practiced at home.
of course, the best way to solo is to "pre-hear", but that's takes a lot of years of listening to let your mind "feel out" the melodic improv suitable to the current changes.
and it can often take a few more years to be able to spontaneously execute with your fingers what you hear in your "mind's ear" (that's when you realize how lucky good singers really are).
Jazz Piano Notebook Series
Volume 1 of this educational jazz piano book contains 15 jazz piano exercises, tricks, and other interesting jazz piano techniques, voicings, grooves, and ideas Scot Ranney enjoys playing.
"Latinesque"
Volume 2 has 14 jazz piano exercises and tricks of the trade, and quite a bit of it is Calypso jazz piano related material, including some Monty Alexander and Michel Camilo style grooves. Jazz piano education is through the ears, but books like this can help.
Volume 3 contains 12 jazz piano exercises and explorations by the acclaimed jazz piano educator, pianist, author, and recording artist Tim Richards.
Tim wrote the well known "Exploring Jazz Piano" and "Improvising Blues Piano" books and has several others to his name.
Volume 4 is by Jeff Brent, a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and author of "Modalogy" and other acclaimed jazz theory and education books. In this book Jeff shares detailed analysis of transcriptions of live performances. He covers everything from the shape of the songs to the tricks and licks he uses in improvised lines to the ideas behind his lush chord voicings.
Most Recent Discussions
Articles
Piano for Adoption Scam
Aprender Jazz en Piano
BEWARE: FREE BABY GRAND PIANO SCAM
Oh Tannenbaum for Jazz Piano
Volume 5 of the "Jazz Piano Notebook Series" is Available!
LearnJazzPiano.com File Downloads News
more...
Top Sheetmusic Picks
Jazzy Christmas Arrangements
Cocktail Piano
Best Songs Ever, 6th Edition
Christmas Medley
Moana Songbook
Late Night Jazz Piano
Jazz piano education is cool.
Rock on. Follow your passion.
Sign In
LearnJazzPiano.com Copyright © 1995-2024 by Scot Ranney • website software and design by scot's scripts
LearnJazzPiano.com is For Sale - Serious Inquiries Only