IFR blog > Instrument blogs
Studying chord progressions with the IFR Tonal Map

In this excerpt from the IFR video course "Introduction to Melodic Improvising", IFR coach Jelske demonstrates how to learn chord progressions using the IFR Tonal Map.

IFR video lesson: Chromatic inspiration

In this lesson Mireia Clua walks you through many great ideas and inspirations for practicing IFR Exercise 1: Landscape.

Visualizing the tonal map on the trumpet

"I have been practicing IFR for half a year and it's great how I am progressing! One of my obstacles is that I still imagine notes on a music staff instead of the tonal numbers. Is there any way to switch from one image to the other?"

How to visualize musical intervals on the flute

I just purchased your book from Amazon and would like to clarify a point. When the exercise says to visualize all five notes at once on my flute, does this mean the sound or the letter name of the note?

Should I start IFR on the clarinet or the piano?

"I have more experience on the piano but now my main interest is the clarinet. Do you think I should practice your method on the clarinet, on the piano or both?"

How does the IFR method apply to the bass?

I am a bass player with about 15 years of rock band experience whose first love has always been smooth jazz. I want to know if your book would help this bass player realize his goals of being able to improvise at will and gather a much better musical understanding.

Should I start with the video course or the e-book?

I'm debating whether I should buy the IFR e-book or the IFR Video Course for Guitar. Can you tell me what is included in each one, and what are the pros and cons of each?

Free sample lesson from Chord Melody Guitar 1

In this free sample lesson from Chord Melody Guitar 1, we build the tonal map on the fretboard and we begin working with the chord notes of the 1 chord and the 4 chord separately, learning to make our own creative choices about when to use the bass note.

IFR Staircase exercise with half steps on tenor sax

In this video Miguel 'Pintxo' Villar demonstrates the IFR Staircase exercise on the tenor saxophone using the interval of the half step.

IFR improvisation exercise with the chromatic scale on trumpet

Alvar Monfort demonstrates the IFR 'Staircase' exercise on the trumpet with jazz phrasing.