"How to Improvise Music" Part I - Kiwi Tutorial

What I have tried to overcome in the recent years is the problem a MAJORITYof all musicians have; the inability to read written music. Naturally, this is a bastard to deal with, but I was very fortunate, in terms of musical skills as I learned to play by ear at a young age. Later, this developed into a strange melodic improvisational skill.


From time to time, I get troubled but quite advanced musicians, who can perfectly read sheet music, asking me the same question…

How do you improvise? How can I learn to do it too?

The way I create music is totally dependent on my imagination. Even though I cannot imagine the total ensemble of sounds in my mind yet, I am able to get the beginning note and continue from that.
For piano, the way I would explain it this way: You have scales, and specific chords that sound nice together. Now, once the base is established and you can hear the tempo you set, you start creating a melody staying within the given scale. The harmony created becomes music. Do not think about the notes, just play.


The most important part of it is not to stress and worry what will sound nice and what won’t. Let yourself drift into another reality, carried by the sounds that your mind is subconsciously making. If that is not possible for you, then I recommend listening to music such as the soundtracks of the Final Fantasies. There is no need to stress, even though the level of music those soundtracks represent is quite advanced. The idea is to hear the changes in volume, pace, strength and other distinctive characteristics.


• Be relaxed… focus on the music.
• Don’t think about the notes… “c, d, f#, g, a…” No, just let it flow!
• Use the same chords at first, but later introduce changes. E.g. Instead of playing a C major, just try out C minor. Even slight changes matter.


If you cannot relax enough to hear how the tempo and “colour” of music changes, I strongly recommend to listen to artists like Yanni. He's one of my personal favorites! Relaxation exercises also help… as well as yoga. :)