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

Welcome to the magical world of classical improvisation!

In this monthā€™s Community Challenge, weā€™ll learn to improvise on the piano and soon youā€™ll be able to create your own music, live!

 

Whether itā€™s when weā€™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 canā€™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:

  • Weā€™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 weā€™ll have different improvisational challenges. Depending how much you practice will ramp up your results. You knowā€¦ 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 weā€™ll be able to share our progress together! This is a safe space, and we are not here to judge, but to encourage. Thereā€™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 ā€œfearā€ of making mistakes. Itā€™s about exploring the unknown. To infinity, and beyond!

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    • Peter Golemme
    • Piano Player with Day Job (for now)
    • Peter_G
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    OK here is my posting based on George's Week 1 request.  I stick mostly to the chords Fmaj7-Em7-Dm7 as suggested, but I step back up to Em7 before getting back to Fmaj7 to restart the progression, because the motif seemed to demand that.  the tonality is mostly E-based Phrygian mode, but in deference to my question about the key, I conclude in C major, without much advance warning!

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    • Peter Golemme
    • Piano Player with Day Job (for now)
    • Peter_G
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hmmm, my file didn't upload...I'll try again

    Like
    • Peter Golemme
    • Piano Player with Day Job (for now)
    • Peter_G
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    getting an "Oops Can't upload" message. will see what else I can try

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    • Peter Golemme Hi Peter! The file is probably too big, so I'd recommend to upload it on Youtube as an unlisted video and share the link here! 

      Angela Fogg You're right, I do this in that video! What a memory you have! šŸ„³

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      • Peter Golemme
      • Piano Player with Day Job (for now)
      • Peter_G
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Martin thank you Martin.  If I post it on YouTube, will the whole world be able to see it?  I was hoping to limit the viewership of this unfinished experiment solely within our ToneBase family!  (not a big factor but just wondering)

      P.S. I watched your video awhile ago, it was full of priceless information! more than I could retain the first time around.  I will revisit over this issue.

      Like
    • Peter Golemme You can upload it as ā€œunlisted.ā€ This way, search algorithms cannot find it, but you can still share the link! If you upload it as ā€œpublic, ā€œyou cannot share it on the forums!

      Happy to hear that, thank you!!! 

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    • Peter Golemme
    • Piano Player with Day Job (for now)
    • Peter_G
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    I'm unable to post my video here or on the other thread.  It's a simple iPad MOV file but I also tried 3 different conversions to other formats.  I'm sure it's some advanced form of 'User Error'.  Is there a page on ToneBase providing guidance on how to upload videos?

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    • Peter Golemme
    • Piano Player with Day Job (for now)
    • Peter_G
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    thanks Angela

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    • Peter Golemme
    • Piano Player with Day Job (for now)
    • Peter_G
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    OK, here's my link. think I got it this time.  sorry to trouble the thread with my technological challenges & thanks Angela & Martin for the assistance with them.

    https://youtu.be/_ZsF5uo6X9I

    I'm also going to post this to the other thread

    Like 1
    • George Ko
    • Classical Improviser šŸŽ¹
    • GeorgeKo
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Peter! Sorry I couldn't have replied sooner, shoutout to Angela and Martin for assisting, glad you were able to upload.

    The improv sounds fantastic, I love the push for more virtuosity, and the melodic voice doubling, very nice touch, I also love how there are different sections to the improv, just like in a song. Great work!

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