How to Practice Episode 10: The Importance of Improvisation (Part 1)

Hey guys and welcome back to the next series of practicing episodes! Sorry about the delay on the episodes but I've been working on a surprise for the blog, so keep posted! Anyways, on to out next episode: The importance of improvisation. Now, to most classically trained musicians (those who are taught based off of classical literature or from classical methods such as learning through Suzuki or from a class) learn to read music and find their ways around it but don't look into improvisation or doing any kind of improvising. However, once the time comes to need that skill they don't know how.

Let's start off with what improvisation is. Improvisation; or improving as most people call it, is the art of playing music on the spot. So say someone gives you a chord (in case you need help remember or haven't learned anything about chords try looking at Episode 10 of the main series or click here), you play notes in that chord make a song. So say for example, someone plays a C and you want to write a "happy" sounding song revolving around a C major chord (C, E, G). Same thing applies for say writing a sad song and are given an A: write out a variation along a A minor chord.

Now let's take a step back and discuss the basics of a melody. Melody can be broken down into Rhythm, Timbre, and Contrast. Rhythm is the basic method of making a melody. Changing the rhythm of a series of notes can make a melody. So, for example taking any C and play it to a beat and (the most important part) vary the rhythm! Start out with two half notes for a few times, then move to quarters, eights, 16th and mix it up! Maybe play a 1 + a, 2 e + for a few bars then mix it up some. Make sure its how you feel because it makes a difference later down the road. Then add notes to the chord, in this case add an E to your C. Keep adding notes to the rhythm your constructing until you've built the chord out. The best way to learn how to improvise is with the use of 7th chords, which is my topic for next week's theory lesson.

Stay tuned for next week's episode as I finish explaining everything!

Update: 3,000 views!! I have to celebrate with some announcements!

Hey guys! I really am sorry about the zoning out from posting the past couple of months but I've had some personal things come up that kept me busy. However I promise that this Friday I will have some stuff for you guys. But for today, I have a couple of announcements to keep you guys waiting.

The first (and probably the most important) is the blog has hit the 3,000 views mark! Another major milestone for me seeing, as I said last time, I never expected so many views on here. I thought this would be an site where I would post something and I would be the only one to see it. But, it's not and that's exciting for me to know I have some followers. Thank you guys!!

Second, I am officially announcing that I will be attending the 15th Annual Tennessee Cello Workshop hosted by the Univ. of Tennessee Knoxville's School of Music. If you want to look at the registration and see if you're interested then click here. This is a 3 day workshop from Feb. 15-17 and will cover a lot on the cello; not only master class, but a class on scales and extended technique. I had the honor of meeting Wesley Baldwin when he came to South Carolina for the annual cello choir and he told us about the event. Hope I get to meet some fans there!

Third, I am hoping to start posting more videos on the Youtube channel (sulli00700) so if you want to see more don't forget to subscribe. I'm planning on not only finishing up the Finale tutorial series and unboxings but to actually post some recordings of me playing. I have a few songs I've been working on recording and I want to post them on here to give you guys more of a feel for my style of music. If you have any requests don't forget to submit them to me from the Facebook Fan Page (which you should go and like if you use Facebook! Here's the link to the fan page) or follow me on Twitter (link to my account).

Finally, I know I've been really (and I mean REALLY) slacking on here but over all I haven't really posted anything for the Global Music Experience. Soon I will start putting that into full swing but if you are interested in joining team Music Theory Blog then I would love some help! I am looking for someone(s) who has a love of music, the blog and understands social media a lot better than I do (I understand computers, but I don't get trends!). The positions that I'm looking to fill are someone or some people to handle the Facebook Page and keep media posted on it like memes, the Global Music Experience and anything else music related for the page. If you are interested in filling any position around these guidelines, or just have a suggestion for me to try for the blog, send me an email to my blog email (click here). I would love to here from you guys!

New idea for the blog *NEED EVERYONE'S INPUT*

Ok guys, as you may or may not know there is a large number of international viewers and in celebration of being seen in every developed country in the world last night, I want to hold a new contest that will benefit everyone! Someone at Winthrop gave me the idea that I should host a mini cultural event with everyone on here. Basically I would give you a sample of my life here in SC along with a song that I feel is a cultural song from the US and you would send to me (via Twitter, the Facebook Fanpage, over email or as a comment on the page) a little bit about yourself and a song from your country. I'm going to start with mine on here and we'll see how far we can go. If I like yours then I will post it on here in a new series for the rest of the world to see. So, let me know via Facebook, Twitter, email, or comment below and don't forget to share this page with your friends!

Episode 7: Timbre and the Importance of Tone Control

Hello and welcome back everyone to something more exciting than all the reviews I have been doing. If I have bored you from them, I'm sorry but some people were asking me to do some reviews, and if you have any request don't be afraid to ask me! I love doing reviews for people and helping people if they need help. Anyways, on the the lesson at hand: What is Timbre and why does it matter to me?

First off Timbre or tone color is the sound that an instruments produces. Every instrument has it's own sound that it produces and its the only type of sound that can produce it. For example, you listen to a piccolo and listen to a flute or bassoon you can tell that the qualities of the sound have a lot of similar qualities but they aren't the exact same. The piccolo is a higher and sounds more "whimsy" and "In air floating" feel than the flute or bassoon does, but they all have a feeling of a wind instrument. Now add a cello to the mix and you hear a new feel to the music, which is a more earthy feeling that is produced from the violins, violas, cellos and bass. Every instrument has its advantages and disadvantages revolving around tone color and it effects the overall feeling of the orchestra. That is one of many reasons symphonic music is written with so many instruments as well, the composer wants to fill in every gap that he wants to be filled in and cause the piece to sound complete. It makes the piece sound better, and that is also the art of composing; Knowing how to make a one lined melody fit into the best possible group of instruments.

So now you're asking; why do I need to know this? The answer is you need to be aware of the differences in all music in order to be a better musician. If you know how everything links together then you become a better musician. There are reason why Bach wrote the suites for cello and not violin, and why he wrote the violin concerto for violin and not cello.

Now Tone Color is a different, but very important thing to talk about. Tone color is the type of sound you are producing from the instrument. It is similar to timbre in the way that it is left to the composer to control, however this is controlled by the instrument. The easiest way to explain this is adding a mute to an instrument. It not only softens the music, but it changes the overall sound of the instrument from blocking some of the vibrations. This is crucial because sometime you need the soft, but broad sound from an instrument, or sometimes you need a loud, harsh sound. Strings players achieve that by several ways, first being the mute. We add on a mute to soften the sound and change the overall sound. 2nd we can change the position of the bow. If we play more up towards the fingerboard we get a softer sound; sul tasto, or up towards the bridge; ponticello. Finally changing fingerings for a run can change the overall tone of a piece. For band and choir, there are mutes or some kind of tone changing methods as well.