Have you always dreamed of improvising your own music — freely, confidently, and with real understanding? Improvise for Real will show you how. You'll learn to express your own musical ideas effortlessly in any key, and you'll master improvising over all seven chords of the major scale which are the foundation of all modern popular music.
This course gives you a complete foundation in melodic improvisation on your instrument — without overwhelming theory, memorized patterns or licks. You’ll explore harmony with your ears and your instrument, and you'll be improvising your own music from the very first day.
You'll learn to express yourself with complete freedom in any key on your instrument, and you'll learn to improvise melodically over all seven chords of the major scale which are the foundation of all modern popular music.
The course includes lots of creative jamming exercises and beautiful playing examples to inspire your creativity. There are also special "play-along" videos where you will get to take turns improvising with the instructor, and each lesson is accompanied by IFR Jam Tracks that let you practice improvising in a real musical setting.
This course is for all brass and woodwind instruments (saxophone, trumpet, flute, clarinet, etc.).
This video course is an introduction to the IFR method for all melodic instruments. The course is open to everyone, including complete beginners. Through step-by-step video lessons, beautiful playing examples and lots of creative jamming activities with backing tracks, you will master improvising over all seven chords of the major scale.
You do not need to know anything at all about music theory to begin, and you don't need to be able to read sheet music. This course will give you a solid foundation in both harmony and improvisation that will serve you for the rest of your life.
The total lesson time of this course is just over 4 hours. The course is divided into 17 units which include main lesson videos, supplementary videos for special jamming activities, and a complete set of backing tracks so you can practice improvising in a real musical setting. Each lesson introduces the next level of the method, including step-by-step demonstrations and beautiful playing examples to inspire your creativity.
Learn through your own direct experience. IFR students develop a personal relationship with the sounds through their own direct experience. The sounds are presented in a step by step, progressive order so that you can master each one and add it to your personal vocabulary. You will be improvising your own music with these sounds right from the start, using your ears and developing your inner voice.
Learn in a creative, musical context. In IFR, we always practice in the context of real music. We use a variety of creative exercises to play in different harmonic contexts. We use jam tracks that are fun to practice with, and the course includes many musical examples to illustrate each harmonic concept.
Learn to tell musical stories in your improvising. Improvising is a very personal way of making music. In this course you will learn how to tell powerful musical stories with just a few notes. And we'll even improvise together in these harmonic situations so that you can get inspired by the exchange of melodic ideas!
Jelske Hoogervorst is a professional jazz saxophonist and educator based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Jelske teaches all of the video lessons in this course. She also provides special "play-along" videos that let you take turns improvising with her over a backing track. This opportunity to "trade fours" with a professional jazz improviser is an incredible education in itself, and it's one of the most popular features of this course.
What students say about this course:
"IFR offers a way of learning by doing. Nobody tells you that you need to know volumes of theory to get started. It's the other way around. From the very start music is broken down to its barest form. What is a scale? What is a chord? How to build them anywhere on your instrument. And slowly, this understanding becomes your most trusted ally. You realize you are developing an awesome ability. The rewards are so satisfying that no words can describe the feeling!"
Luis Medina (Västerås, Sweden)
"With IFR, we are allowed to create freely, without restrictions, without "shoulds". Certainly, the IFR method involves lots of organized practicing and brilliant exercises. But always, at the core of IFR, there is the exercise of freely improvising, just following our feelings in the moment as we notice them passing through us. This is the sweet calling of IFR. It is such a joyful path, and it all makes so much sense, too. You'll find the method and materials comprehensive, thoughtfully developed and effective. And I can assure you that the human beings creating all this for us are truly friendly and kind. There is love behind their mission. Go slow and enjoy each moment."
David Borg (Arlington, WA)
"As a retired music educator, I have previously taken many theory and ear training classes; however, nothing has worked as well or made as much sense to me as the IFR approach. Stepping outside the comfort of the printed page to the dizzying freedom of improvisation is scary, particularly for those who have already achieved a certain level in the classical field. The IFR approach creates a safe space for those of us who have stepped outside our comfort zone. A very important thing that this course has done for me is to help me realize that I really CAN improvise! Through my studies with IFR, I feel like I am finally starting to find my own musical voice."
Ed Wasiak (Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada)
Get the complete course including all video lessons and jam tracks for just $150. You can watch the videos online or download them to your own permanent collection. All materials are yours to keep forever.
Just click on the “Add to cart” button to purchase this course for $150. You can make your purchase with any major credit card and you can access the entire course immediately. And if you don't agree that this course is the best investment you ever made in your music journey, just send us an e-mail within 60 days and we'll give you a full refund.
