Building an improvisation
I can create an extended improvisation over the 12-bar blues chords.
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- Year 8
Building an improvisation
I can create an extended improvisation over the 12-bar blues chords.
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Blues is heavily improvised. Although improvisation is composing on the spot, it is 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.
- We have performed an improvisation over the 12-bar blues chords on the keyboard.
Keywords
Improvisation - a section of music where the melodic ideas are made up on the spot
Structure - the different sections within a piece of music or how these sections are organised into phrases
Motif - a short musical idea that recurs throughout a piece of music
Common misconception
Improvisation means the notes are chosen at random.
Although improvising means making music up on the spot, it is based on a set of notes or scale and can use repetition. Improvisation often uses fixed stylistic characteristics such as particular rhythms, phrase structures and chord sequences.
Equipment
Keyboard instrument
Licence
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