Lesson video

Hello and welcome to today's lesson entitled: "Building an Improvisation." My name is Mr. Norris, I'm gonna be taking you through today to look at some techniques that we can use to really build effective improvisation in blues.

So let's get stuck into it.

Our outcome for today's lesson is I can create an extended improvisation over the 12-bar blues chords.

Some key words we're gonna be using first is improvisation, and this is a section of music where the melodic ideas are made up on the spot.

Structure are the different sections within a piece of music, or how these sections are organised into phrases is what structure is.

And then finally, motif.

And this is a short musical idea that recurs throughout a piece of music.

To begin, we're gonna look at initial ideas for improvisation.

One of the key features of blues is that it's heavily improvised.

And in music, this means composing on the spot, so making up ideas on the spot.

To build an improvisation, we need rhythmic ideas and we need melodic ideas, these two different aspects.

And we can use words to help us find a rhythmic starting point.

Let me show you what I mean.

So I'd like to think of a short sentence, or you could use one of these following examples.

So it might be something like famous film or book character and an action.

So something like Snow White and the Seven dwarves went out for tea.

An animal, an object, and an impossible achievement.

Something like, "My kettle climbed the three peaks", or choose just a normal sentence.

So this is how we play the 12-bar blues.

So let's quickly think of a sentence and let's put that into action then.

So now I'd like you to think about how your sentence might sound rhythmically.

Let's have a look at some examples.

So the first one there, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves went out for tea.

That might sound like this if we were trying to say it in time with a pulse.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, three, four,</v> ♪ Snow white and the seven dwarfs ♪ ♪ Went out for tea ♪ <v ->If we take the second sentence,</v> my kettle climbed the three peaks, that's gonna have a slightly different rhythmic if we try and fit it with those 4-bars of pulse.

<v ->One, two, three, four.

</v> ♪ My kettle climbed the three peaks ♪ <v ->And then finally, this is how we play the 12-bar blues,</v> that rhythm might sound like this.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, three, four</v> ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ <v ->So what I'd like you to try and do</v> is take the sentence that you've got.

I'm gonna play you 12-bars of a backing track, and I like to quietly practise saying the sentence with the rhythm to make it last for four bars.

And if it's shorter, wait until the end of the four bars to start again.

So you'll notice no sentences there.

Often, the last note lasted for a bar or two bars to make sure that the whole phrase lasted for 4-bars.

So here's your backing track, practising it quietly, trying to make that sentence fit within a four bar phrase.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, one, two, three, four.

</v> (upbeat music plays) <v ->So hopefully there, you've managed to find a way</v> to fit that rhythm with four bars.

And we'll do some more work on that and it'll make a bit more sense why we're doing this in a moment.

So in blues, improvisation is over the 12-bar blue.

So the structure is usually three repeated or similar, four bar phrases.

We know these three phrases here.

The first is the first four bars, then we've got phrase two, bars five to eight, and phrase three, bars nine to 12.

So it's usually divided into those three.

Our rhythm or sentence should last for four bars and be performed at three times, because that would fit over the 12-bars.

So let's see what it might sound like with this is How we play the 12-bar blues spoken over the 12-bars.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, One, two, three, four.

</v> ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ <v ->So there, you can see</v> that sentence fitted over those 4-bar phrases and was repeated three times over 12-bar blues.

Now, you're gonna try and do the same with your sentence.

Try and fit it three times into this 12-bar pattern, making sure that each phrase lasts for four bars.

Here we go.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, One, two, three, four.

</v> (upbeat music plays) <v ->Second phrase.

</v> (upbeat music plays) Then third phrase.

(upbeat music plays) Let's try again, so first phrase.

(upbeat music plays) Second phrase.

(upbeat music plays) Third phrase.

(upbeat music plays) <v ->Okay, so it's check your understanding.

</v> When you're improvising over the 12-bar blues, how many 4-bar phrases should we break it up into? Is it two, three, or four? I'll give you a few seconds.

And the correct answer then is three, because three times four is 12.

So three times 4-bar phrases.

Improvisation does not mean the notes are chosen at random.

In that example, you as the composer have an idea of where in the phrase the improvisation starts.

And you can choose from rhythms that you are already familiar with.

Improvisations in blues often have some shared characteristics.

I'd like to listen to this improvisation and answer this question, what do you notice about the notes that are used and the rhythms and patterns in this improvisation? Let's have a listen.

(upbeat music plays) Okay, so you might have picked up on this.

It uses the notes of the blues scale that's really important there.

And remember, we've covered that as a really essential aspect of blues improvisation.

And it uses repetition and gets more complex.

So it repeats some ideas and it gradually builds towards the more complex phrase at the end as well.

So most improvisation in blues uses notes from the blues scale.

And musicians often start with one small idea and then repeat and develop it.

Now, we can choose notes from the blues scale to add pitch to our rhythm.

So we've still got the sentence, "This is how we play the 12 hour blues." Let's have a look at some ways that we can add pitch to that using the blues scale.

Here's our first example.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, one, two, three, four.

</v> ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ (upbeat music plays) <v ->Here is our second example.

</v> <v Demonstrator>One, two, one, two, three, four.

</v> ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ (upbeat music plays) <v ->Here's the third example.

</v> <v Demonstrator>One, two, one, two, three, four.

</v> ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ ♪ This is how we play the 12-bar blues ♪ (upbeat music plays) <v ->Now, I would like you to try adding</v> one or two different pitches to your rhythm and form the phrase three times over these 12-bars of the backing track.

Here we go.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, One, two, three, four.

</v> (upbeat music plays) <v ->Let's check your understanding, true or false?</v> Improvisation uses totally random notes.

I'll give you a few seconds.

And the correct answer is false.

And we've justified that by saying that whilst improvisation is making music up on the spot, in a blues improvisation, we choose notes from the blues scale and use rhythms that we are familiar with, so it's not completely random.

For task A, I'd like to improvise a few short musical ideas on the keyboard.

Some success criteria: use two or three notes from the blues scale, use the right hand thinking about which fingers you use for ease of changing notes.

So remembering, you use your thumb on the C, F and G, your middle finger on the black notes, and then your pinky on the top C.

Use 4-bar phrases, so the patterns will last for 4-bars.

If needed, you have used a sentence or words to help come up with some rhythms and you've memorised your ideas and put them together to create new phrases or extended ideas.

Here's our C blues scale, and without further ado, you can pause my video and get started.

For the second part of this task, I'd like to reflect on your improvisation.

You can pause my video and explain how you have met success criteria.

So hopefully, you thought some of these things.

I used only notes of the blues scale.

I consider which fingers to use to allow me to change notes with ease.

I used musical ideas that lasted or developed into 4-bar phrases, and I played a few musical ideas, memorised them and returned to them when putting a few different ideas together.

So well done if in your reflection, you came up with some of those points.

The second part of today's lesson is focused on developing an improvisation.

And the extended blues improvisation often developed from one musical idea or motif.

And this can give structure and style to the improvisation.

How is that "this is how we play the 12-bar blues" motif used in this 12-bar improvisation? Let's have a listen.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, one, two, three, four.

</v> (upbeat music plays) <v ->So hopefully then</v> you notice that the opening motif is repeated, but it changes slightly often with a slightly different rhythm or extra notes.

So we've got that motif that goes throughout.

And the changes become more complex with more notes and faster rhythms as we go through the improvisation.

It's also important to notice that part of the opening motif was played at the start of each 4-bar phrase.

So that motif that we've come up with there is used at the beginning of each 4-bar phrase.

So when building an improvisation, we can use the notes of our motif and play them in a different rhythm.

We can return to the musical idea at different points within the improvisation, for example, like there at the start of each phrase.

We can develop the complexity throughout by using a wider range of notes and faster rhythms. So building up in complexity throughout the phrases.

And it's important to repeat the motif and develop it to give structure to the improvisation and to keep it interesting.

So balancing repetition and variety.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false, an improvisation should be based on one identical repeated idea? And the correct answer here then is false.

And we justify that by saying that repeating musical ideas can help to give structure to an improvisation.

But it's important to develop the idea and not just do the same thing all the way through.

So we've gotta strike that balance between repetition and variety.

To develop an initial motif, start with a motif and try improvising at the end of the phrase.

Let's see what that will look like.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, one, two, three, four.

</v> (upbeat music plays) <v ->Once we've done that,</v> then we can consider using the notes in a sequence.

Let's have a look at what that might look like.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, One, two, three, four.

</v> (upbeat music plays) <v ->And finally, we can make the motif more complex</v> by extending the range and playing faster rhythms. Let's see what that looks like.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, one, two, three, four.

</v> (upbeat music plays) <v ->We can also add the 12-bar blues cords</v> or the boogie-woogie pattern in the left hand to accompany our improvisation.

Here's what that would look like if we were using semibreve cords in the left hand.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, One, two, three, four.

</v> (upbeat music plays) <v ->And here's how that might look</v> with the boogie-woogie pattern in the left hand.

<v Demonstrator>One, two, one, two, three, four.

</v> (upbeat music plays) <v ->When we're putting both parts together,</v> practise the left-hand accompaniment part on its own first, so that's either the chords or the boogie-woogie pattern.

Play the accompaniment slowly and with a simple improvisation in the right hand to begin.

So maybe just repeating the initial motif to begin with.

And then develop your initial motif into a full 12-bar blues improvisation.

Gradually, you want to work up to a faster tempo.

Make sure that you change the tempo, both parts together at the same pace.

And if you're in a pair, have one person playing the accompaniment and one playing the melody and make sure you use a count-in to start together if you're doing that.

Let's check your understanding.

I'd like to suggest three ways that we can develop an improvisation.

You can pause my video while you think of those.

And here's some of the things you might have said.

You can repeat the opening motif, but change it slightly each time.

Develop motif into a sequence.

Return to the motif at different points throughout, or start each phrase with a motif before adding an improvisation.

And make the improvisation more complex as you go through.

So well done if you've got some of those.

For task B, I'd you like to develop an improvisation over the 12-bar blues chord sequence.

Some success criteria for this.

The improvisation should: use the notes of the blues scale, last for 12-bars, that's three 4-bar phrases.

Return to the motif at some point and develop from the initial motif, for example, by changing the initial motif slightly.

You could also try and make your improvisation become increasingly complex, so that third phrase as the most complex of the three.

Here's your blues scale, there's your 12-bar blues cord sequence.

You can pause my video, give this your best shot.

In the final part of this task, I'd like to answer each of these questions to identify how is your improvisation successful? And you can use this to guide you as to what you do to further develop it.

So here are our questions.

Did you use the notes of the blues scale? How did your phrase your improvisation? How did you use that initial motif? Did you keep it the same or did you develop it? Did your improvisation become more complex? And how did it do this? And did you perform both hands together or were you in a pair? And how did you ensure that both parts work together? So you can pause my video now, answer those questions, and use that to reflect on your improvisation.

Let's summarise today's lesson.

Blues is heavily improvised, although improvisation is composing music on the spot, it's not random.

Musicians use the blues scale, typical blues rhythms and the 12-bar blues chord sequence to structure an improvisation.

A successful improvisation often develops from an initial motif.

And we've performed an improvisation over the 12-bar blues chords on the keyboard.

So that's the end of today's lesson, I hope you really enjoyed getting stuck into that improvising there, I look forward to seeing you in another lesson.

Thank you.