{"id":4949,"date":"2021-09-17T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=4949"},"modified":"2023-01-13T09:26:24","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T17:26:24","slug":"easy-piano-improvisation-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/easy-piano-improvisation-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;I&#8217;m Afraid of Solo-ing!&#8221; (Easy Piano Improvisation Exercises)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Solo-ing on the piano can be scary and intimidating! But with the right tools, anyone can learn slick moves. This lesson will give you easy piano improvisation exercises to get started with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#1\">Know Your Scale<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#2\">Explore Different Patterns<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#3\">Experiment With Rhythm<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#4\">More Piano Improvisation Exercises<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Step One: Know Your Scale<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Your Ingredients: What notes sound good together?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><meta charset=\"utf-8\">The first step in solo-ing confidently is to assemble your ingredients. And what&#8217;s the most important ingredient? Your scale!<meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You want to know, with confidence, which notes sound good together. To do this, we need to know our scales. Knowing your scales will make the solo-ing process <em>so much easier <\/em>by specifying exactly what ingredients you need to sound good!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/8rEB2xzZcZDnBegHFS\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" frameborder=\"0\" class=\"giphy-embed\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/foxtv-8rEB2xzZcZDnBegHFS\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Know your key signature&#8230;so you can find the scale<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>So, how do we figure out which notes sound good together? Well, first we have to find our key signature, which will help us find our scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find the key signature, look at the amount of sharps and flats in the piece you&#8217;re solo-ing on. Then, take out your handy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/circle-of-fifths-useless\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Circle of Fifths<\/a> and see which key signature matches with your number of sharps and flats.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/How%20to%20Solo\/circle%20of%20fifths%20-%20colored%20copy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"487\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>For example, if you have no sharps or flats, C Major or A Minor may be your key. (To test whether a song is C Major or A Minor, you can play or listen to it and see if it sounds &#8220;sad&#8221; or &#8220;happy.&#8221;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our video, we&#8217;ll be using E Flat Major. E Flat Major has three flats. So, from Eb to Eb, it looks like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/How%20to%20Solo\/E%20Flat%20Major%20-%20solo%20lesson.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Play the scale on top of your chord progression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, play the scale (in our case, E Flat Major) on your right hand over your chord progression in your left hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll discover that the scale and the chord progression sound &#8220;right&#8221; together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To make things more interesting, try varying the order of notes played on your right hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Step Two: Explore Different Patterns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Now, let&#8217;s turn that scale into a solo!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, Sam teaches me to play a simple pattern on my right hand while he plays the left-hand accompaniment. The pattern I use in the video is a simple Eb major triad (Eb-G-Bb).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, once I was comfortable with this basic pattern, I varied the notes a little bit. I didn&#8217;t stray too far off from the original pattern; all I did was repeat some notes here and there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be careful not to forget about your notes, though! Sometimes, we can get so embedded into the pattern that we forget the ingredients (the scale). So, know your scales! Some extra <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-practice-piano-scales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scale practice<\/a> helps \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are all little baby steps, but the scale is already sounding less like a scale and more like a solo!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/VbEuHLBUPQm55MyqJg\" width=\"439\" height=\"480\" frameBorder=\"0\" class=\"giphy-embed\" allowFullScreen><\/iframe><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/creative-thinking-thinker-VbEuHLBUPQm55MyqJg\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Step Three: Experiment With Rhythm<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I noticed that as I got comfortable branching out beyond my basic pattern, I became more inspired by <em>rhythm<\/em>. Turns out: that&#8217;s step three of this piano improvisation exercise!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, pick a rhythm and use it to play some of your ingredient notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re not ready to play yet, another way to get comfortable is to clap along to the rhythm while the accompaniment plays.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/3q1yvRyvZaDF8waQ8I\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" frameBorder=\"0\" class=\"giphy-embed\" allowFullScreen><\/iframe><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/hulu-pen15-hulu-originals-pen15show-3q1yvRyvZaDF8waQ8I\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Sam also uses scatting to keep himself on top of things!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Match this up with some left hand rhythms!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, try &#8220;highlighting&#8221; parts of the rhythm you&#8217;re using with your left hand accompaniment. You might discover that your hands will start &#8220;talking&#8221; to each other, influencing what each other is playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty neat, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>More Piano Improvisation Exercises<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, if you approach it with the right steps, <em>improvising doesn&#8217;t need to be scary<\/em>. Just make sure you <strong>know your ingredients well.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-large-font-size\" style=\"color:#f61a30\"><strong>Scales | Patterns | Rhythm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to go even further in your improvisation journey, check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/chord-theory\/improvisation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">improvisation section<\/a> of our blog. Or, check out these lessons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/pentatonic-scale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Solo and Improvise on ANY Chord Progression<\/a> &#8211; introduction to the pentatonic scale<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/cocktail-piano-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cocktail Piano 101<\/a> &#8211; wonderful piano improvisation exercise for those seeking the lounge vibe<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/calming-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Calming Keys<\/a> &#8211; easy, beginner-friendly exercises aimed at helping you relax<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Happy practicing!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10105453\/piano-improv-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Sam and Lisa do piano improvisation exercises on the piano. Sam (brown hair, glasses) sits at piano playing on the right. Lisa (platinum short hair) holds her face tilted sideways in a 'wow' expression.\" class=\"wp-image-4950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10105453\/piano-improv-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10105453\/piano-improv-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10105453\/piano-improv-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10105453\/piano-improv.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Soloing can be scary! Here are some easy piano improvisation exercises for beginners to get you started on soloing and jamming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1110,1108],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-improvisation-musicianship","category-musicianship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4949"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10853,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4949\/revisions\/10853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}