Group 4
Anyone can improvise! When classical pianists hear the word "Improvisation," they often think of learning fancy jazz scales or studying the rule of the octave. But improvisation doesn't have to be intimidating! In this two-week intensive, pianist Jeremy Siskind will demonstrate how to improvise a twenty-four measure ABA tune without being a jazz or historical improv genius. Topics covered will include standard chord progressions, left-hand patterns, use of arpeggios, adding color using non-chord tones, and exercises for two-handed coordination.
Pianists of all levels are welcome.
More Detailed instructions coming soon!
- Sign-Up : April 12 - April 15
- Course Period: April 17 - May 1
- Class Size: max. 4 Groups 谩 10 Participants
- Optional check-In via Zoom: April 26th 1:30pm - 2:30pm PT
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85277587596?pwd=V1ZBN0ozZ2ZWQ1QraU5JR24yRXBNUT09
Assignment 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiDUR1esb70
For the assignment:
1) Learn the given chord progression in Eb major and C minor | I | IV | V7/V | V | V/IV | IV | V | I |
2) Create 4-6 contrasting left hand accompaniment patterns and practice them in both Eb major and C minor
3) Practice improvising limiting yourself to just the arpeggios (notes of the chords)
4) Ask "what if" questions to spark different improvisation ideas
Assignment 2
For the assignment:
1) Beautify your melody through lower chromatic neighbors, scale passages, and ornaments.
2) Think orchestrally - use more of the piano to create orchestral framing, including unisons, chorales, left-hand melodies, and upper-register passages.
3) Put it all together! Practice creating contrasting ABA improvisations, making sure to add transitions between the sections.
Zoom Meeting Checkin Video:
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OK next: a simple melody on top of the chords, using only chord tones. So hard to forgo scale notes, passing tones, accidentals, but great discipline to explore the potential of just the chord tones themselves.
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Peter Golemme Very soothing Peter. I too am finding it difficult to stick to just the chord tones. I am sure there'll be plenty of time for b9, #9, #11 and b13 before the challenge is over ;)
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Peter Golemme Very nice, Peter. Well structured and executed! If you can take those left-hand chords and spread them out over more than an octave, I think you'll find the result even more sophisticated-sounding and satisfying.
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Jeremy Siskind thanks jeremy. Once again I learned a lot just by trying to come up with something interesting melodically while staying within the parameters of the exercise. I'll work on expanding the LH. sometimes I can only 'think' about one hand at a time, while the other hand reverts to something automatic.
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Next up: trying to put a melody in the LH.
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Peter Golemme Oops, here's the Link:
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Peter Golemme Nice LH melody Peter. And that's not easy to achieve (as you mentioned in your caption - the LH wants to go back to accompaniment).
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FINALLY, last one (for today!) - a little stride piano version. More my natural style, reminiscent of how I would play in the livelier piano bars.
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Peter Golemme Sounds great Peter. I will get on to stride one day...
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Peter Golemme Very well done! Great variety in the left hand. That's not easy. Your next step is to try to organize those right-hand passages into phrases with clear directions - beginnings and endings, but this is really capturing that barroom piano vibe!
Bravo! -
Jeremy Siskind Thanks again Jeremy. the stride style comes fairly naturally to me at this point, (while this time it was the RH that went into something more or less automatic. But one thing I want to work on is making my LH more varied rhythmically. I default to a steady 1-2-3-4 with very little variation, unless I really consciously force something different, which is not yet very comfortable to do. In a solo style the 1-2-3-4 keeps the beat going but it can get very monotonous. I've watched some of your videos, including the one about the different things you can do with the LH, and it was an eye opener. I hope to be able to incorporate some of those concepts into my playing.
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And here is my first take. All I can say is that Peter started it :)
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Ken Radford Hey Ken, I love it! reminiscent of a barque floating on a lake in the moonlight....
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Peter Golemme Thanks Peter. This challenge is fun
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Ken Radford I like it Ken! Very soothing, meditative.
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NANCY M Thanks for your kind words Nancy.
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Ken Radford I think I can hear the inspiration here!
Great use of inversions. The voicing of the low octave (inspired by Beethoven, I'm sure). It's very beautiful, and you play very sensitively. Maybe if you could add some small dotted-rhythm melodies in the left hand at the beginning, it will add a little more intrigue. Great addition of the right-hand melody at the end. That's not technically easy! Well done - very memorable (for all the right reasons!)! -
Jeremy Siskind Thanks for the encouragement Jeremy. I am humming the dotted LH patterns already :)
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Jeremy Siskind Here is my second take. All feedback is much appreciated.
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Ken Radford Ken Radford
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Ken Radford Sounding good Ken. the logic of the patterns is making it sound more like a structured piece. an even closer evocation of the Moonlight than your first take. I was waiting for the broken arpeggios at the end like the C# minor arpeggios at the end of LVB's version. would have been a nice variation on the arpeggio pattern on the c minor chord -- kind of mini Coda bringing the piece to closure. Keep up the good work!
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Peter Golemme Thanks for your comments Peter. My next attempt is going to be less logical and more Jazz :)
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Ken Radford Well, in Lesson 1 we had to eat our vegetables plain, with chord tones only. Now we get to add a little spice with approach tones and scale notes...I'll be interested in hearing what you & everyone else may come up with, with this broader license. I hope I'll have some time to post a few things also. The old day job has been annoyingly demanding the last week or so.....
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This is a reply to Assignment 1 - and the hardest part for me is to figure out how to make a video and upload it here. So it was indeed challenging- more technically than musically - but it can only get better. And I'm learning. I'll try to send a few more that begin to work the musical aspect. thanks for your patience.
https://youtu.be/hwZ56old_OU-
NANCY M OK Nancy you are definitely on the right track. It all starts with the chords. You'll want those chords to become as automatic as possible, so that when your eyes see "Eb" on the page, your fingers automatically reach for the notes Eb, G and Bb, wherever they may lie, within the reach of either hand. As you try more exercises with the same chord pattern you'll find different uses for the notes comprising each chord, and also reinforce the automatic-ness of the chords. Your Eb theme already is already evolving in the two iterations here -- with the one following the Cminor section showing more variety and assurance. Keep up the good work!
P.S. and congratulations on getting the YouTube channel up and running. What a time this is -- every one of us a star of our own TV channel!
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