Email Course Improvisation Library Demos for Lessons 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 Songs Woodshed Blues tracks Scales & Chords Tuning note     Bb for C-instruments     C for Bb-instruments     G for Eb-instruments Other Courses
Lesson texts : Intro - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 4a - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 10a - 11 - 12 - 12a

Improvisation - Lesson 1 :   Improvisation on Chord tones

All Demos and Play-a-Longs are Midi files. You can listen to them on your Netscape or Internet Explorer browser (without going online), or play them through any music program which reads Midi files.

• Demo 1 - A Happy Day (in C) - Play-a-Long

• Demo 2 - Root tones for 'A Happy Day'.

• Demo 3 - Chord tones for 'A Happy Day'.

• Demo 4 - Rhythm Patterns 1 - 5.

• Demo 5 - Woodshed (ws01) : Major scale up to the 9th and back.

• A Happy Day : Swapping 2s.
  1. 1st chorus (32 bars) : I play the first 2 bars of each 4 bar phrase, you play the following 2 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus (32 bars) : You play the first 2 bars of each 4 bar phrase, I play the following 2 bars.

     Improvise using chord tones only.

  
  
• Scarborough Fair : Melody - Play-a-Long - Swapping 4s (complete track)
  1. Track 1 (8 choruses) - : I play the first 4 bars, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. Track 2 (8 choruses) - : You play the first 4 bars, I play the following 4 bars.

     Improvise using triad chord tones only.

Improvisation - Lesson 2 :   Improvisation on the Major scale

• Demo 6 - Scale-tone triad chords for the C major scale.

• Demo 7 - The I - VIm - IIm - V Chord Progression.

• Demo 8 - First 4 bars of 'Hey There' with chords and underlying scale.

• Demo 9 - Hey There ! (in C) - Play-a-Long.

• Demo 10 - Rhythm Patterns 6 - 10.

• Demo 11 - Woodshed (ws01) : Major scale up to the 9th, then down the chord.

• Hey There ! : Swapping 2s.
  1. 1st chorus (16 bars) : I play the first 2 bars of each 4 bar phrase, you play the following 2 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus (16 bars) : You play the first 2 bars of each 4 bar phrase, I play the following 2 bars.

     Improvise using the C major scale only.

  
  
• Where's Woody ? : Melody - Play-a-Long.

Improvisation - Lesson 3 :   Major Pentatonic scale

• Demo 12 - C major and C major pentatonic scales.

• Demo 13 - The Skyeboat Song (in F) - Play-a-Long.

• Demo 14 - Rhythm Patterns 11 - 15.

• Demo 15 - Woodshed (ws02) : The five chord qualities : 4 bars each quality.

• The Skyeboat song : Swapping 4s.
  1. 1st chorus (32 bars) : I play the first 4 bars of each 8-bar segment, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus (32 bars) : You play the first 4 bars of each 8-bar segment, I play the following 4 bars.

  3. Final A section (16 bars) : I play the first 4 bars of each 8-bar segment, you play the following 4 bars.

     Improvise using the E minor pentatonic scale only.

  
  

Improvisation - Lesson 4 :   Minor Pentatonic scale

• Demo 16 - C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic scales.

• Demo 17 - Basic 12 bar Blues format with 7th chords in crotchets.

• Demo 18 - Blues on Nimble Toes (in C, with Minor pentatonic riff) - Play-a-Long.

• Demo 19 - Rhythm Patterns 16 - 20.

• Demo 20 - C minor pentatonic and C Blues scale.

• Demo 15 - Woodshed (ws02) : The five chord qualities : 4 bars each quality (as for Lesson 3)

• Basic Blues in C : Swapping 4s.
  1. Track 1 (5 choruses) - : I play the first 4 bars, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. Track 2 (5 choruses) - : You play the first 4 bars, I follow.

     Improvise using the C minor pentatonic scale only.

  
  

Improvisation - Lesson 5 :   Mixolydian mode

• Demo 21 - Mixolydian modes in C, F and G.

• Demo 22 - F major scale and C Mixolydian mode.

• Demo 23 - Mixolydian modes over C Blues.

• Demo 24 - Paseo (Bossa Blues in C) - Play-a-Long.

• Demo 25 - Critical tones for Embellished blues in C.

• Demo 26 - Rhythm Patterns 21 - 25.

• Demo 27 - Woodshed (ws03) : Mixolydian mode up to 9th and back.

• Paseo : Swapping 4s.
  1. Track 1 (6 choruses) - : I play the first 4 bars, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. Track 2 (6 choruses) - : You play the first 4 bars, I follow.

     Improvise using the C, F and G Mixolydian modes only.

  
  

Improvisation - Lesson 6 :   The Circle of Fifths

• Demo 28 - Circle of Fifths
  • ws04 (major and dominant patterns) : tones only, then patterns 1 2 3 1 , 1 3 5 3 , 1 3 5 7 and 1 3 5 b7

  • ws05 (minor patterns) : patterns 1 2 b3 1 , 1 b3 5 b3 and 1 b3 5 b7
  
  
• Demo 29 - Swing Time (in F) - PLay-a-Long.

• Demo 30 - Mixolydian modes and Critical tones over the 'Swing Time' bridge.

• Demo 31 - Rhythm Patterns 26 - 30.

• Demo 32 - Woodshed (ws03) : Mixolydian mode up to the 9th, then down the chord.

• Swing Time : Swapping 2s.
  1. 1st chorus (32 bars) : I play the first 2 bars of each 4 bar phrase, you play the following 2 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus (32 bars) : You play the first 2 bars of each 4 bar phrase, I play the following 2 bars.

     Improvise using the F major scale over the A sections and the A, D, G and C Mixolydian modes over the Bridge.

  
  

Improvisation - Lesson 7 :   Dorian mode

• Demo 33 - C major scale, C Dorian mode. Then Cm7 chord, C Dorian mode.

• Demo 34 - Bb major scale, C Dorian mode.

• Demo 35 - Dance with me Annushka (in D minor) - Play-a-Long.

• Demo 36 - Mode Practice for 'Dance with me Annushka'.

• Demo 37 - Rhythm Patterns 31 - 35.

• Demo 38 - Woodshed (ws06) : Dorian mode up to the 9th and back.

• Dance with Me Annushka : Swapping 4s.
  1. Track 1 (6 choruses) - : I play the first 4 bars, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. Track 2 (6 choruses) - : You play the first 4 bars, I follow.

     Improvise using the D and G Dorian modes, and the C Mixolydian mode.

  
  

Improvisation - Lesson 8 :   Minor scales

• Demo 39 - C natural minor - C Dorian mode - C harmonic minor - C melodic minor.

• Demo 40 - Eb major scale - F Dorian mode - C Aeolian mode (natural minor scale).

• Demo 41 - Where there's Rain (in C minor) - Play-a-Long.

• Demo 42 - Scale Practice for 'Where there's Rain'.

• Demo 43 - Rhythm Patterns 36 - 40.

• Demo 44 - Woodshed (ws06) : Dorian mode up to the 9th, then down the chord.

• Where there's Rain : Swapping 4s.
  1. 1st chorus (32 bars) : I play the first 4 bars of each 8-bar segment, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus (32 bars) : You play the first 4 bars of each 8-bar segment, I play the following 4 bars.

     I start a new phrase in 'your 4th bar' on a number of places, or start a phrase late in 'my own 1st bar'. You can do the same of course.

  
  
• Lost in Space : Melody - Play-a-Long.

Improvisation - Lesson 9 :   Scale-tone Chord Progression of the Major scale

• Demo 45 - Scaletone 7th chords of the C major scale.

• Demo 46 - Scaletone Chord Progression of the C major scale.

• Demo 47 - Five chord progressions :
  1. Imaj7 - IIIm7 - VIm7 - IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7
  2. Imaj7 - VIm7 - IIm7 - V7
  3. IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7
  4. IIm7 - V7
  5. V7 - Imaj7
  
  
• Demo 48 - Guide Tone Line over A section of Street Dance :
      A - A - G - G - F - F - E - E
      F - F - G - G - A - B - C - (B)

• Demo 48a - Improvisation using above Guide Tone Line (16 bars only).

• Demo 49 - Woodshed (ws07) : Harmonic minor scale up to the 9th and back.

• Street Dance : Demo - Play-a-Long - Swapping 2s.
  1. 1st chorus : I play the first 2 bars of each 4 bar phrase, you play the following 2 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus : You play the first 2 bars of each 4 bar phrase, I play the following 2 bars.
  
  

Improvisation - Lesson 10 :   The IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7 Progression

• Demo 50 - Circle of Fifths tones.

• Demo 51 - 'I Told You So' practice.

• Demo 52 - IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7 : 10 Practice Routines.

• Demo 53 - Woodshed (ws08) : IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7 modes and scale practice.

• I Told You So : Demo - Play-a-Long - Swapping 4s.
  1. 1st chorus : I play the first 4 bar phrase of each 8 bar section, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus : You play the first 4 bar phrase of each 8 bar section, I play the following 4 bars.
  
  

Improvisation - Lesson 11 :   The IIm7b5 - V7 - Im Progression

• Demo 54 - Scale-tone chords of the C harmonic minor scale.

• Demo 55 - Dm7b5 - G7(b9) - Cm, with C harmonic minor scale over all three chords.

• Demo 56 - Dm7b5 - G7(b9) - Cm7, with C harmonic minor scale over D and G chords and C Dorian mode over Cm7.

• Demo 57 - Phrasing over Blues
  Phrase lengths (bars) : 2 - 2 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 4 - 2 - 6 - 2 - 2 - 6.

• Demo 49 - Woodshed (ws07) : Harmonic minor scale up to the 9th and back.

• Demo 58 - Woodshed (ws09) : - Dm7b5 - G7(b9) - Cm, with C harmonic minor scale over all three chords. Then the same in the key of Bb minor.

• Demo 59 - Woodshed (ws10) : - Dm7b5 - G7(b9) - Cm7, with C harmonic minor scale over D and G chords and C Dorian mode over Cm7. Then the same in the key of Bb minor.

• Lonesome Bossa : Demo - Play-a-Long - Swapping 4s.
  1. 1st chorus : I play the first 4 bar phrase of each 8 bar section, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus : You play the first 4 bar phrase of each 8 bar section, I play the following 4 bars.
  
  
  
• Swapping Phrases - Pattern 1 (Demo) : Embellished blues in C (12 choruses)
  • Track 1 : I play the first phrase , you play the next one.

  • Track 2 : You play the first phrase , I play the next one.
  
  
  
• Swapping Phrases - Pattern 2 (Demo) : Embellished blues in F (12 choruses)
  • Track 3 : I play the first phrase , you play the next one.

  • Track 4 : You play the first phrase , I play the next one.

Improvisation - Lesson 12 :   Chord Functions and Modes

• Demo 60 - Modes derived from the C major scale, which are : C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian and B Locrian mode.

• Demo 61 - C Ionian, C Dorian, C Phrygian, C Lydian, C Mixolydian, C Aeolian and C Locrian mode.

• Demo 62 - Cmaj7 over C major scale and over C Lydian mode.

• Demo 63 - C7 over C Mixolydian mode and over F harmonic minor (starting on C).

• Demo 64 - Cm7 over C Dorian mode.

• Demo 65 - Cm7b5 over C Locrian mode and over Bb harmonic minor (starting on C).

• Demo 66 - Woodshed (ws01) : Pattern 1 2 3 1 - 2 3 4 2 - 3 4 5 3 - over C major scale.

• Demo 67 - Woodshed (ws01) : Pattern 1 3 - 2 4 - 3 5 - 4 6 - over C major scale.

• Eventually work on the same Woodshed patterns as above over the :
  1. ws03 : Mixolydian modes
  2. ws06 : Dorian modes
  3. ws07 : Harmonic minor scales
  4. ws01 : Major pentatonic scales
  
  
• Sure Thing : Demo - Play-a-Long - Swapping 4s.
  1. 1st chorus : I play the first 4 bar phrase of each 8 bar section, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus : You play the first 4 bar phrase of each 8 bar section, I play the following 4 bars.
  
  
• Why : Melody - Play-a-Long

• Scale Ruler - Example Leed sheet - Blank Lead sheet