IFR blog > Instrument blogs
Beyond CAGED

Thank you for writing your book. I really like your philosophy. Can you explain the difference between the IFR system and the CAGED system?

Piano for Non-Pianists 2

In this lesson you'll learn to move around the piano keyboard by whole steps. When we combine this whole step movement with the half step movement that you mastered in the previous lesson, you can begin to create tonality and harmony directly on the piano keyboard.

Improvisation exercise Seven Worlds on tenor sax

For IFR students practicing Exercise 2: Melody, this is a demonstration of the exercise Seven Worlds in the 2nd harmonic environment. Miguel 'Pintxo' Villar explores the harmonic environment on tenor sax.

IFR improvisation exercise Seven Worlds Expanded on trumpet

For IFR students practicing Exercise 3: Pure Harmony, this is a demonstration of the exercise Seven Worlds Expanded on the trumpet. Marc Mena demonstrates the exercise exploring the 2- chord in the modal range.

The fear of mediocrity

As the years go by, sooner or later you ask yourself, “If at my age I still haven't composed a masterpiece, then am I mediocre? Is it worth continuing in music?”

Mobility exercise for bass

In this lesson, we learn to apply the IFR Cloud concept in a slightly more abstract way that allows us to move freely all over the fretboard by half steps.

Piano for Non-Pianists 3

In this lesson you'll learn to visualize and play the IFR Tonal Map anywhere on the piano keyboard. This will allow you to create all seven harmonic environments of the major scale and begin practicing the IFR exercise Seven Worlds.

Exploring the 3rd harmonic environment

In this excerpt from the IFR video course "Introduction to Melodic Improvising", IFR coach Jelske demonstrates a series of creative activities that we use to study each harmonic environment of the major scale.

IFR improvisation exercise 'Seven Worlds' on cello

For IFR students practicing Exercise 2: Melody, this is a demonstration of Seven Worlds on the cello. Leticia Aparicio builds the 6th harmonic environment note by note, visualizing each step along the way using the IFR Tonal Map.

Mobility, part 2 (whole steps)

In this lesson, I show you how just a small alteration to the Mobility technique allows you to move all over the neck of your bass by whole steps. Once you've mastered both half steps and whole steps, you're ready to jump into IFR Exercise 2: Melody.