How can you keep going in a long improvisation?

How can you keep going in a long improvisation?

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In this lesson, we will understand why improvisation in blues music is so important. We will learn how to improvise confidently in longer musical phrases.

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8 Questions

Q1.
If you are playing a 12 bar blues in G, what would the I, IV, and V chords be?
C, E and G
Correct answer: G, C and D
G, F and A
Q2.
If we transpose the 12 bar blues structure to F, what three pitches would we play?
Correct answer: F Bb and C
F E and D
F G and A
Q3.
What is a 'turn around' chord in the blues structure?
Where a band repeats the same chord over again.
Where the band plays a chord in a different key.
Correct answer: Where the last chord in the structure is chord (V) instead of chord (I).
Q4.
How is a walking bass line created from chords?
Correct answer: A walking bass line is the notes of the chords 'broken' into an ascending and descending pattern.
A walking bass line is the notes of the chords played an octave apart.
A walking bass line is the notes of the chords played together at the same time.
Q5.
What types of instruments were used in early blues music?
Brass and woodwind,
Concertina and vocals.
Correct answer: Percussion and guitar.
Q6.
What is a blues 'head'?
Correct answer: A main melody or theme that will repeat throughout a blues song.
A solo improvisation.
The 12 bar blues arrangement.
Q7.
Which pitches are heard in the G major blues scale?
G A B C D E F# G
G A B D E G
Correct answer: G Bb C Db D F G
Q8.
What is improvising?
Copying another musician.
Following a score.
Correct answer: Making up the music on the spot.

5 Questions

Q1.
What is 'jamming' in music?
A performance in a concert hall.
When people would make jam in a factory.
Correct answer: Where musicians would get together and spontaneously play music; more of a social gathering.
Q2.
In the early blues of the 1900's, musicians did not have printed scores, how did they play together?
They would copy one another.
Correct answer: They would make up tunes and lyrics on the spot.
They would only play songs they already knew.
Q3.
Which of these descriptions talks about a successful improvisation?
The notes are the same as the blues head melody.
Correct answer: The notes were clear, you can hear phrases in swung rhythm and there are repeated musical ideas.
The notes were too long, they rhythms are slow and a lot of the pitches are the same.
Q4.
What is this grid showing you?
Bb major scale
Correct answer: G blues scale
G pentatonic scale
Q5.
Why does a good blues improvisation use swung rhythms?
Blues improvisations only include quaver notes.
Correct answer: Blues music has a swing feel, which you can hear in the drum shuffle.
Blues music has changed and moved from straight to swung rhythms.

Lesson appears in

UnitMusic / Band Musicianship 2: The Blues