Improvise on the Piano

Many of you sitting at home might be wondering what improvisation is. The simplified definition of it is performing without preparation. Improvisation can improve your piano playing, as it builds on your understanding of melody, structure, and composition. It's simple enough with a little practice; like anything else, improvisation is a skill that improves with use.

Steps

Knowing Your Stuff

  1. Have a knowledge of a variety of music, so as to not be imitating any one song.
  2. Learn about scales. Jump in and learn one that has a lot of sharps or flats in it if you can, such as B Major. Practice the scale you learn maybe just in the right hand at first. You might find these "bumpy" scales are easier to play than C major, since you can "see" how the scale is shaped!
  3. Learn about chords. It is suggested that you learn triad chords before moving on to quartals and such. Triad chords consist of three notes (1-2-3) and between two notes and the root(1-2 or 1-3) is a distinct interval. For a quick example, a C major triad consists of a C-E-G. Between C-E is a major 3rd, while between C-G the interval is a perfect fifth.
  4. There are as many ways to improvise as there are people. Here are some suggested techniques to try...you may find one may suit your way of thinking better than others, so give them each a shot!

Hitting Notes of the Same Key

  1. Sit down and hit notes only of the same key. (F, G, Em, A#, etc.)
  2. Have your left hand play the background chorus (slow block or broken chords) in the same key.
  3. Have your right hand playing the melody.
  4. Switch keys once you become better at it to give it a broader, more complex feel and to amplify the beauty of the song.

Playing a Melody within a Chord

  1. Play a slow 4/4 piece with each measure getting one chord on the left hand.
  2. With the right, improvise a melody within that chord.
  3. The next measure switch to a different chord and continue the melody in that next chord.
  4. Continue this until you become proficient (or bored).

Using Both Hands at Once

  1. Once you've learned how to play some scales in both hands, try improvising with both hands going at once. Get your fingers moving in the same scale...it'll sound alright.
  2. Try playing a "call and answer" game with your hands. Play some random phrase in one hand and try to repeat it in your other hand. Start simple. Eventually you may find your hands can generate melodic ideas simultaneously that work together

Mixing Chords and Arpeggios

  1. Instead of simply playing block chords or arpeggios in one hand, try to make the top or bottom note of that accompaniment form its own melody. The little finger (commonly known as a "pinky") and the thumb tend to be most convenient for this way of playing.
  2. Try playing accompaniments in your right hand with chords or arpeggios and melodies in your left hand.



Tips

  • As with anything to do with music, practicing is the key.
  • Experiment with playing measured rhythms (4/4 etc.) and completely free rhythm. In free rhythm, there are no rules at all. You may find this helps you come up with new ideas more easily than trying to fit all your ideas into a particular kind of rhythm.
  • Vary in volume, intensity, speed, and other dynamics to add emotion and beauty. Use improvisation to let out your anger or soothe your worries. Play what your heart tells you to play (cheesy, but true).
  • If you mess up and accidentally hit a note not in key, go with it and keep going in the new key, don't go back. (EXAMPLE: Key of C--> you play C...E...G...A...F#...C#...D...<--now you're in the key of D)
  • Record yourself early and often. Listen to these recordings. When you're starting out, it may be difficult to remember things you played. If you listen to your recordings, you may hear something cool you did that you forgot. Then you can pick out that cool idea and use it again...thus helping to build your musical vocabulary.
  • If you mess up, pretend it was a part of the song and keep going with it. For example, if you're playing smoothly and your little finger slams the wrong note...start playing choppy and fast in that new key and gradually fade back to smooth.
  • Learn music patterns. A harsh, short gliss gives the impression of anger and reproach. Arpeggios in the bass voice tend to give a feeling of movement. Observe patterns in speech and music and use those observations to your advantage.
  • Find a quiet spot with a window. This helps you to be yourself and let what things you have cooped up inside flow out onto the keys. Inspiration is many times found when viewing the beauty of the earth.
  • Listen to other people playing other pieces, and listen to other people improvising, too, so you get a feeling of how to improvise.
  • Improvisation cannot be completely spontaneous...it must build on a vocabulary of musical devices. These can include small phrases of melody, rhythms, accompaniments, harmonic progressions, and so on. The more expansive your vocabulary, the more your music will become "your own."
  • Add extra notes and play. Possibly change one quarter note to some eighth or sixteenth notes.

Warnings

  • Do not have any one piece in mind while playing; let it come naturally.
  • Do not feel you must learn tons about music theory "before" learning to improvise. It is sufficient to begin by learning maybe one scale and a couple of chords within it...you can learn other chords/scales/theory with time!
  • Don't be afraid to hit "wrong" notes! There are no wrong notes in improvisation---all is freedom!

Things You'll Need

  • A quiet place
  • A piano

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