Tricks for Teaching Beginning Improvisation

FMEA Clinic - 1/11/13, 10:30am, Marriot Waterside Room: Meeting Room 5

Michael Wilkinson
Assistant Professor of Music, Applied Trombone and Jazz Studies University of Central Florida, michael.wilkinson@ucf.edu 407-823-5966 office, room M129
This handout is an overview of a few of the concepts that were discussed in my clinic. These are techniques that I use to prepare students to improvise on their instruments. Improvisation is not a word that must be tied to jazz only. Often, we shy away from improvisation because we cant do that. Improvisation starts with the ear and the instrument becoming well connected. We add the brain (conscious thought) and learn patterns and concepts to then bring back to the instrument and ear. In addition to improvisational tools, the following ideas are a big part of my teaching philosophy and methodology. After helping students build a solid foundation, my ultimate goal in teaching is to give students the tools to be CREATIVE on their instrument. When teaching a student to improvise, I want to give the beginning improviser the tools to sound GOOD, starting with their first notes. Improvisationafter you have laid the foundation for students to learn to use their ears (they are already improvising at this point), now you teach them jazz style.

***So, how does one learn to improvise?*** * Step One: Learn to really play your instrument (really big over-simplification). *How do you do that? *Learn to use your ear (while you), *Learn to play your instrument (while you), *Learn to read music. *Now, you can do ANYTHING. *Then, as you continue on your journey *Be curious and creative. *Always be listening. *Always be imitating. *Always be trying new things. *Expect creativity written music is not necessary for music to happen. *Written notes are not just fingerings, but a sound (first) that is achieved by a fingering (second). *Dont rely on your method books for everything. *Rhythm must be felt. *Play simple tunes by ear, or by rote, in all keys *Improvise over these simple tunes. *Hear/Sing/Play

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*Learn to play scales all of them, not just the few in the method book, or that the standards require. *Learn to transpose and read different clefs; by sight and by ear. *Always play with a full sound none of this jazz sound *Always play like you mean it no timidocity allowed! *Always say yes (within reason) *If you never ask to play a solo, you may never get to play a solo *Other important tasks: *Just mess around *Write music - learn to compose *Study theory and jazz theory *Transcribe *Play duets with others, often *Aebersolds *Listen to music every day in your classroom every day *Use the resources available to you (phone a) *Be a sponge * Record your students *Play Bass Lines *Around a cycle (whole steps, half steps, fourths, minor thirds, major thirds, etc) *Simple patterns to use, for starters: *1 3 5 3 *1 5 3 1 *1 2 3 1 *1 2 3 5 *1 3 5 b5 (for 4ths) *Now, apply this concept to construct a bass line over a lead sheet (use an Aebersold, Real Book, etc) *Play lead sheet duets *Trade off with a friend, play melody/bass notes *Play melody/bass lines *Play melody/chord tones *Solo/Bass notes or lines *Solo/chord tones ***Start simple remember the K.I.S.S. rule*** Simple Songs by Rote, Example Mary Had a Little Lamb, for Trumpet, in Db concert: 0 1 23 1 000, 111, 000, 0 1 23 1 0000 1 1 0 1 23 Mary Had a Little Lamb, for Trombone (also Db concert): 1 3 5 3 1 1 1, 3 3 3, 1 1 1, 1 3 5 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 3 5 Simple Songs by Scale Degree, Example Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star: 1 1 5 5 6 6 5- 4 4 3 3 2 2 1- 5 5 4 4 3 3 2, 5 5 4 4 3 3 2, 1 1 5 5 6 6 5- 4 4 3 3 2 2 1-

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Composition Assignment, Example #1 1. Write a 4 Measure Melody for your instrument in 4/4 time 2. Make sure that every measure has 4 beats 3. Make sure that you write your clef, notes, stems, beams, sharps, flats, etcneatly 4. Make sure that what you write is playable on your instrument... Composition Assignment, Example #2 1. Write an 8 Measure Melody for your instrument in 4/4 time 2. Your song will have a key signature of Bb concert (2 flats for flutes/Bells, No flats or sharps for trumpets/Clarinets, 1 sharp for Saxophones) 3. You must start and end on the first note of the Bb Concert scale (Bb - Flutes/Bells, C - Trumpets/Clarinets, G - Saxes) 4. Make sure that every measure has 4 beats 5. Make sure that you write notes, stems, beams, sharps, flats, etccorrectly (look in your book for examples) Scale Pattern Ideas, Examples All-state pattern, and arpeggiated (1 3 5 8 5 3 1) th th All 8 notes, up to 9 and back down, and arpeggiated (1 3 5 7 9 7 5 3 1) In 3rds: 1 3 2 4 3 5, etc Cyclic 3rds: 1 2 3 1, 2 3 4 2, 3 4 5 3, etc (or 1 3 2 1, 2 4 3 2, 3 5 4 3, etc) In 4ths: 1 4 2 5 3 6 4 7 5 8 6 9 7 10 8, 8 5 7 4 6 3 5 2 4 1 3 0 2 -1 1 Borrow patterns from Clarke Technical Studies for Trumpet (a 3rds-like pattern) Borrow patterns from Hanon Piano Exercise book Let students make up patterns (improvise) Vary rhythms from previous ideas Call and Response Aebersold Play-Alongs to use, or borrow ideas from: Volume 24, Major and Minor Volume 42, Blues in All Keys Volume 3, The ii-V-I Progression

Michael Wilkinson is an Assistant Professor of Music in Applied Trombone and Jazz Studies at the University of Central Florida. In Orlando, he has performed with the Orlando Jazz Orchestra and the Brass Band of Central Florida, as well as the UCF Jazz Professors. Michael came to UCF from Arizona via New York State, where he served as the Visiting Instructor of Trombone at The Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY (2010-2011). Prior to his first cross-country move, Michael was a Faculty Associate in Jazz Studies at Arizona State University, where he is in the final stage of completing a Doctorate in Trombone Performance. He has a Masters Degree in Trombone Performance from Arizona State University (2009), a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the University of Arizona (1998), and is an alumnus of the Disney/Grammy All-American College Jazz Band (EPCOT Center, summer 1996). In his past life, Michael taught middle school band in Tucson, AZ for 8 years, building his program into one of the best in the region. Also while in Tucson, he spent 9 years as the musical director, lead trombonist, sound engineer, and auxiliary percussionist for a local salsa band. Michael plays tenor, bass, alto trombone, and euphonium and has studied with Tom Ervin, Gail Wilson, Ralph Sauer and Sam Pilafian.