Starting to Improvise with Pentatonic Scales
offered by Erich Lieth
Instrumental improvisation is often thought of as the domain of the jazz elite - that it requires a lot of training, practice and natural talent. Obviously the need for practice can’t be avoided in any aspect of musicianship. However, satisfactory improvisation at its most basic level merely requires control of dissonance, and a few simple rules can achieve that. Pentatonic scales offer a possible approach to control dissonance, and students can begin using them as soon as they are able to understand and play triads. Furthermore, the study of how pentatonic scales interact with triads yields knowledge of basic music theory and introduces students to concepts that can be developed for use with more complex chords and scales. It also benefits composition and performance of composed music. This Zoom workshop will allow participants to explore these relationships at their own instrument, for their own enjoyment and to pass it on to their students. We will cover teaching the fundamentals (i.e. triads and pentatonics), exploring the use of single or multiple pentatonic scales for simple songs (like folk- or children’s songs), as well as tips on how to create interest and avoid ruts and pitfalls. There will be lots of hands-on opportunity to participate with muted microphones.