FAQ for Imagination on the Piano: Improvising Classically with George Ko!

Welcome to the magical world of classical improvisation!

In this month’s Community Challenge, we’ll learn to improvise on the piano and soon you’ll be able to create your own music, live!

Whether it’s when we’re listening to jazz, or watching John Mayer take off on a solo, we have all wanted to improvise as classical musicians. However, even after years of practicing scales, etudes, and difficult concerti, we just can’t seem to make up things on the spot.

In this livestream series, classical improviser and Young Steinway Artist George Ko shows how you can improvise and spontaneously create any song with your background of Bach, Chopin, and understanding of I-V-I cadences.

Some selected tonebase productions to get you started:

Noam Sivan's lessons on Improvising

John Mortensen on Historical Improvisation

Harmonic Formulas of the Great Composers

The What:

• We’re going to learn how to improvise on the piano!
• The goal is to start improvising immediately at the piano with the Classical style
• Every week we’ll have different improvisational challenges. Depending how much you practice will ramp up your results. You know… How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
• TBD: A watch party featuring your improvisations will take part at the end if by popular demand!

The When:

• Challenge start: Kick-Off Friday June 10th at 11am PT
• Watch party: TBD

The How:

1. Join the live stream (or watch previously recorded sessions) and follow along on the improvisational topic of the week.
2. Practice the improvising challenge on your own, then go to our Updates thread and post your improv!
3. If you are willing and open to share, add a video or audio recording of yourself improvising. This is optional, but we’ll be able to share our progress together! This is a safe space, and we are not here to judge, but to encourage. There’s enough competitions for that.

The Fun Part:

• TBD:At the end of our practice challenge, we will be hosting another Watch Party on tonebase LIVE! This will feature user submissions, community awards, and shoutouts!
• This is planned for July 1st at 11 am PT!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I join the challenge if I wasn't there on June 10th?

Yes! Just make sure you watch the first session and complete any workshop challenges before the next challenge.

I have a question, who do I ask?

Feel free to use this thread to ask any questions about this challenge! For a more detailed just DM me either here through the or on Instagram @_georgeko. You can also reach out to our Head of Live & Communinty through [email protected]

Can I do more than one improv per week?

Absolutely! This challenge is to help you become comfortable with improvising and to relinquish the “fear” of making mistakes. It’s about exploring the unknown. To infinity, and beyond!