Improvise for Real

If you dream of improvising your own solos in concerts and jam sessions, playing songs with friends at parties and even composing your own original music, then what you need is a method that shows you exactly how modern harmony works and how to connect with your own musical creativity.

Improvise for Real is the first method that shows you the entire path to improvisation mastery. The method organizes the complex and sometimes confusing musical studies of the improviser into a simple and elegant framework called the Five Exercises.

Exercise 1: Landscape – Imagine being able to see in your mind the entire map of a large city at once. That’s how we would ideally like to feel about our entire musical range. Exercise 1 is where we develop our ability for movement and visualization so that we can paint any musical shape we want, anywhere on our instrument.

Exercise 2: Melody – In Exercise 2 you will discover the underlying tonal structures that contain all of the sounds and melodies we hear every day. If you've always wondered how some musicians are able to play any song they know in any key effortlessly, IFR Exercise 2 is where you will learn how to do this. For the first time you will be able to recognize any melody by ear and to play it instantly in any key on your instrument. You will also learn to express your own musical ideas exactly as you hear them in your mind.

Exercise 3: Pure Harmony – At this level you will learn to recognize the chords to the songs you hear on the radio and you will be able to weave your own melodies effortlessly through these chord changes. If you've ever struggled to "keep up with the changes" because each new chord requires you to build a whole new scale in some new place on your instrument, IFR Exercise 3 will show you how to solve this problem forever. You will learn to see the "big picture" of the harmony so that you can create infinite melodies with complete freedom.

Exercise 4: Mixed Harmony – At this level you will have the all the tools you need to improvise over advanced harmonies like those found in jazz standards, bossa nova and other modern styles. You will be able to sit in at jam sessions and improvise with complete confidence no matter what tune is called. If you are fascinated by the rich and exotic sounds of jazz music, Exercise 4 is where you will discover the secrets to creating these sounds in your own music.

Exercise 5: Free Harmony – If you choose to go as far as Exercise 5 you will discover the fascinating world of free improvisation. You will learn to apply your knowledge of tonal harmony in a more abstract way that enables you to instantly respond to whatever is going on around you musically and to participate in this conversation without needing written chord changes. You will learn to depend on your ear and your imagination as the only orientation you need.

Improvise for Real is being used by both students and teachers in more than 20 countries. The method is open to all instruments and all ability levels. You do not need to know anything at all about music theory to begin, and there is no sight reading required. The exercises are easy to understand and fun to practice. For many people, Improvise for Real is the key that enabled them to finally understand harmony and to really enjoy improvising.