Over the past several months, I have been focused on the theory of improvised music. I am far from done covering theory, but it is about time for you to start improvising your own music if you are not already doing it. Church music is full of opportunities for improvisation–preludes, offertories, accompanying, reflective music, etc. […]
Tag Archives: improvisation
I have been too busy this week to do an extensive lesson, and last week’s lesson was pretty heavy anyway. Besides everything else I do, I am studying new music theory, planning a round of summer concerts, and arranging my new project which I hope to record this winter. I want to talk about musical accessibility […]
Because it is Christmas and no one is working on music anyway, I want to take a week off from anything too heavy and just give you some thoughts about how to practically learn music. This is a controversial subject and I am hardly an expert, but here is the way I see it. Imagine […]
In the last lesson, we crossed the fine line between they study of theory and playing by ear into improvisation, and we are going to start that improvisation in earnest in this lesson. Before we do, I want to reemphasize something. First, I want to make sure that you do not find yourself falling into […]
The short answer is no.
A big concept but an important one to understand.
You might be tempted to get artistic and a little crazy with your church music. Think twice.
Some thoughts to consider when you arrange music.
Should you perfect and memorize your music so you can play it consistently well on stage? Or should you avoid that kind of thinking like a plague? My answer may surprise you.
I am surprised that this is even debatable.
I want to go back to yesterday’s quote from Keith Jarrett and focus on one specific part of it: “I once had a conversation with Vladimir Ashkenazy. We were on a cruise with the English Chamber Orchestra and I gave him a tape with some recent improvisations. When he had listened to it he said, […]