The ClarinetPages Forum
Clarinet Roadshow => All about Clarinets => Topic started by: delb0y on April 26, 2022, 02:21:17 PM
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This is an experiment in trying to stick to a couple of simple rhythmic phrases throughout a 12 bar blues (allowing myself a bit of freedom right at the end) with the idea being that it might make the improvisation easier by taking out a bit of thinking. Not sure it worked, but here we have the basic blues itself, followed by the improvisation where I tried to (roughly) adhere to the predefined rhythms.
https://youtu.be/ht70quu8iSU
Cheers
Derek
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I've seen a variation of this before. Many years ago when I was a school Band Director we had a jazz festival. Our 2 groups (grades 8-12) were in a session run by the clinician. There was a bass player & piano, I think, maybe drums. He put the Blues scales on the blackboard, a scale beginning on the tonic, then ones beginning on the 4th & 5th. He also put several rhythms on the board. The kids took turns soloing. He would point to the scales (usually in I-IV-V order). The kids would use those scale notes and select one of the rhythms. Hey, some of the 8th graders sounded as good as the 12th graders.
I think this is an excellent way to begin to learn improvisation and wish I had been exposed to it in my youth. The only problem was I think the kids sounded TOO good. In that they really were just doing what they were told to do without a real understanding of why. Now, if they took this and really practiced --and listened to a ton of improv recordings-- your on your way.
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Cool! Very nicely done. I agree: Really great for teaching.
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Very cool