Tips for improvisation

The Art of Improvisation

So when it comes to improvising, I know it can be daunting. It can feel like a whole world of uncertainty, "How do I make up what I'm doing now?"

Building Your Vocabulary

For me, over the years, I've built up a bank of vocabulary, largely based on musicians that I love. Here are some of my inspirations:

• Charlie Parker: The great sax player
• Billy Joel: Especially his early, bluesy tracks

Recommendations

If you've never listened to some of Billy Joel's early stuff, go back and check out:

• Christie Lee
• Easy Money

There are some fantastic tracks with great piano on these albums.

Learning Throughion

Now, I don't transcribe myself; I don't really have the patience for that. However, there are plenty of transcriptions online of classic solos.

A Place to Start

Pick a tune that you like! For me, a great example is:

• Take the A Train

There's a fantastic solo in "Take the A Train" by Charlie Parker. I learned to sing along to it and went back to learn a few of these classic solos.

Incorporating Influences

This practice allows me to reference tiny little bits of these solos. Of course, I would never play an entire solo in the same way as the legendary Charlie Parker; instead, I:

• Steal a bit from him
• Take a bit from Billy Joel
• Mix it in with a few blues scales
• Combine it with little tricks I've learned

Creating Your Unique Style

By mixing these elements, you can build up your own individual style of solos and create something brand new. I'm sure it's going to sound great!