How to learn to improvise: mastering the techniques of improvisation

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Living according to the written script, without improvisation, is boring. Everyone has experienced a situation where something did not go according to plan. And how does a creative person behave in this case? What does he choose: to take a back seat and let things take their course, or to turn on the imagination and act, writing a script on the go? Of course, the second option.

There are people who absolutely do not accept rash acts and unplanned changes. In an emergency, they prefer to use a verified escape route and often make up several options in advance.

But if life forces you to act immediately, and it is not known how to choose the best path, then the ability to improvise will become a lifesaver. But how do you learn to improvise?

Types of improvisation

The art of improvisation can be developed. Some people achieve amazing results. What is especially valuable is that the improviser, even having some blanks in stock, always takes into account where and when he performs. This momentary response to circumstances, be it a simulated melody, a podium speech or a dance, does not have tobe perfect. Its value is precisely in the exactness of the moment.

To understand how to learn to improvise on stage, you first need to understand the circumstances well. Actors are an example: an unexpected event or overlay in a performance forces everyone to adapt to it, while maintaining the overall outline of the play.

At the same time, the style of presenting information and the logic of plot construction are preserved. This is typical for everything related to the living word: poetry, stand-up performances, an answer to an unexpected interviewer's question, a pun. The same laws operate in music and dance, they are simply expressed by different means. Consider each species in detail.

On the podium

The situation when it is necessary to make a speech without preparation arises quite often. Every student is familiar with it: in order to answer the exam, a certain time is given to prepare for the topic of the ticket. But it is not available when answering additional questions from the teacher. And they may not be related to the topic of the ticket at all. Then, if the student does not have an exact answer, he begins to improvise based on the knowledge that he has. By applying logic and correctly arranging phrases, he manages to present information so significantly that one gets the impression of his competence. It's really important to just know the basic facts.

Some tricks to help you learn how to improvise:

• Applying associations.
• Rhetorical questions.
• Emphasis on one word.

Associations thatspontaneously arise as a reaction to a word, question or event, can be interesting. In that case it can be said. It can be a funny story or an anecdote, statistics that for some reason remained in the memory, or sad events and news.

By asking a question that does not require an answer, the tribune establishes contact with the audience. By the reaction of the audience, you can see whether he chose the right path. And correct it in case of public dissatisfaction: again unite yourself with the audience by summing up: “Nobody likes this”, and then continue to talk on a neutral topic.

If nothing at all comes to mind, simply repeating a word or last thought, a question from the floor or a slogan that does not cause objections, will help find ways to describe it from different angles, as if from different points of view. Introductory words at the same time: "it may seem that …", "there is no doubt that …", "let's imagine that …".

In conversation

How to learn to improvise in conversation? The classics will help. In particular, Ilf and Petrov. As you know, in communicating with women, the hero of their works, Ostap Bender, relied on inspiration. Having the task of purchasing a chair from Ellochka, he first chose the wrong tone: he asked to sell it. This caused a wave of hostility. Taking time out, he offered to exchange the chair for a golden strainer. It succeeded. Ostap changed the outline of the conversation: he appeared as a connoisseur of European salons. To do this, he told two or three stories on the topic, used the appropriate vocabulary and, most importantly, skillfully summed up hisspeech to the deal.

Of course it's a joke. But all the laws of impromptu speech are clearly visible:

• Stay on topic. When changing the topic, do not return to the previous one.
• See the purpose of the conversation and move towards it, bypassing objections without dwelling on them.
• Decorate your speech with quotes, anecdotes or anecdotes.
• Draw the trump card in time - valuable information that gives an advantage.

Such tricks will help you to give an interview and not seem stiff, constrained, and, as a result, insincere.

Joking

Turning everything into a joke is a valuable skill. Shakespeare is credited with the phrase: "The world survived because it laughed." In order not to seem like a jester around, a frivolous person or, even worse, a bore, one should understand the principles of the funny. There are certain taboos that are not subject to humor. This is a religious, political, gender affiliation. Jokes “below the belt” are considered low, jokes about a husband on a business trip are flat, and jokes about hints of sex and profanity are considered vulgar.

To become a witty person, first of all, you need the mind. A broad outlook will help to apply the intellect. In addition, a friendly attitude is needed so that the joke does not turn into gloating, satire or ridicule of shortcomings. This is enough to understand how to learn to improvise in jokes.

People are imperfect and it's not funny. But the situations they find themselves in are funny. The sitcom is a classic storyline. Interpreting an event in which a small error is accepted as normal leads tothe birth of a good joke.

Piano

Piano improvisation is well-known by accompanists, composers, jazzmen. Although this is a highly specialized direction in music, if you wish, anyone who plays a little for himself can learn it. To get started, just learn a few basic tricks. The essence of the process is to compose a melody on the go, compiling its variations. The question "how to learn to improvise on the piano" comes down to learning a few basic musical concepts:

• One of them is the topic. For example, we can recall the performance of Paganini's theme or the same melody in the track for the film. Each time it is recognizable, but it sounds new.
• The form of the work implies compliance with the laws of the musical genre: if it is a song, it has a change of melody in the chorus.
• Each composer has his own style. It is recognizable in Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Bach. You can imitate the classics or famous pop singers who use the piano in their compositions.
• Rhythm is the foundation of music. Jazz or blues, w altz or march. There are several popular rhythms, you can try them all.
• Vaktura - drawing of music. The left hand plays the bass part, the right hand leads the melody. Or both hands play arpeggios, scales and chords. There may be such a picture: a dialogue between bass and upper octave.

If you play not by the notes, but by feeling for the melody with your hands, picking it up, then things will go faster.

Importance of tonic

Some people think that there are no laws in improvisation, that the soulsings by itself. This is not true. To learn how to improvise on the piano like a professional, you need to know the laws of music. Their basics are usually taught in solfeggio classes. It's time to remember the structure of major, minor and seventh chords.

So that harmony is not lost, but, on the contrary, created, you should observe combinations of chords and make sure that the accents fall on one of the notes in their composition. It's like composing poetry: the rhyme has to fall off at certain places in the line. Musical phrases are more poetic than simple conversation that has no definite laws. After all, if absolute freedom is applied to music, there will be no harmony.

Between the accents, you can draw various decorations, use some special techniques for this, like tremolo, for example. But when the pattern is clearly observed, it is pleasing to the ear. And, of course, at the end of the phrase there should be a transition to the tonic. So you can walk along the main chords of the major scale (C major), making the transition to the corresponding minor (A minor). But if the transition is through a seventh chord, the music will look richer.

Guitar solo

During the formation of their own style, composers use imitation techniques. By this, a base is being developed, which will allow in the future to build whole musical phrases from these, figuratively speaking, “bricks”. To figure out how to learn to improvise on the guitar, you should master the following tricks:

• The transition from major to minor on those frets that are more convenient for the performer. Some use a capo.
• Transition from one key toanother on harmonious chords.
• Leading the solo without leaving the key.
• memorizing riffs.

Improvisation is a common thing for jazz musicians. They achieve high mastery not only by working out the elements of a musical phrase, but also by the technical performance of complex parts recorded in musical notation. Classics for such musicians is the first teacher. That's why you should not neglect learning etudes.

Guitar bass part

If the guitar solo is admired for its virtuosity, what about the bass player? Should he be content with repeating the chords of his part or try to show the level of mastery of the instrument? And how to learn to improvise on the bass guitar? The bass string sounds are much heavier than the first three guitar strings. The more significant the game may look on them. If you use a deliberately rough repetition of the solo part, emphasize accents, use pure bass embellishments of the musical theme, then the goal will be achieved.

Playing a note at fifth, fourth and octave intervals looks very worthy. First these are exercises, later - improvisation. Like any real music, it is born first in the head. It is worth tuning in to some kind of wave, as the memory will helpfully offer the elements that have been worked out earlier. They will form into a melody.

Dancing

Sometimes competition judges ask dancers to improvise to show their ability to understand music and express feelings through movement. itwill require a departure from the rigid framework of dance styles. It is not required to create new pas, although it is welcome. Most likely, the dance will come out of "homemade", favorite movements that are both spectacular and favorably emphasize the beauty of the dancer.

Experienced teachers give advice on how to learn to improvise in dance:

• Merge with the music.
• Use your body.
• Apply opposite movements.
• Dance action.

Some believe that the ability to improvise in dance is inherent in everyone, you just need to free it from tightness. Dance expresses feelings, talks about actions. Without changing one theme, you should try to reveal it by all means, approach its consideration from different angles - both at a slow pace, when the movements are smooth, and at a fast pace, when the entire space of the scene is involved. Avoid repetitions and pauses, sometimes use the stalls - all this will make improvisation unforgettable.

In Jazz

Voice is a powerful tool. Like playing the guitar or saxophone, you can use it to create beautiful compositions. The jazz style of performance is especially rich in them. Experienced performers give advice on how to learn to improvise: vocals in jazz obey three laws that make up its framework:

• The main theme is sung first. If it's a song, then the verse and chorus.
• Use scats (syllables to music). They have their own specific vowels and consonants.
• Reef receptions excluded.

Improvisation is based on the chords of the theme without leaving its grid. It can last longer than one verse with a chorus. Here, various voice techniques are possible. And when the entire group participates in improvisation, everyone takes turns performing a variation of the same phrase. In such a roll call, as in a dialogue, they follow the logic of the conversation. Otherwise, you will get a bazaar hubbub.

How to learn to improvise with scats? Sket improvisation aims to use the voice to imitate the sound of a wind instrument. Syllables are studied in a jazz vocal course at a university and are applied at a fast pace. Ballads use lyrics.

Recorder

In a musical group, the sounds of the recorder are beautifully combined with the guitar. Not everyone will dare to master the academic flute, but this instrument allows you to create decorations for musical compositions without much difficulty. Anyone who has gone through the path of a beginner can advise on how to learn to improvise on a recorder.

The necessary skill is the ability to pick up a melody by ear. The most common soprano flute is in C. It can be played in the keys of re and si, do and la, mi and sol. Having mastered the basic arpeggios of these scales, you can start improvising accompanied by a guitar. By changing the rhythm and volume, they draw a melody. Use staccato and legato. Having mastered this technique, they proceed to the techniques characteristic of the flute:

• Vessels.
• Gruppetto.
• Mordents.
• Trills.

You can use vibrato. The diaphragm vibrates when the sound is blown out. Hereproper breathing is essential. This is enough for the music to be born spontaneously. With experience comes looseness and self-confidence.

Conclusion

The principles of all the considered directions are very similar: do not go beyond the topic, follow the rhythm, make variations from previously prepared passages. Now you know how to learn to improvise.