Modernizing European Higher Music Education Through Improvisation

Exercises

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  • WarmUps/Games
  • Small Ensemble
  • Large Ensemble

Paul Dinneweth

Unison exercise

Unison playing by ear on a leader.
  • Small Ensemble
  • Tonal/Classical

Karst de Jong

Cantus Firmus: growing and shrinking melodies

The ensemble creates one by one a growing melody, then plays backwards until the beginning note returns
  • Small Ensemble
  • Free
  • WarmUps/Games

Agustí Fernández

Playing backwards

The musicians have to sit backwards. They then receive instructions to develop their reaction. Three deepening levels of development then follow.
  • Large Ensemble
  • Small Ensemble
  • Free

Liudas Mockūnas

Frozen Notes (Exercise in 7 parts)

Deconstructing and constructing the written musical material.
  • WarmUps/Games
  • Small Ensemble

Paul Dinneweth

Matching exercise

Matching with a leading player.
  • Small Ensemble
  • Free

Anto Pett

A cycle of five short pieces

A cycle of five short pieces. Each member of the ensemble will start one piece and suggest an ending for it.
  • Small Ensemble
  • Tonal/Classical

Karst de Jong

Cantus Firmus: variations

Further variations on the growing and shrinking melodies. Canons and solos.
  • WarmUps/Games
  • Large Ensemble
  • Small Ensemble

Paul Dinneweth

Unison exercise (variation)

Unison playing by ear on a leader.
  • Small Ensemble
  • Free

Anto Pett

Forming the ends of improvisations

To develop the ability to conclude a piece clearly and decisively,
  • Free
  • Small Ensemble

Karst de Jong

The Ostinato Game

Two players improvise on the basis of interlocking ostinatos. The subject of the exercise is rhythmic communication and sharing of a pulse.
  • Free
  • Small Ensemble
  • WarmUps/Games

Agustí Fernández

Patim Patam

Each player has to play an interval that goes to the same note, one ascending and the other descending.
  • Extra Musical
  • Small Ensemble
  • WarmUps/Games

Agustí Fernández

Imitative hands

With two persons, one has to imitate the movement of the other’s hand
  • Large Ensemble
  • Small Ensemble
  • Tonal/Classical

Yves Senden

How to improvise with minimal techniques

Minimal techniques are used both to provide structure and to allow freedom, within a framework.
  • Free
  • Large Ensemble
  • Small Ensemble

Frank Liebscher

Different demands of comping and being a soloist

Exercises for comping and soloing
  • Large Ensemble
  • Small Ensemble
  • Tonal/Classical

Yves Senden

How to integrate Messiaen's techniques into an improvisation

The musicians are informed about Messiaen's use of modes, rhythms and structural aspects. All these elements are trained in a systematical way, after which they can be applied in a final improvisation.
  • Free
  • Large Ensemble
  • Small Ensemble

Tilo Augsten

Improvising with accents and articulations

Exercises for the development of parametric aspects
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

David Dolan

Series 1 - Classical structure - periodic phrase

Improvising with Classical structures
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

Karst de Jong

Improvising Canons

This exercise is for two players, one leader and one follower. The leader improvises a melody, which the follower plays in time exactly one bar later, like a canon.
  • Small Ensemble
  • Free

Agustí Fernández

Keep the solo going

This exercise is designed to improve solo playing. The solo can then be shared between the participants.
  • Small Ensemble
  • Tonal/Classical

David Dolan

Series 2 - Ensemble improvisations, from baroque style to tonally free

Improvisations from Baroque style to tonally free
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

Karst de Jong

Variations on the Canon exercise

This exercise is a variation on exercise 3, with multiple followers. The leader improvises a melody, which the followers play at any time-interval agreed upon, like a canon.
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

David Dolan

Series 1, Ex. 4 - Enhancing active listening in chamber music

  • Small Ensemble
  • Tonal/Classical

David Dolan

Series 1, Ex. 3 - Trio tonal improvisations in classical structure

Trio tonal improvisations in classical structure.
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

David Dolan

Series 1, Ex. 2 - Classical structure - periodic phrase

Blind Date: following changing harmonic progressions with melodical instrument.
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

David Dolan

Series 3, Part 1 - Feeling at home within a structure

Applying an improvisational approach to chamber music repertoire performance.
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

David Dolan

Series 3, Part 2 - Connecting further with the structure’s expressive power

Keeping the original structure tonally-free.
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

David Dolan

Series 1, Ex. 5 - Classical structure - Tonally free

  • Small Ensemble
  • Tonal/Classical

David Dolan

Series 2, Ex. 2 - Trio musical mind-reading

  • Small Ensemble
  • Tonal/Classical

David Dolan

Series 2 Ex. 3 - Tonally-free, Classical structures: string quartet, voice and piano

  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

David Dolan

Series 3, Part 1- Ex. 1.2: Feeling at home within a structure (step 2)

Applying Improvisational approach to chamber music repertoire performance (step 2).
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

David Dolan | Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London

Series 3; Part 1; Exercise. 3 - Feeling at home within a structure step 3

Combining full text with reduction.
  • Free
  • Small Ensemble
  • Cross Arts

David Dolan

Series 3; Part 2; Exercise. 3 - Injecting freedom and personal voice into structure step 7

Using speech-intonation based dialogue to further connect with the musical meaning.
  • Free
  • Small Ensemble
  • Cross Arts

David Dolan

Series 3; Part 2; Exercise. 2 - Connecting further with the structure’s expressive power step 6

Using speech-intonation to connect with the musical meaning.
  • Tonal/Classical
  • Small Ensemble

David Dolan

Series 3; Part 1; Exercise. 4 - Feeling at home within a structure step 4

Giving-up eye-contact.
  • Free
  • Small Ensemble
  • Cross Arts

David Dolan

Series 3; Part 2; Exercise 4 - Injecting freedom and personal voice into structure step 8

Vocal duo (singer & 2nd Vn) with the other three string players improvising from the instruments within structure.