Thursday, 20 Nov 08
Overview World Music Attentive Listening Imaginative Composing Improvising Using Vocabulary Teaching Notation AppendixTeacher feedback: Some class teachers feel they were were trained as stave-slaves with no real attention given to improvising skills. They find it hard to teach improvising effectively when they can't really do it themselves.
KS3 context: The key processes of the English National Curriculum for Key Stage 3 indicate that students should be able to "improvise, explore and develop musical ideas when performing" (2.1e). The curriculum should provide "opportunities for pupils to develop creative and compositional skills, including songwriting, arranging and improvising" (4c). There are no specific requirements for improvising ability to gain qualified teacher status, except that teachers must have the skills to deliver the curriculum effectively.
Ideas 1 to 10 below constitute a series of activities designed to help anyone – teacher or student – who wants to develop their skill and confidence in improvising. Teachers can explore these activities on their own first, but they are all also tried and tested with young people. The ideas are not designed as a sequence. You can start with any of them and tackle them in any order. The intention is to introduce teachers and students to a range of different improvisation techniques, and to show that improvisation includes a diverse range of practice that can include ICT support.
A number of mp3 files are included below to illustrate or support the activities. For convenience, these can also be downloaded collectively here inside a single zip file. They are all in quadruple time, which is perhaps the most comfortable context for beginner improvisers. As skills develop, teachers or pupils can devise their own backing tracks using a variety of time signatures.
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If we think of music as a language, then improvising is the equivalent of talking. Opportunities for improvising should form an integral part of provision. It is important for young people to see improvisation as a normal and natural part of their musical behaviour.
The informal learning practices developed by Musical Futures in Hertfordshire emphasise the importance of maintaining a close integration of listening, performing, improvising and composing throughout the learning process. See page 3 of www.musicalfutures.org.uk/teacherdownload/herts/informal_Music__Learning_Bw.pdf.
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Improvising is not something exclusive to jazz or the blues. Most of the well-known classical composers – Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt and many others – were skilled improvisers and probably used improvisation as a starting point for many of their compositions. Derek Bailey’s book Improvisation: its nature and practice in music (British Library, 1992) includes case studies and interviews with improvising musicians from Indian, Flamenco and Rock traditions.
Improvising harmonic 'beds' within accompaniments is one branch of the craft, extending from baroque continuo to modern comping. There is also the whole area of free improvising, with no limits at all. But for practical reasons, this support area will focus on supporting melodic and rhythmic improvisation in quadruple time. Our intention here is to establish a firm foothold for wider exploration as skills develop.
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You do not need to show anything technically advanced, which might in any case put some pupils off, but rather demonstrate how ideas can be built up. A video example of modelling improvisation can be found in the Music Strategy materials at http://www3.hants.gov.uk/music/music-video4a.htm.
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Although these activities are not designed as a sequence, rhythmic improvisation may be a good place to start. Many people find it easier to be spontaneous when playing untuned instruments, when there is no need to think about harmonic considerations.
One good way to practise rhythmic improvisation is to program a repeating
pattern into a drum machine or computer. This can then be used as a background
for you or your pupils to improvise over. Here is an example:
| 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & | 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & |
| X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
| X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
For this first idea there are two audio clips:
Listen to the example first if you wish. Then take a djembe drum, or similar instrument, and improvise your own rhythms over the backing. If you are using this idea in the classroom, small groups could work on group improvisations to the backing, possibly including some solo 'breaks' as they get more confident.
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Create a similar backing track, but this time leave a gap at the end, like the
one below:
| 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & | 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & |
| X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||
| X | X | X | X | X | X |
This time, the improvising drummer makes up a rhythm fill to go in the gap. This activity is also suitable for the classroom, either performed live in groups of 3 or singly (or taking turns) over the backing track.
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If improvising is the musical equivalent of talking, then one way to exemplify the parallel is by holding musical conversations – turn taking sessions between two (or more) musicians involving short improvised passages. In rhythmic group work we can explore three kinds of turn-taking:
Backing tracks for these three activities are offered as follows:
Some further short activities involving rhythmic improvisation can be found at www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/greenwich/accounts/subjects/music/web/Resources/activities/?verb=view.
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This works well as a paired activity, with one person playing a sustained note and the other using that note as the starting point for free melodic improvisation. In order to achieve 'completion' the improviser can return to the drone note when they want to stop improvising. The players can than swap roles.
Alternatively, the drone can be generated electronically (e.g. using a sequencer loop) and pupils could improvise either individually or taking turns in a group.
Here are some example drone backings:
A plan describing another drone-based improvising activity can be found at www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/greenwich/accounts/subjects/music/web/Resources/cleversticks/?verb=view (click on AP10 Using a Drone to download). Although originally designed for upper primary school children using tuned percussion instruments, this could be adapted for keyboards or any other instruments and would be suitable for KS3 pupils who are not experienced at improvising.
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A chord pattern alternating between two chords provides an excellent framework for free vocal or instrumental improvisation. Some recorded examples are provided below but you can also use software yourself (see Idea 12) to create a repeating backing track in almost any style you can think of. This first pattern has two adjacent chords:
|Dm / / / |Dm / / / |C / / / |C / / / |
Here are two versions of it:
Vocal improvisation can be very effective over the ballad style backing. Just allow pupils to find their own notes that fit with the chords. Alternatively, you could improvise on an instrument over the reggae backing.
Instrumental improvisation can be developed from the vocal improvisation. You could ask pupils to remember a short phrase from their vocal improvisations and transfer it to an instrument. A group or even a whole class could then play their improvisations together. If a whole class activity, try breaking it up into choruses (tutti – everyone playing) and verses (small groups playing – divide the class into about 6 groups and give each one a verse).
Another way of developing instrumental improvisation with this chord pattern is to ask pupils to create a short phrase on the Dm chord and then shift it down one step for the C chord.
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This uses a different chord pattern for the backing:
|Dm7 / / / |Dm7 / / / |G7 / / / |G7 / / / |
These chords work well to a Latin-style beat. Improvisation can use the Dorian mode starting on D (D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D). Most of the notes fit comfortably with both chords. This allows a lot of freedom without needing to consider which melody notes go with which chords. However, with less confident improvisers, you might like to point out that the notes D and F, which are included in both chords, are always safe notes to choose.
Two-chord patterns are good ways of starting off on improvisation. Once pupils are aware of the demands and procedures, they can start to tackle more complex patterns. Two very common ones are
As ability progresses, chord progressions taken from any suitable song can be used as a harmonic framework for improvising. You can use a program like Band in a Box (www.band-in-a-box.com) to create your own looped backing tracks using different progressions.
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The flavour of different scales provides the basis for melodic improvisation across many different cultures and genres. Some of the easiest to use are pentatonic scales.
One advantage of using a pentatonic scale is that as all the notes fit with each other – there are no semitone clashes. Therefore it is possible, as with rhythmic improvisation, to improvise freely without having to worry about hitting the 'right notes'. While this avoids an important skill, it can be useful in overcoming early inhibitions. There are many pentatonic scales. The present activity uses a major pentatonic scale, using the notes GABDE.
Like the rhythmic activities above, this one is based on improvising over a
backing track. If using this activity in the classroom, you may prefer to teach
the backing track to all the pupils first so that they can play it live. You can
then get groups or individuals within the class to improvise while others play
the backing. Alternatively, you can set this up as a small group activity, where
2 pupils play the backing and a third improvises.
| 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & | 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & |
| G | D | E | D | G | D | E | D | ||||||||
| B | A | B | G | A | B | A | B | G | A |
Because all the notes fit well with each other, this activity will work well as a group improvisation activity. Group improvisation is a useful strategy for helping pupils develop confidence without having to play on their own and be exposed to possible criticism. Improvisation is often thought of as a solo activity, and the benefits of group improvisation should not be underestimated.
Some further activities on pentatonic scales using tuned percussion instruments can be found at www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/greenwich/accounts/subjects/music/web/Resources/cleversticks/?verb=view. Click on AP12. Although designed for upper primary pupils, they could be used with lower secondary pupils who have not had much experience of improvising.
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Certain bass lines can provide a relatively open framework for improvisation,
without specifying the exact harmonic content of the music. A very good example
is the following bass line, used for many songs and pieces of music including,
perhaps most famously, Ray Charles’ Hit the Road Jack. It also occurs in
Flamenco music.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| A | A | G | G | F | F | E |
The riff is probably best played to a swing rhythm. You could syncopate the second bar by bringing the E forward slightly.
For the melodic improvisation use either the minor pentatonic scale starting on A (ACDEG) or a blues scale (ACDD#EGG#A), which is actually the same scale embellished by the two 'blue notes' D# and G#.
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Embellishment is a form of improvisation where you take a melody as a framework and add more notes or decorations to it. A lot of singers do this very spontaneously. The practice is worldwide and has a long history. For example:
Two example tunes are provided here. First of all you will need to work out how
to play the tune 'straight'. If you are using this idea with pupils, insist that
they do it by ear if they ask for notation – developing a good ear is
particularly helpful for improvising. Then use the backing track while you
improvise embellishments on the original tune. These could be as simple as added
mordents in the early stages. Aim to be more adventurous as confidence builds.
| Straight version (for working out) |
Backing only (for improvised embellishment) |
|
| Tune 1 | idea9a.mp3 | idea9b.mp3 |
| Tune 2 | idea9c.mp3 | idea9d.mp3 |
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The examples so far have concentrated on single aspects of improvisation. The challenge can be extended by developing structures that combine different techniques. The following example, though still quite simple in technical terms, combines a pentatonic scale, a verse and chorus structure (which is an extended form of filling in the gaps), musical conversations and a repeating chord pattern.
The chorus involves no improvisation. The final G of the melody can be syncopated if desired. The material below would normally be played twice to give a chorus of 8 bars.
Verses are improvised over the same 2-bar chord pattern. Two players improvise in turn, in alternating conversation. Individual 'turns' would last for 2 bars and each player would get 4 turns, giving a verse of 16 bars:
Improvisers use notes from the pentatonic scale of GABDE. Because of the range of the chorus, it might be easier to think of the scale as D E G A B, with G as the tonal centre. For beginner improvisers, the scale can be divided between them, so that player 1 (the call) would improvise on the notes D & E, while player 2 (the response) would improvise on the notes G, A & B (or just G & A, to match the range of the chorus).
Performing the piece:
Prepare for the performance by giving pupils time to practise conversing with
each other. Some of this could take the form of group improvisation. Divide the
class into 3 groups, one group plays the chords throughout, the second group
plays the calls (as it’s pentatonic, they can do this together without clashing
too much) and the third group plays the responses. However, while this activity
involves the whole class in structured music making, it does not make it easy
for people in the conversation to respond to each other, which is the essence of
a good conversation. Therefore, any whole class improvisation should be followed
by some paired work, where pupils can hear each other’s musical phrases and make
an 'informed response'.
The performance follows a verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure for as many verses as are needed to accommodate all improvisers. If this makes for a very long piece then you could put two verses between each chorus. You could also abandon the repeat of the choruses and allow only 8 bars per improvised verse, but this does not really give the players time to get going.
At the end of the piece, everyone can do a sustained G chord (chordal instruments) or play a sustained (and possibly embellished) note from a G chord.
A unit of work involving this piece can be found at www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/greenwich/accounts/subjects/music/web/Resources/cleversticks/?verb=view. Click on UW8.
idea10.mp3 gives a version of this piece.
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Live performances by musicians who are able to talk to pupils about how they go about improvising will act as an encouragement and provide stimulating examples. Here are some other helpful resources:
Some of these are quite specialised, but nevertheless offer insights which can be adapted for use in schools.
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Most music software can be adapted to support the development of improvisation skills. Some products have been designed specifically with improvisation in mind. These include the following: