History of Improvisation & Basics of Melodic Improvisation
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Summary
In this lesson, students will discover how musical improvisation evolved throughout different eras. They will explore the concept of melodic contour and draw their own graphic scores of an excerpt of a popular song. Students will do vocal and/or instrumental improvisations, following their drawings and try improvising on a given harmony.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons. If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson students will know and/or be able to...
- Understand what improvisation is and how it was used in different eras;
- Draw the contour or shape of a melodic line;
- Do a melodic improvisation on a graphic score;
- Do a melodic improvisation on chords of a popular song.
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
- Basic notation;
- Basic rhythm values;
- Major and minor triads.
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Paper & pen/pencil
Song suggestions:
Inspiration
🕐 5 min - Everyday improvisation
- Find out what students know about improvisation and shortly explain what it is (The creation of a musical work, or the final form of a musical work, as it is being performed. It may involve the work's immediate composition by its performers, or the elaboration or adjustment of an existing framework. Grove Music Online).
- Ask your students:
What are your associations when you hear the word 'improvisation'?
Can you explain what improvisation is?
Do you know any examples of improvised music?
- In a broader sense, we improvise every day - we might choose a slightly different path to school, create or change a recipe while cooking or maybe even improvise in a maths test if we haven't studied enough.
- Ask your students:
When was the last time you improvised?
What did you do?
Warm-Up
🕐 15 min - History of improvisation
-Tell the class about the history of improvisation. Depending on your students' knowledge of music history, choose topics from this list to talk in more depth or do an overview of improvisation throughout different eras.
- Renaissance:
People improvised counterpoint over a cantus firmus.
People improvised melodies over ostinato chord patterns.
People improvised ornamentation and embellishments in instrumental and vocal music.
There were improvised, freely formed musical forms, for example, fantasias.
- Baroque:
Basso continuo - improvised accompaniment that includes chords and also counterpoints suitable to the melody over a given bass.
Johann Sebastian Bach and other composers were also skilled organ improvisers who played in church services and performed at concerts.
- Classicism:
Cadenzas (a virtuoso passage inserted near the end of a concerto movement or aria) could be written-out or improvised.
Composers, for example, Mozart and Beethoven were also known as instrumental improvisers.
Instrument players competed in improvisation battles.
- Romanticism:
Had titles of musical pieces, suggesting their improvised character, for example, 'impromptu' or 'moment musicale'.
Famous composers and virtuoso instrument players, for example, Niccolo Paganini, Franz Liszt were also known as great improvisers. At concerts, introductions to existing pieces, as well as interludes were improvised.
In opera, parts were improvised, for example, recitatives.
- 20th century classical music:
In aleatoric music, performers freely arrange pre-defined musical elements.
- Jazz:
There was improvisation on standards, following a fixed harmony;
Free improvisation seems to be breaking rules and focusing on spontaneous interaction between musicians. Almost anything goes, if you listen carefully!
You can also talk about improvisation in Non-Western music, for example, Indian ragas - modes that are used in improvisations.
Practice
🕐 25 min - Improvise!
- Choose one song from the song library together with your students!
- Listen to Chorus 1 of the song and closely follow the notation of the vocal line.
Bonus: you can also ask students to sing along the Chorus!
- Now, mute the vocal tracks of the Chorus, and listen to the Chorus again!
- Tell the students that they will have to come up with a new melody (vocal line) for the Chorus by improvising. They will be only able to write partial instructions to themselves.
- Depending on their level, give them some additional rules/adjustments, for example:
You can ask students to create a new vocal line with the existing lyrics (easier) or ask them to come up with their own new lyrics (harder).
- Ask students to write down lines or arrows which indicate to sing lower or higher together with the corresponding song lyrics (or their own) as instructions.
- While students are writing the instructions, play the Chorus track a couple of times through the process so that the students can adjust their work to the motif.
- When everyone's finished, ask the students to switch their instructions with someone else. Then - each student performs with the Chorus track (vocal line still has to be muted) by using the instructions given to them by a classmate!
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discussion
- Talk about students' experience during the class.
How did you feel while improvising?
- Talk about improvisation in pop and rock music.
Do you think music you like to listen to is improvised? (Instrumental solos can be improvised, and composers and performers certainly improvise a lot before they come up with the final version of the song.)
Beyond the Lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Exploring the sound library and the melodic contours and harmonies of different songs;
- Doing a melodic improvisation along a different song.
Summary
Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson on learning the basics of melodic improvisation. Integrate solfeg.io in teaching your students the history of melodic improvisation and creating their own improvisation along a popular song.
🎲 What’s included in the activities:
- Learning the definition of improvisation and discussing your associations with it
- Learning about characteristics of improvisation in renaissance, baroque, classicism, romanticism, 20th century periods and in the jazz genre.
- Choosing a song
- Writing instructions for vocal line improvisation along a chorus of a popular song
- Performing the improvisation in class by following the instructions
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Paper & pen/pencil
Everyday Improvisation
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Learn the definition of improvisation and discuss your associations with it
🎲 Activity:
- Find out what students know about improvisation and shortly explain what it is (The creation of a musical work, or the final form of a musical work, as it is being performed. It may involve the work's immediate composition by its performers, or the elaboration or adjustment of an existing framework. Grove Music Online).
- Ask your students:
What are your associations when you hear the word 'improvisation'?
Can you explain what improvisation is?
Do you know any examples of improvised music?
- In a broader sense, we improvise every day - we might choose a slightly different path to school, create or change a recipe while cooking or maybe even improvise in a maths test if we haven't studied enough.
- Ask your students:
When was the last time you improvised?
What did you do?
History of Improvisation
🕐 Time: 15 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Learn about characteristics of improvisation in renaissance, baroque, classicism, romanticism, 20th century periods and in the jazz genre.
🎲 Activity:
-Tell the class about the history of improvisation. Depending on your students' knowledge of music history, choose topics from this list to talk in more depth or do an overview of improvisation throughout different eras.
- Renaissance:
People improvised counterpoint over a cantus firmus.
People improvised melodies over ostinato chord patterns.
People improvised ornamentation and embellishments in instrumental and vocal music.
There were improvised, freely formed musical forms, for example, fantasias.
- Baroque:
Basso continuo - improvised accompaniment that includes chords and also counterpoints suitable to the melody over a given bass.
Johann Sebastian Bach and other composers were also skilled organ improvisers who played in church services and performed at concerts.
- Classicism:
Cadenzas (a virtuoso passage inserted near the end of a concerto movement or aria) could be written-out or improvised.
Composers, for example, Mozart and Beethoven were also known as instrumental improvisers.
Instrument players competed in improvisation battles.
- Romanticism:
Had titles of musical pieces, suggesting their improvised character, for example, 'impromptu' or 'moment musicale'.
Famous composers and virtuoso instrument players, for example, Niccolo Paganini, Franz Liszt were also known as great improvisers. At concerts, introductions to existing pieces, as well as interludes were improvised.
In opera, parts were improvised, for example, recitatives.
- 20th century classical music:
In aleatoric music, performers freely arrange pre-defined musical elements.
- Jazz:
There was improvisation on standards, following a fixed harmony;
Free improvisation seems to be breaking rules and focusing on spontaneous interaction between musicians. Almost anything goes, if you listen carefully!
You can also talk about improvisation in Non-Western music, for example, Indian ragas - modes that are used in improvisations.
Melodic Improvisation
🕐 Time: 25 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Write instructions for vocal line improvisation along a chorus of a popular song
- Performing the improvisation in class by following the instructions
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
- Choose one song from the song library together with your students!
- Listen to Chorus 1 of the song and closely follow the notation of the vocal line.
Bonus: you can also ask students to sing along the Chorus!
- Now, mute the vocal tracks of the Chorus, and listen to the Chorus again!
- Tell the students that they will have to come up with a new melody (vocal line) for the Chorus by improvising. They will be only able to write partial instructions to themselves.
- Depending on their level, give them some additional rules/adjustments, for example:
You can ask students to create a new vocal line with the existing lyrics (easier) or ask them to come up with their own new lyrics (harder).
- Ask students to write down lines or arrows which indicate to sing lower or higher together with the corresponding song lyrics (or their own) as instructions.
- While students are writing the instructions, play the Chorus track a couple of times through the process so that the students can adjust their work to the motif.
- When everyone's finished, ask the students to switch their instructions with someone else. Then - each student performs with the Chorus track (vocal line still has to be muted) by using the instructions given to them by a classmate!
Reflection
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Consolidate the knowledge on melodic improvisation
🎲 Activity:
- Talk about students' experience during the class.
How did you feel while improvising?
- Talk about improvisation in pop and rock music.
Do you think music you like to listen to is improvised? (Instrumental solos can be improvised, and composers and performers certainly improvise a lot before they come up with the final version of the song.)
Beyond the Lesson
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Solidify students' knowledge on melodic improvisation.
🎲 Activity:
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Exploring the sound library and the melodic contours and harmonies of different songs;
- Doing a melodic improvisation along a different song.