Improvisation – Bring Back the “Play” in Playing the Piano
IMPROVISATION
“The creation of a musical work, or the final form of a musical work, as it is being performed. It may involve the work’s immediate composition by its performers/performers, or the elaboration or adjustment of an existing framework, or anything in between.”
— Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
Unfortunate Story
I was told recently of a gathering of friends and work associates celebrating a birthday. Recalling that the wife of his coworker was a trained pianist and piano teacher, one fellow innocently mentioned how nice it would be to have her accompany the singing of “Happy Birthday.” Upon being asked to play in spontaneous fashion (perhaps a reasonable request), she recoiled and in no uncertain terms declined. She later reported that it was not so much fear and dread at being asked to play something without preparation, but rather uncertainty as to how to do it.
Truth be told, the birthday tune we all know is very simple, highly repetitive, and entirely diatonic. If one can negotiate the primary triads of a major scale, one can figure out how to at least supply harmony to the tune. I suggest those of you who have studied for some time give it a go and see if you are able to figure out the chord changes. Please let me know.
A Brave Student
A few years ago, a student approached me with a request. She wanted me to teach her to play by ear. I was very much under the impression that a natural propensity might have brought her to explore the sounds at the keyboard, but this had not been the case. I suggested that she accomplish a few things: first, review scale and chord patterns, explore chord progressions, do some intentional analysis (melodic and harmonic) of the music she was playing. I then asked her to create a short piece of her own imitating a section of one of her repertoire piece. Then change the meter, the key, the mood, even the style into a number of mutations. Bit by bit, she found herself actually occupying the music in a more profound and knowing way. We then made a list of easy tunes set in a diatonic harmonic framework. I suggested that she come up with a few accompaniment patterns as well as a two-handed (bass notes in LH, and chords in RH) accompaniment for a “sing and strum” option. She was a very good sport, and despite a certain degree of frustration in bringing new skills together, she found that ultimately, the experiment opened her ears and mind to attend more fully to the inner workings of music. Indeed, for her, the printed page became for more than a collection of notes to transcribe, and instead a map of events to be interpreted in a meaningful and masterful manner.
Playing the Piano: With and Without the Score
Over the years, many people have told me in passionate terms how they have always wanted to be able to sit down and simply play the piano. Completely understandable desire, as it is a glorious instrument we play. It has been a rare instance, however, that I hear of an equally fervent desire to learn to read musical notation. Indeed, these are two distinct skills: playing by ear is freedom and magic while reading notes on a page is a skill acquired over time and with certain effort. In truth, the two skills need not me exclusive.
There are those endowed with a strange ability to somehow make sense of musical sounds aurally and are able, generally revealed at a young age, to simply playing an instrument and reproducing melodies, rhythms, and even harmonies readily and seemingly effortlessly. Such an individual is rare. Even more exceptional are those who can emulate highly refined musical expression and nuance without conventional training. Mozart and Mendelssohn are two well documented examples of musical prodigies.
Fortunately, the modern approach to piano pedagogy is generally thorough and comprehensive, incorporating skills ranging from reading notation, acquiring theoretical knowledge, developing technical skills, cultivating a musical ear, and building a rich exposure to diverse keyboard repertoire from over four centuries of musical style. In some circles, the ability to improvise – a skill very much a part of diverse musical practices – is freely explored and utilized.
Research into improvisation reveals that improvisation has been, and remains an important dimension of music making throughout all known history and in classical (Western Art Music), ethnic (world) music, as well as jazz and popular music. Indeed, the exercise of creative freedom in music making beyond and apart from specific notational directives has a long and fascinating history.
Perhaps most readily associated with jazz, improvisation informs musical idioms passed down through aural tradition as opposed to notated tradition. The same is the case with many ethnic musical practices. American folk songs have been the topic of musicological research and have been found in large part to have their origins in other cultures. The process of immigration and generational sharing “passing along” of familiar tunes is an example of aural tradition. Of particular fascination is the fact that tunes and text will very often have changed to reflect regional values and sensibilities as well as acquired more modern tonal patterns.
In classical music, improvisation has also been expressed in numerous practices. I will mention only a few:
Baroque Ornamentation
A practice freely applied by the performer, but with style considerations applying so as to suit the proper expression and mood of the given piece.
Improvisational “fantasies”
There were suggestions implied in the score calling for the performer to elaborate on a given passage as to their expressive senses. The very title “fantasie” suggests something quite distinct from the formal and highly academic fugue. According to Baroque values, the coupling of the strict (fugue) with the free (fantasie) was highly desirable. While generally notated, the fantasie was intended to express a piece being created spontaneously.
Basso continue accompaniment
In ensemble playing, the organist or harpsichordist would read a printed notation of the bass line with added numeric symbols indicating the prescribed harmonies to play. This practice functioned as an early form of a chord chart.
“Skeletal” Scores
There are many historic accounts of composers drafting a notated composition, but providing only the broad outline of a tune and merely hints of the harmonic outlines, the information on the score, though a rough representation, was regarded as sufficient for the performer to freely build upon according to his or her whim.
Cadenzas
In the concerto setting, the soloist is pitted against the orchestra in friendly competition, generally at the conclusion of at least one of the movements, the soloist is called upon to improvise a cadenza as a means of securing the last word of the musical feud.
Variations
Mozart and Beethoven were highly gifted at the skill of improvising. By all accounts, their variations were probably in large part written out versions of their improvisation.
Personal Account
Several years ago, I attended an organ recital. The performer was elderly and had enjoyed a long and successful career. The concert featured repertoire ranging from Bach to modern composers and the performer was exceptional. At the conclusion of the program, the organist asked the audience randomly for five pitches upon which he would improvise a fugue. I had read accounts of this being done as late as in the 19th century, but it was the only time I have seen it executed. The pitches were unrelated harmonically (drawn from a chromatic as opposed to diatonic setting), so the challenge was made significantly greater. Immediately, the organist set off on performing a 10 to 12 minute fugue complete with all the formal, structural, and harmonic features of a Baroque.
Good News
Fortunately, improvisation is part of much of the work we do in practice and in learning a piece of music. There is a great deal of simplification, alteration, repetition, transposition, etc. These creative alterations are experiential in nature and serve the learning process in a potent way. Furthermore, basic keyboard harmony involves scale playing, chord building, chord progressions, harmonization, transposition, etc. These practical experiences lay the ground work for bringing the ear, the brain, and the hands together to create beyond the page.
Improvisation is not so remote or abstract as you might think! The following is a listing of the basic building blocks or elemental components of music. If a student is trained to understand, hear, play, and in turn observe these patterns in printed music analytically, much of the task is accomplished.
- Play scale patterns (various keys, major and minor forms)
- Play chord patterns
- Play chord progressions
- Play chord inversions
- Play the given chords for a simple folk or pop tune
- Play chord changes with a logical (meaning harmonically simple) melody
- Play chord changes with a melody incorporating non-harmonic notes
- Play accompaniment patterns for the LH
- Play accompaniment patterns for both hands
- Provide a logical harmony to a given melody
- Create a more elaborate harmony to a given melody
- Analyze and write out a harmonic scheme found in your music
- Elaborate on a given harmonic patterns
- Apply this acquired knowledge and skill to any music you wish to study
They say the experience is a great teacher. By all means, explore and experiment. If this is something you are interested in pursuing further, please let me know.
Dr. Steven L. Havens