Learn the basic concepts of improvisation from Gary Burton, one of the most renowned improvisers in the jazz world, including the mental, melodic, and harmonic processes that contribute to the instinctive skills that an improviser puts to use when taking a solo.
While many people are fans of jazz and understand that musicians are often “making up” the notes they are playing during a performance, most people—often including musicians, themselves, who are beginning to learn improvising—aren’t clear about what exact processes take place to enable this to happen. The purpose of this course is to introduce the basic concepts of modern improvisation and how to go about mastering the different musical and mental skills involved.
Course author Gary Burton codifies a sought-after approach to improvisation that has been at the core of Berklee College of Music's curriculum for decades. Students who complete this course will know what to practice and how to practice the various aspects of improvising, in addition to understanding how the improviser spontaneously communicates to the listeners through their musical creations.
Jazz Improvisation
ofrecido por
Berklee College of Music
Acerca de este Curso
4.8
550 calificaciones
Qué aprenderás
Use storytelling as a tool to improve your improvisation
Practice and use various scales to improve your improvisation skills
Identify harmonic motion in a song
Use guide tones and guide tone lines when you're improvising
Habilidades que obtendrás
Music PerformanceMusicJazzJazz Improvisation
Programa - Qué aprenderás en este curso
Semana
1Welcome to Jazz Improvisation
Welcome to the course! Here we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.
3 videos (Total 9 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
5 lecturas
A Note From Your Teaching Assistant10m
Connect with Your Classmates10m
Getting to Know You10m
Course Resources10m
Earn A Course Certificate10m
1 ejercicio de práctica
What Are Your Goals?8m
Improvisation as a Language
Since everybody who is taking this course starts from a different place in terms of their experience as an improviser, it's important at first to cover some basic material. We'll begin our journey by exploring the language used by jazz improvisors. Improvisation is analogous to language in many ways. With music, we become fluent when the vocabulary (scales and chords) and grammar (harmonic progressions) are assimilated into conversational content or story (melodic themes and structure) and we no longer have to consciously think about them while we play.
4 videos (Total 14 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes
4 videos
The Relationship Between Spoken Language & Music4m
Story-Telling3m
Creating Your Assignment (week 2)3m
1 lectura
Spoken Language and Improvised Music10m
1 ejercicio de práctica
SELF ASSESSMENT: Improvisation as a Language4m
Semana
2The Improviser's Vocabulary
In this lesson, we'll explore the improviser's lingo. We'll identify the most common chord scales and the type of harmony they relate to including major, minor, and dominant 7.
6 videos (Total 24 min), 3 readings, 3 quizzes
6 videos
Learning Scales4m
10 Most Important Scales4m
The Modes3m
Dominant 7 Scale Choices4m
Using Chord Scales3m
3 lecturas
The 7 Modes from Brightest to Darkest10m
3 Additional Scales10m
How to Record Yourself for Assignments10m
2 ejercicios de práctica
Identify the Scale40m
SELF ASSESSMENT: Understanding Others' Vocabulary4m
Semana
3Making Scale Choices in Real Time
Improvisers must be able to quickly recall chord scales and be able to play around on them fluently. This becomes important when choosing which chord scale to use on a given harmony—another thing we must be able to determine immediately. When a new tune is put in front of you at a session or a rehearsal, there isn't time to take the music home and spend an hour or two working out the correct scales. Improvisers need a quick, mostly intuitive way of making these scale choices in real time as the tune is being played. This week, we'll explore my method for making these quick musical decisions.
7 videos (Total 18 min), 3 quizzes
7 videos
Finding the Correct Major Scale2m
Chord Scale Method2m
Finding the Correct Minor Chord Scale2m
Minor Examples1m
Finding the Correct Dominant Chord Scale5m
Creating Your Assignment (week 4)2m
2 ejercicios de práctica
Scale Choices18m
SELF ASSESSMENT: 500 Miles High4m
Semana
4Harmony for Improvisers
It is important for an improviser to clearly imply the harmonies when improvising. It is not enough to just play correct notes on each chord. In this lesson we'll examine how the improviser helps the harmonies move. Part of the improviser's job is to help the listener follow the changes as the chords move from one to another.
5 videos (Total 20 min), 3 quizzes
5 videos
Guide-Tones3m
Using Guide-Tone Lines4m
Harmonic Motion 26m
Creating Your Assignment (week 5)2m
2 ejercicios de práctica
Harmony 16m
SELF ASSESSMENT: Memories of Tomorrow4m
83%
consiguió un beneficio tangible en su carrera profesional gracias a este curso
Principales revisiones
por MG•Nov 20th 2016
This was a truly great course, I learnt so much. And I have been playing piano for almost 60 years! Thanks to a wonderful teacher and musician (brilliant rendition of Chick Corea's Crystal Silence)
por EI•Aug 13th 2016
Besides being a great musician, Gary Burton is a great educator and he teaches in a very simple way the basic knowledge that an improviser needs.\n\nThank you so much for having this course.
Acerca de Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For more than half a century, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. Berklee serves distance learners worldwide through its award-winning online extension school, Berklee Online.
Preguntas Frecuentes
¿Cuándo podré acceder a las lecciones y tareas?
Una vez que te inscribes para obtener un Certificado, tendrás acceso a todos los videos, cuestionarios y tareas de programación (si corresponde). Las tareas calificadas por compañeros solo pueden enviarse y revisarse una vez que haya comenzado tu sesión. Si eliges explorar el curso sin comprarlo, es posible que no puedas acceder a determinadas tareas.
¿Qué recibiré si compro el Certificado?
Cuando compras un Certificado, obtienes acceso a todos los materiales del curso, incluidas las tareas calificadas. Una vez que completes el curso, se añadirá tu Certificado electrónico a la página Logros. Desde allí, puedes imprimir tu Certificado o añadirlo a tu perfil de LinkedIn. Si solo quieres leer y visualizar el contenido del curso, puedes participar del curso como oyente sin costo.
¿Cuál es la política de reembolsos?
¿Hay ayuda económica disponible?
Do I need to play an instrument before I enroll in this course?
Yes. Learners should have basic proficiency on an instrument before enrolling in this course.
Do I need to know music theory before I enroll in this course?
While prior knowledge of music theory concepts is not required for enrollment, it would be helpful for you to have a working knowledge of basic concepts, such as key signatures, chord scales, the circle of 5ths, etc. If you feel you need to review these concepts before enrolling in Jazz Improvisation, we recommend first enrolling the our Developing Your Musicianship course offered on Coursera.
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