| Everyone wants to learn the "secret shortcuts" that | | | | improvise. But, the fact is that's what this lesson is |
| will make improvising/composing music easier. And | | | | compositionally. |
| why not? Do you think professional composers don't | | | | Here's what it looks like when charted out - chart for |
| use them? They do. | | | | Morning Mist (pdf file) |
| What I'm about to show you will have you blocking out | | | | Notice that only 3 chords are used here. But 3 chords |
| sections of music in no time. | | | | are all we need to create this section of music. |
| If you've been reading my articles about composition, | | | | Essentially, this is a harmonic loop. We use the chords |
| you no doubt have heard me say that a composition is | | | | to create a background upon which we improvise our |
| the art of repetition and contrast. And it's true! But | | | | melodies. |
| before we get to the contrast part, we have to start | | | | Now, after improvising our melody, we may like what |
| somewhere. And that's where "sections" come in. | | | | we hear and want to memorialize it thus turning this |
| For example, in Lesson 4: "Morning Mist," we use a | | | | into a full-fledged composition. |
| crossover pattern in the left hand while the right hand | | | | The easiest way to create these harmonic loops is to |
| improvises a melody. In fact, this is a perfect | | | | simply pick a key, then a few chords from the key |
| combination of improvisation and composition because | | | | and start improvising with them. Then, when you feel |
| what we have here is a 12 bar phrase repeated twice. | | | | like you're on to something you like, simply chart out |
| Now, in the lesson itself, I don't tell you it's a 12 bar | | | | when the chords change and that's that. |
| phrase because I just wanted you to learn how to | | | | |