Specifically, the Kodaly approach helped students build their auditory memory through vocal exercises that in turn was drawn upon to
improvise.
I think even from the beginning, what I thought of learning to
improvise I thought of jazz musicians, and thought that they must be super good at their scales.
If you think about it, people you know who
improvise well (and who may be intimidating because of it) generally have had a lot of experience doing it.
The Easiest Way to
Improvise contains 15 chapters, each containing an original song with exercises designed to facilitate eventual ability to play and
improvise on the given selection.
One difference I've noted is that singing was an important part of the process of learning to
improvise in the 17th century, which is not the case to the same extent today," Nelson said.
At many of these events, advanced students spontaneously
improvise solos or duets based on a theme given by audience members.
The role of the person who is learning to
improvise is to make up just one simple part, such as an ostinato or a new melody or a variation to the basic rhythm.
As Pendleton talks, sitting on the porch of the barn where Momix rehearses, it's easy to believe he is creating the idea for the dance at that moment, verbally improvising a concept the way some choreographers
improvise movement.
You can't
improvise without a skeletal structure, you can't just go in and start talking.
Hers will be a hard act to follow, requiring the gifts of vision and leadership, as well as flexibility to meet the future with the grace to
improvise as needed.
The ability to
improvise interestingly over a tune's chord changes used to be the foundation of jazz in the bebop and post-bebop era.
By making herself
improvise once a week, she became a dedicated improv performer.
