IFR blog > Practice tips > Unlocking your creativity
The universal musical mind

Bill Evans was a visionary artist who made an enormous personal contribution to our modern concept of jazz piano. And yet at the same time, he believed that ALL human beings have an innate understanding of music.

Finding your own voice vs. transcribing solos

I see the importance of knowing the sounds from the tonal map and being able to sing what you play. However, isn’t improvisation also a matter of transcribing other artists’ music to absorb the “feel” and “time” they have?

How to avoid getting lost in songs

One of the most common frustrations that all beginning improvisers experience is getting lost in the middle of a tune. In this video I'll give you three concrete strategies that you can follow to make sure this never happens to you again.

IFR video lesson: Improvising with notes outside the key of the music

In this excerpt from the IFR video course "Introduction to Melodic Improvising", IFR coach Jelske offers ideas about how to begin experimenting with outside notes in your improvisations.

IFR Playalong: chords 1 and 4

Grab your instrument and practice improvising over chords 1 and 4 with me!

Jeremy Chapman on musical creativity

This great Ted Talk by Jeremy Chapman offers many surprising insights about musical creativity. His talk includes improvisation with the audience and guest musicians, and he even mentions Improvise for Real about halfway through the talk.

IFR video lesson: How to play what you hear - 5 great exercises

In this video lesson I show you five great exercises that all work together to help you learn to connect your ear with your instrument. 

Be yourself and discover your own music!

In IFR, we believe that the musicians who follow their own imagination are the ones who change the world. And we want to help you discover your musical voice and to share it with the world.

IFR video lesson: Always be composing

In this video we demonstrate several examples of one of our favorite musical principles, which is to use every musical exercise as an opportunity to practice the art of musical storytelling.

Is there a "method" for using the major scale in a melodic way?

I am wondering if there is a "method" for using the major scale in a melodic way rather than playing the scale notes randomly?