Easy Improvisation

When teaching I think its a great idea to get students to free up and be creative by improvising. To often beginners only look at dots, when they can be creating there own music from the start. Most beginner improvising tutors are jazz based and tend to confuse students with to many chord changes or are based only on blues scales.

I think simple pentatonic scales are great for beginner improvising and better for learning major and minor scales.

Have a listen to a backing in a new age style that can be used with C maj pentatonic and A minor Pentatonic. There is also a fail safe PDF with scale suggestions.

Alternate link: HERE

This whole track can be played just using those 5 notes or even less. The piece trades 4 bars with a C major feel then A minor for 4 bars. Its slow so the student can be encouraged to even use sparse notes and if they play just the pentatonic there are no wrong notes.

Some ideas:

• Student and teacher trade short phrases with each other. Teacher keeping it simple say 1/4 notes and 1/2 notes so the student doesn't think they have to play heaps of notes.

• When the student hears a phrase they like get them to repeat it explaining that improvising is just instant composition. 

• Student writes a short simple 4 bar pentatonic melody in 4/4,  play along and keep looping it each time adding some embellishments.

• Teacher and student can play the tune that the student wrote in a round a couple of bars apart. maybe the teacher can put it in a different register

• Teach melodic shape. 

• Major and Minor arpeggios

• Major scales and natural minor relative.

• If the student is able to play a full major scale highlight that their improvising will sound better with the track if they use f and b as passing notes.

• Ask the student what they imagine when hearing the backing and can they make their solo match what they are imagining.

I'm sure you would have many better ideas than me. 


Any level player could go off into their calm world and think peaceful thoughts playing whatever they feel like.  Very Medative

Tell me what you think.