Improvisation is about freeing oneself from the illusion of believing oneself to be free.

(Bernard Lubat)

Exercises to find a melody from a chord progression with: (I - VI - II - V7)

Key of C major.

//: C7M/ / / Am7 / / Dm7 / / G7 / ://

Create another sequence in the key of G or D.

Advice:

Play in the 1st measure with 8 eighth notes, and the 2nd measure with long notes, chords or embellishment (Ornament, accessory and often excessive embellishment, which overloads something.

Play only the bass notes for the located mode of the scale.

Improvisation

Improvisation is the art of composing in the moment. It can be as simple as adding a new embellishment or attack pattern, or it can be as complex as a jazz solo. Improvisation is an important part of acoustic guitar playing. For example, many blues and folk musicians take great pride in never playing the same piece twice.

Musicians of all styles use improvisation as a means of expressing the emotions and attitudes of the moment.

Why improvise?

• To bring freshness and spontaneity to a public performance.

• To express your personal creativity in a piece of music.

• To create a musical dialogue with another musician.

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

There are many ways to approach improvisation. You can base it on your experience and your knowledge of what “sounds good.” But you can also try to push your limits, using your ears and instrument. The best improvisers are capable of doing both.

Some fundamental tools can help you begin your journey:

• The theory

• Imitating and analyzing the musicians you admire

• rent with other people

A FEW WORDS ON MUSIC THEORY

This chapter contains some fundamental theoretical elements that will help you with improvisation. Theory is the set of terms and concepts we use to describe musical sounds and how they interact. Some of you may sometimes feel that this theory might hinder spontaneity and creativity. Not at all!

Remember, knowledge never hurts!

What theory can do for you is:

• To help you establish the connections between the sounds you hear.

• Expand your musical choices.

• Helping you explain your music to another musician.

TAKE THE LEAP

Combining theory with the study of musicians you admire and the experience of playing in a group gives you everything you need to explore improvisation without limits. All that's left to do is then to "leap into the unknown." When learning to improvise, try not to be too self-critical. Stay fearless, open-minded, and have fun. Learn the rules and break them. It's not science, it's music.

TIPS FOR IMPROVISATION

While it's tempting to learn scale positions and then let your fingers wander randomly, playing many notes, it's much more musical to create melodies from scales. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:

1. Practice the scale positions all the way up the neck — learn them going up and down

2. In a given position, practice the notes in random order, but always be aware of where you are. Name the degrees aloud while playing.

3. Try accenting the notes of chords in your improvisation. This requires some practice, but you can start by accenting the notes of the A minor triad (1/3 and 5) while playing the A minor pentatonic scale. To accent a note of the chord, identify it as the beginning or end point of a phrase, or sustain it.

Part Two—Improvisation

Below is an example of a solo using the minor pentatonic scale positions you learned in this lesson. It is based on the chord progression of the swing piece Still A Minor At 32 (page 34). Next, try building your own solo using the minor pentatonic scale.

SPECIAL BONUS

The “bridge” of this solo uses triads with suspensions (page 10) to create a different effect. This helps to distinguish section B from section A.

CHAPITRE 5—L’IMPROVISATION 

Leçon I : La Gamme Majeure   

 Leçon 2 : Le Cycle des Quintes     

Leçon 3 : Doigtés de Gamme Majeure..........................

Leçon 4 : Exercices sur les Degrés de la Gamme Majeure ..49

Leçon 5 : Improvisation avec la Gamme Majeure........... 49

Leçon 6 : Les Intervalles   

CHAPITRE 4-—TRAVAIL DU MANCHE         -  intermediaire                                                                52

DEUXIÈME PARTIE—L’IMPROVISATION 

Leçon 1 : Positions de Gamme Majeure...........................................................................................................

Leçon 2 : Connectez les Positions de Gamme sur le Manche................................................................

Sample Solo................................................................................................................................................