Free Improvisation Lessons
Click on any of the links below for a free lesson, which are all excerpts taken from the
"How To Learn To Improvise" series of Apple Books by Buster Birch.
For more information please see "Our Books" above.
Free Lesson #1 - click here
Playing by ear using call and response
You are given three notes and have to use your ears to play the response in part one. Then in part two, you have to improvise your own calls over the backing track.
Free Lesson #2 - click here
Question & Answer phrasing
Using a minor pentatonic scale you will learn how to create unresolved and resolved phrases, then combine them to create four-bar musical sentences with a pleasing shape and structure.
Free Lesson #3 - click here
Scale Patterns
Learning scales up and down from root to root is of very little use when it comes to improvising. Try this scale pattern exercise to help unlock the minor pentatonic scale.
Free Lesson #4 - click here
Application of Rhythmic Phrasing
Apply this rhythmic phrase to your minor pentatonic scale pattern to create a two-bar melodic phrase.
Free Lesson #5 - click here
Voicings & Orchestration
An explanation of piano voicings, why different jazz pianists sound so recognisable and what do we mean by "orchestration", with audio examples.
Free Lesson #6 - click here
Chord Tone Tests
Animated "Flash Card" tests designed to challenge your speed of reactions when reading chord symbols. Can you play the chord tone on your instrument before the computer?
