Every page of this improvising book is organized the same. Each new page is a new idea. It is written 4 different ways. Choose the written language you like the best to learn and memorize the idea as quickly as possible. To improvise well, get to know these simple music patterns so you don't need a computer or a book to remember them. Make them your own! When you get them in your fingers like that, you'll be able to play your own music, and you'll be able to play this way your whole life.
At the top are note numbers. (This is like do, re, mi.) Second are the letter names of the notes. At the bottom is the piano grand staff with the piano finger numbers. Learning to sing what you play helps you learn to improvise much faster. (If singing isn't something you like much, don't worry about it. I didn't like it much either in the beginning. But it gets you there in about 1/3 the time, so its worth the effort. If you're not sure how to go about it, consider going over to Making Music Fun and Easy. Yeah, it seems like its only for little kids, but you can do it and you don't have to worry about making mistakes in the beginning. If you need help with it, just get in contact with us. Lessons or a workshop can help you find your way. You can send an e-mail to david@musicbydavidpaul.com or call 904-294-7219 to reach us.
To master improvisation...to make it
your own...take the same
steps each time you go to a new page here.
You'll build your skills and find your creative voice along the way.
STEP 1:
Figure out the printed notes, and play them in the
right order 4 times through.
STEP 2:
Play the printed notes in rhythm 4 times
through
STEP 3:
Play the printed notes smooth and calm 4
times through, both slow and fast.
STEP 4:
Play the printed notes 4 times through for memory.
Do all that so you can get to:
STEP 5:
Keep the "idea" but make it your own.
Change the notes, change the rhythm, change the feel, change the tempo.
Combine them with other things you already know.
CHAPTER 1: FIRST STEPS
1) Ladder
2) Rocking
3) Echo Game
4) Elevator
5) Major Scale
6) Arpeggios
7) Interval Rocking
CHAPTER 2: BASIC COMBOS
8) Ladder/Rocking
9) Rocking/Ladder
10) Ladder 1/Rocking 2
11) Rocking 2/Ladder 1
12) Rocking1/Ladder2
13) Ladder2/Rocking1
14) Elevator/Rocking
15) Rocking/Elevator
16) Elevator 2/Rocking 1
17) Rocking 1/Elevator 2
CHAPTER 3: GETTING HARMONY INTO THE MIX
18) Interval Chords
19) Chord Morphing
20) Chord Morphing 1/Rocking 2
21) Rocking 2/Chord Morphing 1
22) Ladder 2/Chord Morphing 1
23) Chord Morphing 1/Ladder 2
24) Elevator 2/ Chord Morphing 1
25) Chord Morphing 1/Elevator 2
CHAPTER 4: PLAYING ON A MELODY
26) Elevator with Long Notes
27) Elevator with Long and Short
Notes
28) Elevator with Long, Short and
Repeated Notes
CHAPTER 5: GETTING RHYTHM GOING
29) Rhythm Addition (Slow Notes)
30) Rhythm Division (Fast Notes)
31) Dotted Notes
32) Syncopated Notes
33) Compound Meter
CHAPTER 6: WORKING WITH HANDS TOGETHER
34) Rhythm Splitting
35) Interval Rocking/Rhythm
Splitting 1+1
36) Interval Rocking/Rhythm
Splitting 1+2
37) Interval Rocking/Rhythm
Splitting 1+3
38) Interval Rocking/Rhythm
Splitting 2+1+1
39) Interval Rocking/Rhythm
Splitting 1+2+1
CHAPTER 7: COVERING CHORDS WITH BOTH HANDS
40) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 4-1
41) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 1-4
42) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 3-1
43) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 1-3
44) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 2-1;1-2
45) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 2+1+1
46) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 3+1 l.h.
47) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 3+1 r.h.
48) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 1+2+1
49) Chord Morphing/Rhythm
Splitting 2+1
CHAPTER 8: PLAYING ON A CHORD PROGRESSION
50) Chord Progression:
Ladder/Rocking
51) Chord Progression:
Elevator/Rocking
52) Chord Progression
CHAPTER 9: OPEN ARPEGGIOS
53) Chord Morphing Arpeggios I
54) Chord Morphing Arpeggios II
55) Chord Morphing Arpeggios I
open
56) Chord Morphing Arpeggios II
open
CHAPTER 10: EXPANDING ON A CHORD PROGRESSION
57) Chord Progression:
Elevator/Arpeggios (open)
58) Chord Progression: Interval
Chord/Arpeggios (open)
59) Chord Progression: Rhythm
Splitting
60) Chord Progression: Interval
Chord/Bass
61) Chord Progression:
Arpeggios/Bass
CHAPTER 11: GETTING CHORDS TO SOUND GREAT
62) Chord/Major Scale
63) Elevator/Arpeggio
64) Arpeggios/Bass
65) Chords (root
position)/Arpeggios
66) Chords (inversions)/Arpeggios
67) Elevator (long
notes)/Arpeggios
68) Rhythm Splitting/Arpeggios
CHAPTER 12: MASTERING LEAD SHEETS
69) Melody/Bass
70) Melody/Chords
71) Melody+Chords/Bass
72) Melody+Chords/Arpeggios (open)
CHAPTER 13: MAKING LEAD SHEETS YOUR OWN
73) Elevator (long & short
notes)/Arpeggios (open)
74) Elevator+Chords/Arpeggios
(open)
75) Elevator/Bass+Chords
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