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Now What? - This article assumes you have read much of the background materials: Defining Improvisation, On Inspiration, etc. Shifting Our purpose is to shift your thinking. The suggested exercises are structured to break down established ways of thinking so that new choices can be made. Sometimes you will see instantaneous results. Sometimes you won't see any results for a long time. Trust the process. Our adaptive brain is capable of awesome shifts in awareness, but it takes time for real progress. Also, be forgiving to yourself. This is different than any other study. We are not trying to do something right. We are trying to free ourselves from a limited view of what right is. It is recommended that you purchase a small notebook of music paper, a journal and a simple cassette recorder. These will be your constant companions for the duration of this study. I realize that your current musical studies can not stop, so our work in this book is structured so that you only need spend 30 minutes, twice a day in order to make progress. As technical studies are added, I will make suggestions for including them as a part of your standard pianistic practice - exercising the head as well as the hands to save you time. This book is designed to expand your musical capability, not to contract it. Therefore, it is vital that you continue your practice regimen in the study of your current classical repertoire. As time unfolds, you will find technical studies and musical approaches that can be included as a part of your daily practice. Always weigh these shifts to your daily discipline against the result. The study of this book should make you a better musician overall, unlimited by the type of music you choose. Several daily practice regimens I suggest for our future study: Practice major & minor scales in all keys - include contrary motion Major scales are the basis of diatonic music. As one of the major systems of music, the scale defines subsets of notes and intervals which will be very useful for our study. In addition, knowledge of major scales indirectly informs us of modal forms of music and improvisation (the most popular modes are derived from the major scale). Practice your scales consciously. Improvisation calls on the musician to have practical theoretical systems in place. Since major scales are such an inherent part of our Western culture and are so useful in the tonal and modal systems, their study assists in �mapping the keyboard.� This mapping trains our minds to have command of key centers and their interrelationships such that we can make changes according to the instantaneous needs of the music. Practice scales in multiple keys at the same time. Once again, stretch your mind. We are trying to break old ways of thinking and stretch into new realms. Practice arpeggios in all keys - major and minor, diminished and augmented Like our study of scales, arpeggios assist us in �mapping the keyboard� or breaking down this expanse of notes into recognizable and useful patterns that can be used musically. Triads are the basis of tonal harmony, and vital in extended tonal (or jazz) harmony. Intervalic mapping breaks the keyboard down into mathematical symmetry.
Interval studyThere are two basic systems of music theory employed in this book. Those two systems are tonality and extended tonality, modality and 12 tone serialism. The tonal and modal systems are assisted greatly by examining the scaler and triadic forms. But serialism and its related cousins are best served by the study of intervals. While it is a mathematical study, it is immensely useful for the improvising musician to have a command of intervals and their interrelationships.Identify a pianistic challenge that you have, and create an intervallic exercise, which addresses both a physical and mental aspect of the problem. Create mind-stretching exercises that keep you on the edge of your mental seat. FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following author bio/blurb at the end of the article: �2000-2005 Ben Dowling, the author of "The Metaphysics of Improvisation" - is a pianist, composer and an authority on music improvisation and publishes Music-Improv.com, a web site that provides useful paradigms and practices for musicians interested in expanding their ability to improvise. Learn more about "The Metaphysics of Improvisation" by visiting http://www.music-improv.com {mos_sb_discuss:1} |
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