The Piano Improvisation Handbook

by Carl Humphries

The Piano Improvisation Handbook offers a comprehensive overview of the practical skills and theoretical issues involved in mastering all forms of piano improvisation, including classical, jazz, rock and blues. Whereas most books offer little more than models for imitation and exercises for practicing, this one adopts an approach specifically designed to encourage and enable independent creative exploration. The book contains a series of graded tutorial sections with musical examples on CD, as well as an appendix listing useful scales, chords, voicings, and progressions across all keys, a bibliography, and a discography. In addition to sections outlining how melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, and form work in improvised piano music, giving distinctive emphasis to the interconnectedness of classical and jazz improvisation, there are sections devoted to explaining how ideas can be developed into continuous music and to exploring the process of finding a personal style.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

488 pages, Spiral-bound

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Altivo Overo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This heavy (488 page) tome contains what I would call an entire two year master's program in keyboard musical theory and practice. I've been an amateur keyboardist (piano, organ, harpsichord, and synths) for more than half a century. I've had formal training, spent a lot of years expanding skills on my own, and in recent years, jamming with other musicians when I can. While I'm not a professional nor a teacher myself, I feel qualified to rate this book very highly. It's not for the faint of heart by any means, but if you want to learn more about music theory, harmonic and melodic structures, and a vast array of styles, the answers are in here.

The first section is extremely basic, even covering musical notation and reading for those who are not familiar with it. The author then progresses through scales, keys, modes, tonalities, and harmony. While none if this is actual improvisation, it is valuable knowledge to form a foundation for the later sections on both classical and jazz playing and "filling in" between the written notes. While some performers seem to have this ability as an innate talent, many of us have to learn to step outside the bounds of the written musical page and build upon it with embellishments, variations, and harmonic innovations. The material covered here can help to build confidence and facility toward that end.

The book continues on to examples and then actual exercises in which you can take a melodic line and chords and explore the possibilities. Various stylistic approaches are described and exemplified. An accompanying CD provides audio examples as well. It would take years to master everything included here, but with the basics well in hand, the latter parts will be an excellent reference from which to select individual styles for further development.

I'd recommend this highly for anyone who has become reasonably proficient at reading printed music but wants to break free from the standard score and develop their own arrangements and performance style.

[Richard Pohl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must have, must read - totally essential !