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 á 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

 

https://youtu.be/ZZt9iD4GOHs

 

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:

 

https://youtu.be/XMosC3cqfvY

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  • Hi Group 4 members. I have watched the first video a couple of times and have started transposing the chords into my favourite keys (all 12 🙂). I am looking forward to meeting and working with you all.

    Ken

    Like 2
  • This is going to take my classical brain a while to absorb. Question (anyone!): is there a reason to leave out the 5th in the E-flat 7 and B-flat 7 chords but to include it in the F7?

    Like 1
    • Harriet Kaplan Hi Harriet. My 2 cents. Certain notes are considered ‘must haves’ when it comes to chord voicing. 3rd and 7th, normally yes. 5th, normally no. 

      Like
    • Ken Radford 7th chord voicing that is…

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    • Ken Radford yes, I know - I was just wondering why he included the 5th on some but not others.

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

      Harriet Kaplan Hi Harriet , I'll add 2 cents more about this.

       

      First of all, it's safe to say that there's no rule  about leaving out the 5th.  At this stage, we want enough notes to define the chord, and defaulting to including the basic tones (1,3,5, & 7th if a dominant) seems fine.  There's no harm in including the 5th, since it's a perfectly legitimate chord tone.

      Having said that, there are some times when you might choose to leave out a note, whether consciously or unconsciously, let's say for clarity of texture.

      For example: many jazz players form their LH parts on the assumption that others are playing too (e.g. a bass player) and so it's best not to clutter the sound scape with too many doubled notes.  They get in the habit of sparser rather than fuller voicings, so as to avoid doubling tones.  Even though this workshop assumes a piano solo, some of these concepts  derived from playing with others remain as either habits or conventions.  

      Where a sparser LH texture is desired, many will default to a 3 note voicing, while occasionally playing 4 notes or more for variety or some other reason(or no discernable reason!)  So then the choice is: if you're going to leave some notes out, which would be the best ones to omit?  as you & Ken have noted, the 3 and 7 are the most important harmonically, because they generally will signal the quality of the chord as either a major, minor, dominant or diminished,  So those are probably the least likely to be omitted.  On the other hand, the 1 and 5, as perfect intervals (relative to the chord root), don't add much color because they lack dissonance.  So they are kind of less interesting when included than some other possibilities.  They add density without a lot of accompanying interest. Also, they are perhaps the most likely to be doubled by the bass player.   So they are not much missed when omitted!

      All of that sounds like a lot of mental processing goes into these choices, whereas most players would probably say that is definitely NOT the case. The above is, like grammar, an after the fact description of what's happening instinctively or habitually.

      So you may be seeking a specific reason when there really isn't one.  Rather than some rule, it's much more likely to be a matter of habit, custom, hand shape, sound, or no particular reason!.  

      I think many players like me, not well trained in the classical tradition, tended to start out thinking of chord voicings and inversions as rather irrelevant.  If you included the chord tones anywhere, you had the chord, regardless of which was on the top bottom or middle, so goes this way of thinking.  You might omit some chord tones because you can't conveniently reach them, they don't fit, or they clash with the melody.  Sometimes that's simply all there is to it.  Then if you want to start sounding more like the jazzy players, you gradually try to pick up tricks, sounds, techniques and even a little science about what they're doing and gradually apply it to your chords.

      Here we are starting with the basic chord tones -- an essential foundation.  But I would say that ultimately, whether the 5th is included here but omitted there, is not a matter of much consequence. 

      OK well I guess that was more like 25 cents.  (And my apologies if you folks already know all about this stuff. I'm kind of working it out in my own mind as I think about your question!)

      Like 4
    • Peter Golemme Good answer Peter.

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

      Ken Radford thanks Ken.  I also believe that Jeremy said, I think in the section on arpeggios, to "use all 4 notes of the dominant chord" for purposes of this week's exercise at least. 

       

      So HARRIET, that sounds like a license to use the 5th on the Bb7 and Eb7 as well as the F7!  I'm having some fun with this exercise, looking forward to hearing everyone's takes!

      Like
    • NANCY M
    • NANCY_A_MINDEN
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    HI group 4. This is definitely so beyond my pay scale, also a classically trained pianist- and  returnee after  decades. But I'm excited to commit to the learning. I have a little time to prepare for today - am just trying to familiarize with progression. Looking forward to learning from/with you.

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

    Hi everyone, I'm wrapped up at work until tomorrow but will have some postings after that.

     

    I've played in piano bars for many years, and so can already do basic variations & improvisations on pop tunes & standards using the chord changes.  Hoping here to get out of some of the ruts I'm in  & my dependence on certain 'schticks' and cliches, and be able to incorporate more classical types of motifs and ideas into my playing.  For those who've grown up primarily playing from written notes, I think this course is going to be a real eye opener, and I would agree that any level of player can benefit from it.

    Like 1
  • Hello group 4 members. This is going to be fun! Definitely requires a shift in thinking. Looking forward to learning and sharing together.

    Like 1
  • Hi Everyone,

    Looking forward to exploring improvisation. I do some improvisation, but seem to get stuck in the same patterns, looking forward to expanding my improvisational skills.

    Like 1
    • Jeremy Siskind
    • Jazz Pianist who Loves Playing Classical
    • Jeremy.8
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi everyone! I'm just poking my head in to say hi! I'm so glad you all are interested in pursuing this project and I look forward to doing my best to guide you! 

    Just a note about my teaching - I like to give lots of options and possibilities. That doesn't mean you have to investigate every single one. Choose which rabbit holes you want to go down and know that others will still be waiting for you down the road. 

    Happy practicing and talk to you soon! 

    Like 2
    • Hannahong
    • Hannahong
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Group, this is so new to me, so I feel a little intimidated. However, I will do my best.

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    • Dan
    • Dan.3
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hello, everyone, been sick the past few days, but ready to jump into all of this. I can improvise some, but it definitely doesn’t feel intuitive, except for really basic stuff.  I can churn out little ideas here and there, but I wouldn’t say that’s improvising (which i feel is more “in the moment” or on the fly).  Looking forward to learning and practicing with all of you!

    Like
  • Hi All,

    I'm Richard Caley, an amateur classical pianist with little harmony theory knowledge. I'm hoping that this course will free me from printed notation and give me some insight into cord structure, improvisational skills and help with the identification of the harmonic structure I've been reading for many years. Unfortunately, I didn't realise that the course has already started as I thought it began on the 26th April with the zoom meetup.

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

    OK Well someone's got to go first!  Here's an attempt to make these chords into an imitation of Bach's C Major Prelude from Book 1 of the WTC.  

    https://youtu.be/Aap_nYX3OuM

    Like 2
    • Peter Golemme love how this sounds Peter! Nice idea to use the chords and play it in the style of Prelude no 1 from WTC I!

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

      Natalie Peh Thank you Natalie.  I think of the WTC Preludes as Improvisations distilled to their finest essence. So many of them seem to be JSB's illustrations of what you can do with some basic patterns over a series of chord changes.

      Like 1
      • NANCY M
      • NANCY_A_MINDEN
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Peter Golemme Thank you Peter for getting us started. That was clever, straightforward and lovely to listen to. I am inspired to slowly go public in this group. 
      I am struggling with getting any fluency on the progression - it is painfully slow going. When I have time I am working through every key as was suggested. And playing with arpeggios random in the right hand.
      I also have to confess that I do not know how to make a YouTube to share. I tried once and failed - have never tried since. 

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

      NANCY M Hi Nancy, the first step to upload your videos would be to set up a YouTube channel for yourself.  I managed to do it back in 2020, though I can't remember how, but it must have been easy if I was able to do it.  If you Google "how to set up a YouTube channel", a number of instructional videos --on YouTube strangely enough! -- pop up immediately.

      Once your channel is there I can walk you through how I, as a technologically challenged not-so-young person, upload my videos.  

      Also Martin from ToneBase has some great sessions on technological topics.  I can't remember whether he addresses this. 

      Like
      • Jeremy Siskind
      • Jazz Pianist who Loves Playing Classical
      • Jeremy.8
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Peter Golemme I love this, Peter! This is such a great example of putting a couple of different things together and making something all your own. Sometimes composition (and improvisation) is spoken of in terms of "inspiration" and creation out of "thin air," but it can be much more intentional and structured. This is a great example and you executed it beautifully! 

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

      Jeremy Siskind thank you very much Jeremy. This exercise was a great way to explore what the chords themselves have to offer, all by themselves, without venturing outside the chord tones. Thank you too for the 4/26 video session. I got a LOT out of your commentary on the videos and your suggestions of next steps and possible variations on the themes & motifs people were coming up with.

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  • Great job Peter. And one of my favourite JSB preludes :)

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

      Ken Radford How can you not love that Prelude!

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