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Improvise Music Theory in Practice
Learn Theory by Improvising with Pro International Level Teachers
Music Theory In Practice | Improvise Music Theory Online
- Songwriter who wants to just ‘get on and do it’?
- Want to understand theory, but not by writing exercises?
- Love understanding music, but want to play it to understand it?
You are in the right place!
Thirsty for high standards with ‘real’ music? Ready to get stuck in TODAY?!
International level musicians and celebrity level musicians teach you all, right here!
Funky Scale Method with Pop & Jazz Improv!
with Mick Donnelly (Saxophonist to hundreds of A Listers)
This is the most fun and exciting way to learn scales that I have ever seen!
Learn scales “by doing” and improvise on them by adding one note at a time; Mick sounds sooo cool!
From Scales to Pop & Jazz Improv
Natural Minor Scale
The most fun & exciting way to learn scales ever!
Natural Minor Scale
The Minor Pentatonic Scale
Technique & Knowledge: The Scale Exercise
Improv 1: Rhythm & Cumulative Note Method
Improv 2: Developing Coordination – 1 Note Melody
Improv 3: Adding Scale Notes, Same Bass
Improv 4: 3 Notes, increasing rhythmic complexity
Improv 5: Varied Repetition – Phrase Endings
Improv 6: Varied Repetition – Rhythmic Displacement
Improv 7: Starting on Different Beats of the Bar
Improv 8: Structure & b5
Further improv and songwriting techniques.
Blues Scale
Celebrity Masterclass by Mick Donnelly, who performed with the likes of Sammy Davis Jr.
1. Learn the Blues Scale & Practice Strategies
2. Develop Coordination with Different LH Bass Lines
3. Learn Different LH Riffs
4. Use Different Walking Basses
5. Develop Rhythmic Motifs
6. Use the RH Cumulative Note Method
7. Connect your Imagination (Inner Ear) Via Your Voice to Your Fingers
8. Develop Repetition using Mick D Motifs & Varying Phrase Endings
9. Explore Phrases Starting on Different Beats of the Bar
10. Explore The Pick Up
11. Learn Features of Making Longer Phrase Structures More Effective
12. Develop Tools for Improvisation and Songwriting
13. Exclusive notated Mick D solo
Major Scales and Modes
Major Scale and Modes
Mick starts with the Ionian Mode (Major Scale). Then we explore Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian and Mixolydian in detail.
Exclusive Mick D Solo
Mick D Practice Method
Improvisation Practice Method: evolving licks, interval expansion, rhythmic variety, embellishments (turns and grace notes)
Scales v Modal Harmony
Crazy (Aerosmith)
Scarborough Fair (trad. & Simon & Garfunkel)
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
I Wish (Stevie Wonder)
Doo Wop That Thing (Lauryn Hill)
I Care (Beyonce)
A Place for My Head (Linkin Park)
Simpsons (Danny Elfman)
Man on the Moon (REM)
Human Nature (Michael Jackson)
Sweet Child of Mine (Guns ‘n Roses)
Making a Classical Melody
with Dr Jason Roberts, winner of a major national USA American Guild of Organists Improvisation competition.
Jason demonstrates on the organ, but this is totally applicable to the piano too.
Make a Tune 1: Q&A
Schoenberg was a famous composer who also had a unique perspective on the construction of music alongside a very broad historical knowledge. One of his famous books (these could even be called “text books”) is called “Fundamentals of Composition”. It’s this book that has inspired this series of courses.
“A theme – the “Period” – it’s a closed form, harmonically stable. At the end you feel like you’ve arrived somewhere and it’s time to rest.” Jason Roberts.
1. Construction (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik)
2. Melodic Contour
3. Thematic Skeletons
4. Harmonic Implications & Cadences
5. Modern Variants (Stravinsky)
6. Traditional Variant (Cwm Rhondda)
7. Extended Variant (Mozart K279)
8. Recognisability & the Elements of Music.
Make a Tune 2: Sentence Form
This is where the true symphonic magic evolves. You don’t want chorale preludes or fugues? Well, this is definitely the answer for you then! Develop melodies like a late Romantic or early 20th Century composer!
1. What is a Sentence?
2. Beethoven: Piano Sonata Fm.
3. Bocherini: Minuet.
4. Beethoven: Symphony 5.
5. Vierne: Symphony 1, Finale.
6. The I-V Battle – 1st Idea Skeletons.
7. Arpeggios versus Scales.
8. How to construct your own Mini Development.
9. Use of beginning and ends of original phrases to create Mini Developments.
10. Application to Stanford: Engelberg.
11. Jason Roberts Improvisation on Engelberg.
Make a Tune 3: Sequences
“When you make a stable theme, it usually ends with a perfect cadence and you feel satisfied at the end, but a sequence is really the opposite of that; you’re trying to build tension, you’re going to far away keys and it’s much more unstable” , Jason Roberts.
1. What is a Sequence?
2. How to use the Circle of 5ths
3. Creating 2 Part Imitation in a Sequence
4. Creating 3 Part Imitation in a Sequence
5. Adapting and extending famous examples
6. Liquidation
7. Chromatic Choir Warm Up Method (V-I)
8. Chromatic Bass: Secondary Dominants
9. Beg, Steal, Borrow
Chords
Start with the I-IV-V Chords (the 3 chord trick) with fun real songs,
simultaneously create nice accompaniments.
Then consider ii-V-I Gospel style.
Finally add the ii-iii-vi minor chords and you have most of the vocabulary that you need.
Chords with Pop, Gospel and Classical Embellishments
From 1 Chord to Funk Bass
Mark Walker, Korg keyboard player to The Jacksons, Westlife, Simply Red, Will Young, 5ive, All Saints, Anita Baker, Gabrielle and others is a genius teacher!
This course starts at a level that all can appreciate – which notes fit well under a C chord.
The Walker Walking Bass is studied next, mostly using notes of the chords and adding some embellishments as we steer to the next chord.
‘Mark’ed Funk creates some dynamic rhythmical elements and some amazing playing. Don’t worry, some structured exercises will get you there.
Elevated Gospel includes a few more triplet patterns and some inspired patterns.
This course comes with fully notated transcriptions and slowed down tracks for you to follow Mark’s exceptional playing.
Journey Hand in Hand – Parallel 3rds
An introduction to simple classical improvisation, just using 3rds.
Travel through a range of keys, explore upper neighbour notes, lower neighbour notes, turns and scales. Real world examples from Bach, Beethoven, Handel and Mozart. Improvise away!
Journey Hand in Hand – Parallel 6ths & 1st Inversions
Starting with parallel 6ths, explore decorations, keys, scales, suspensions, modulations. Move on to 1st inversions, suspensions, modulations, real world examples and structured template improvisations in the style of famous composers.
I-IV-V & Pentatonic Scale – James Morrison Undiscovered
Marcus Brown, keyboard player to Madonna, James Morrison and many more takes you through I-IV-V and the Pentatonic Scale in this famous song.
Marcus invented the short piano solo moment on the original James Morrison Undiscovered single. He tells you all about it and, through the course, you will also cover:
(1) Thinking of the sound/music first, then placing it “in the key”.
(2) Plagal, perfect, interrupted cadences
(3) 3 chord trick
(4) Gospel/soul elements
(5) Sus 4 chords
(6) Rhythmic pushes
(7) Pentatonic scales
(8) V11s (Dominant 11ths)
(9) Chord voicing: connecting piano parts to melody
(10) Enhancing your musicianship tasks
(11) Improvising, composing, songwriting inspired by features of this song.
(12) Published sheet music is inaccurate for this song – find some specific corrections in this course so that you play the song how Marcus would.
Twinkle Twinkle: Taking Your 1st Flight (I-IV-V, Theme & Variations)
Sietze de Vries is an organist who went viral due to his online improvisations and tutorials. He has a fantastic teaching method that applies to piano just as much as it does to organ.
Laying the Foundations
One Note
One Chord: The Triad
Inversions
Texture: Broken Chords, Fanfares, Different Manuals
I-IV-V Chords
The Theme
Complete the Song, Play by Ear!
One Hand Harmony
Twinkle RH Harmony, LH Bass
Transposition (Different Keys)
The Variations
Variation 1: Triple Ripples
Variation 2: Semiquaver Toccata
Variation 3: Put Your Foot Down
Variation 4: LH takes the Melody
Variation 5: Pedal Solo, 2’
Variation 6: Walk the Bass
Variation 6b: Where Ya Walkin’ To
Variation 7: Change that Metre!
Bonus Material to Explore
Twinkle Twinkle Brain Gym (add ii-iii-vi, create a Chorale Prelude)
Here we explore the relative minor key and its i-iv-v chords and discover that they are chords ii-iii-vi in the relative Major.
Twinkle is now reharmonised with chord I, ii, iii, IV, V and vi.
Add suspensions, explore the minor.
Your first Chorale Prelude will now form.
Root Positions, Chords I-vi#
1.Switch to the minor: ii iii vi
2.Same Note, 2 Different Chords
3.Renaissance Dance & Modalism
4.Same Note, 3 Different Chords
Movement Through 3rds
5.Romantic Era 3rd Shifts, Mendelssohn Wedding March
6.Sequences through 3rds
Chorale Preludes
7.Old 100th Chorale Prelude
Adding the Polish
8.Inversions
9.Suspensions
10.The Full Combo
11.Additional Melodies to Explore
Now You have Some Chords, Create some Riffs and Licks!
Celebrity pianist to Madonna takes you through Pop piano licks, piano riffs, voicings and grooves and you apply them using John Legend, Dolly Parton, Ben E King, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna and James Morrison.
This wonderful piano riffs masterclass by Marcus includes
1. The Country Lick
2. Simplification of this Lick
3. 4ths & 2nds
4. Anchor Notes and Voicing
5. Clave Rhythm
6. Samba Rhythm
7. Rhythmic Restylisation
8. Musicianship Skills
9. Long Term Structure
10. Improvisation and Songwriting
11. Stand By Your Man (Dolly Parton)
12. Stand by Me (Ben E King)
13. Umbrella (Rihanna)
14. All of Me (John Legend)
15. Perfect (Ed Sheeran)
ii-V-I Gospel with Mark Walker
Mark Walker, Korg pianist to The Jacksons, takes you from simple ii-V-I progressions to advanced embellishments.
1. Locking in with the groove.
2. The II-V-I.
3. Funky bass line.
4. Right hand Gospel octave and triad solos.
5. Licks you’ve always wanted.
Plenty of notation and exercises starting from simple skeleton scores right through to Mark’s epic solos.
Pop Piano Licks, Circles by Billy Preston, Full Studio Backing Track Inc
This course is great for beginners and advanced alike. It includes pop licks and starts with the simplest of pop piano textures, but also features some amazing advanced improvisation licks on Will it Go Round in Circles by Billy Preston.
A FULL band backing track is provided, created by Mark for you in his studio, to allow you to develop your RH solos over the top, as if playing in a band.
9 Ways to Harmonise a Scale – Partimenti Course
Classical composers used formulas known as “Partimenti” or “Schemata”. Here they are with plenty of real-world famous examples to create the ultimate Classical piano/organ improvisation course!
Play a scale in the left hand. What could you create over the top?
Examples from genius famous composers.
Structured mini-improv exercises in the style of the genii.
Percussion tracks that help you create 4 bar phrases and 16 bar sections.
By the end of this course you’ll be improvising fluently!
Classical Counterpoint and Larger Forms
Scherzo and Minuet Forms
Now Jason takes the work done thus far and creates extended forms including Minuets, Scherzo’s and from there you can create any structure that you want.
You will be amazed at the music that you can now improvise and how great it sounds!
Musical freedom awaits!
2 Part Counterpoint
2 Part Counterpoint
Canon
Parallel 3rds & 6ths
Contrary & Parallel Motion: Stéphane Solo 1
Changing Time Sigs & Subdividing Beats
Ornamented Head of Theme
Imitation: Stéphane Solo 2
Minor: Incorporating Bach
Countersubject & Character
Subdominant: Stéphane Solo 3
Ternary Form and Relative Minor: Stéphane Solo 4
Modulation to the Dominant: Stéphane Solo 5
Summary
Extended Chorale Prelude, Early Trios and Fugal Textures
Help, my piece is only 30 seconds long!
The answer is here! Sietze takes The Old 100th as his theme.
Create a variant of the 1st phrase.
Create sentences that form episodes in between phrases of the main tune with consistent 4 bar structures.
Add suspensions and ornaments.
Consider bass lines.
Explore inversions.
Finally, develop more advanced counterpoint such as trios and fugue-like textures.
From Ditties to Pieces!
Episodes & 4 Bar Phrasing
Key Structure & Modulations
Combining Chorale Prelude, Keys, Episodes
Inversions to improve Bass Lines
2 Part Episodes for Trio
Diminutions
Trio Theme Entry
From 4 Part Chords to 3 Part Counterpoint
Manuals only Trio, Melody in the Middle
Strong Bass Lines Promoting Counterpoint
Beg, Steal, Borrow, Bach the Guru
3 Part Counterpoint & Trios
3 Part Counterpoint
3 Part Canons
3 Part Texture with Simple Parallel 3rds
3 Part & Parallel 3rds: Stéphane Solo 1
Trio Sonata with Pedal Solo: Stéphane Solo 2
Circle of 5ths 1: Vivaldi Influenced
Circle of 5ths 2: Arpeggios
Circle of 5ths 3: Parallel 3rds
Circle of 5ths 4: Root Position Triads
Circle of 5ths 5: Root Position Triads Bach & Purcell
Circle of 5ths 6: Contrary Motion & Parallel 6ths
Circle of 5ths 7: Vivaldi Concerto Dm Op. 3 Chords
Circle of 5ths 8: Vivaldi Concerto Dm Op. 3 Intervals
1st Inversions: Parallels
1st Inversion 7-6s: Ascending
1st Inversion 7-6s & 2-3s: Descending
1st Inversion 4-2s
Root Position 4-2s
9-8, 7-6, 3-4-3: Bach
Complete Improvisation: Stéphane Solo 3
4 Part Counterpoint & Fugues
4 Part Counterpoint
Expositions
Countersubjects
Invertible Counterpoint
Episodes and Modulations
Stretto to create excitement
Tonic Pedal Points
Dominant Pedal Points
Inverted Pedals
Sequences.
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