Music Improvisation Techniques
music improvisation techniques
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Keith Carlock The Big Picture Phrasing, Improvisation, Style & Technique $23.28 This 2-DVD set, The Big Picture, features drummer Keith Carlock performing solo with backing tracks and with his trio. Also includes a candid interview of Keith answering questions from a studio audience. Keith Carlock is a professional drummer who has had an amazing and distinguished career. He recently won 3 categories in the 2009 Modern Drummer Readers Poll: Best All-Around, Best Pop Drummer, a… |
Fake Books, Improvisation, and Piano Playing
You have to admit, it is enjoyable to put practice music to one side, and play any music you feel like. However, it may be difficult to find the sheet music for every song you enjoy. There are two ways to overcome this predicament, and they are related in a way. One is to use a Fake Book, and the other is to learn improvisation techniques.
You can get Fake Books at music stores or by ordering them online. You can also get a version of the same concept when you come across a simple notation of a song. A Fake Book, or the like, has only two things to guide you. First, you will get a melody line in the treble clef. Although this seems overly basic, it at least shows the song in a very simplified version.
Along with the melody line, you will also be presented with a letter above the staff. Having a letter above the staff shows which chord to play within the bass clef, and (if you have the skill) to add to the treble clef. There will be a letter above the staff each time the chord changes.
if you have thoroughly learnt the chords, you put yourself in good enough steed to easily use a Fake Book. You can use the straight chords or invert them. They can be played as running chords, meaning each note is played separately but in order Any rhythm can be chosen for the bass clef.
The Fake Book may require that you put your creative skills to work. You have to use what you know to fill in the blanks that are left by an incomplete score. Because of this, it is almost your job to create the music from scratch. One good thing is that new, up-to-date Fake Books are produced regularly, and include many modern songs.
As you know, if you desire to create your own musical song, or instrumental masterpiece, learning to improvise can help you greatly. You can learn very complex theory about improvisation, but you can begin with the information you already have. Your main skill set should be the mastery of chords and scales.
Perhaps to make things easier to begin with, choose a C scale, for the main reason that it uses white keys only. Next, choose some chords within that scale. For the C major scale, common chords to use are F major and G major. This is because they do not have any sharps or flats in them.
Create your own chord progression. A nice order would be C-F-G-C. Make sure the chords are played with the left hand. The base chords are usually played below middle C, but that is not a rule, by any means. Play them wherever you see fit. They can be played inverted, or as simple triads. In any sequence that flows right. Play until they come naturally.
After you’ve become comfortable with the progression of the chords, next step is the creation of the melody. Take one note at a time, and play these with your right hand, eventually forming a melody line. At first it may sound a little rough, but persistence is key here — keep on practicing, and eventually a nice melody line will be created.
You can also improvise on a melody you know. Say you want to play Jingle Bells, but you do not have the music. The melody can be easily picked out. after you have chosen the melody this way, chords can be fit to the melody, simply based on the melodies scale of key. So as you can see, even though you may not have the sheet music, there are ways you can still play the music without.
Learning to play the piano is easy, even for a beginner. One possible starting point is the no-obligation course at Learning To Play Piano Today. Check them out today, and enjoy your new found skill.
Calendar for Feb. 18
Kensington Library — Events, Babies and Toddlers Storytime, 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Feb. 24, free, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 510-524-3043, ccclib.
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Keith Carlock The Big Picture Phrasing, Improvisation, Style & Technique $23.28 This 2-DVD set, The Big Picture, features drummer Keith Carlock performing solo with backing tracks and with his trio. Also includes a candid interview of Keith answering questions from a studio audience. Keith Carlock is a professional drummer who has had an amazing and distinguished career. He recently won 3 categories in the 2009 Modern Drummer Readers Poll: Best All-Around, Best Pop Drummer, a… |
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Flea DVD $9.77 Flea’s seriously funky bass sound and live-wire stage presence have made him one of the most influential bass players of his generation. In this DVD Flea and the Chili’s slammin’ drummer Chad Smith come together for an awesome rhythm section improvisation. Flea also talks about the theories, philosophies, styles, and techniques that have influenced the player he has become. A fascinating session w… |
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Jazz Improvisation: Starting Out with Motivic Development $9.48 JAZZ IMPROVISATION:STARTING OUT WITH – DVD Movie… |
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Beginning Jazz Guitar: The Complete Jazz Guitar Method (Book & DVD) $15.40 COMPLETE JAZZ GUITAR METHOD:BEGINNING – DVD Movie… |
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The Slide Guitar of Kelly Joe Phelps: Techniques, Arrangements and Improvisation [VHS] $15.98 Kelly Joe Phelps is the sensational young singer/guitarist whose soulful blues and gospel songs have recently brought him international acclaim. His powerful Dobro+-like lap slide technique is free, bluesy and original, and he outlines his approach to the… |
Tags: guitar, improvisation, jazz, music, music improvisation techniques, theory
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