In this video I illustrate the concept ‘Sound, Map and Instrument’ from my book Improvise for Real. This principle guides our practicing and ensures that as our musical knowledge grows, our ear doesn’t get left behind.
Do you define the first note you play in your daily meditation exercise to be any note of the major scale? Or do you leave out that awareness of where you are on the tonal map for this exercise?
I notice that at least in the beginning of your method, you don't talk about chord types like major, minor, dominant, diminished. You describe everything only as the ‘1 chord’ the ‘2 chord’, etc. So how will I know how to improvise over songs with chord symbols like A-7b5?
I have problems remembering tunes and I want to feel more confident improvising. I really want to train my ears so I can just pick up a tune instantly and play. What do you think, David?
This is a demonstration of some of the sounds we can create with IFR Exercise 2: Melody. Throughout this entire modal improvisation, both musicians are using just seven notes.
If I play popular songs like "Amazing Grace" with many different interval jumps in all 12 keys on my sax, is this a good way to practice IFR Exercise 2? Or does this complicate the idea?
I am totally immersed in your system and find that Exercise 2 will keep me busy for the next few months. I practice IFR every day for about one hour. What comfort level should I hope to achieve in Exercise 2 before trying to attempt Exercise 3?
If I identify a particular note as the tonal center of a song, how can I tell which note of the major scale it is (e.g. note 4)?
In IFR Jam Tracks Level 4: Mixed Harmony Essentials, we study both the b7 chord and the 2D chord. What's interesting about these chords is that they have a very direct relationship with chords 4 and 5D from the major scale.
In this lesson we study the uplifting movement from the 1 chord to the 3- chord, which is very common in popular music. And we will sing Melody Paths over the chord progression 1, 3-, 4, 5D.