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Final - Beginner Improv Power Pack

Tim provides a beginner improv power pack for piano teachers to use in their first lessons. The power pack includes various black- and white-note improvisation activities that immerse students in music before learning to read. Teachers can play accompaniments while students improvise using different techniques like playing pairs or groups of notes, changing dynamics, or responding to different styles. The goal is to make beginner lessons exciting and help develop students' lifelong passion for music.

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Livia Rosado Muniz
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730 views12 pages

Final - Beginner Improv Power Pack

Tim provides a beginner improv power pack for piano teachers to use in their first lessons. The power pack includes various black- and white-note improvisation activities that immerse students in music before learning to read. Teachers can play accompaniments while students improvise using different techniques like playing pairs or groups of notes, changing dynamics, or responding to different styles. The goal is to make beginner lessons exciting and help develop students' lifelong passion for music.

Uploaded by

Livia Rosado Muniz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MESSAGE FROM TIM

If you ask me, beginner piano lessons should be the most


exciting, creative and engaging lessons you teach. It is your
chance to help develop the beginning of a life-long passion for
music and piano in your new student...

...and you can do it all without even touching a method book - at


least for a couple of months.

Welcome to your Beginner Improv


Power Pack - a bundle of my best
improvisation activities for absolute
beginner piano students of ANY age.

There is now a huge amount of evidence


that suggests the best way to teach music
is firstly through listening, copying, singing,
creating and exploring well before anything to
do with reading and writing.

It’s the same way that we learn to speak a language.


You’d never think of teaching a child to read and
write before they can speak and improvise in their
language, so why do we do it for music?

It’s why I’m so passionate about helping other


teachers immerse their beginners in an experience
of music before they start trying to read music.

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 1


MESSAGE FROM TIM

In this Power Pack you'll find a variety of black- and


white-note improv activities to use with your
students in their first lessons, whether you're
following a traditional method book approach, or
already teaching "off-page".

You'll find fully-notated accompaniment parts for


you to play along with your student and I give you
suggestions about the best approach for teaching
these mini pieces.

You'll also find links to fully-orchestrated backing


tracks in a variety of styles to inspire your students
and help with their home practice between lessons.
Feel free to share these with parents and use them
at recitals.

These activities and ideas work in 1-on-1 and group


lessons and are flexible enough to be used in any
studio alongside any method of teaching.

If you and your students enjoy these activities and


you'd like to find out more about my "No Book"
approach to teaching beginners, just head
to timtopham.com/beginners.

Have fun,

Tim.
Photo Credits: Creative_hat & zivile_z on Freepik.com | Jamille Queiroz & Thomas Millot on Unsplash

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 2


FIRST LESSON IMPROV

IMPROVISING ON BLACK KEYS


Let the student know that they are going to be playing on the black
keys. Show them that the black keys are divided up into groups of 2
and 3 notes. Can they play all the pairs of black notes up and down the
piano (playing notes together with fingers 2-3 or 2-3-4)? What about
the groups of three black notes?
Try playing the notes separately starting with all the black key pairs,
making sure that they are always playing in a detached style. Avoid
legato playing for any of this first period of beginning teaching. Read
more about why this is important here.

Time to get
Creative

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 3


FIRST LESSON IMPROV

IMPROVISING ON BLACK KEYS


Demonstrate a non-legato touch with a light arm bounce.
Find the improvisation accompaniments below. Explain that you’re
going to play some cool accompaniments in a variety of styles either
on a second instrument or as a secondo part (low down) on the
student’s instrument.
Students need to listen to the
“feeling” of the accompaniment
and then decide how their
improvisation might go. Timid
students might start on just one
black note. Are they feeling the
mood? Are they in time? Are they
trying to do too much? Help them
out :)
Make sure they are sitting
correctly and using a non-legato
touch.
Try exploring loud and soft.
Demonstrate by playing the
accompaniment loud or soft. Try
short and jumpy. What about
slower/faster. Can they change
their approach to suit? Are they
listening?

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 4


LESSON RESOURCES

IMPROV
ACCOMPANIMENTS
Here are three simple improv accompaniments that I
use. Feel free to alter them, expand them, cut them up -
whatever you like! If students are improvising on black
keys, any chord progression in Gb major or Eb minor
will work. If you’re not familiar with playing in Gb major,
please practice these before you teach.

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 5


LESSON RESOURCES

Improv 1: 2 Black Notes


This improv is just a 12 bar blues in Gb major with a walking bass line.
Students can use any of the 2 black key pairs. You could put on a simple
swing beat with GarageBand or Super Groove Metronome or from your
own digital piano to make it really groovy. Add syncopation and rhythm to
the right hand as you get used to it - the more you groove, the more your
student will enjoy it!

Short Piano
Audio Sample
Two Black
Band Sample
Notes
Accompaniment

40 3 ok 45 4 ok 50 5 ok

55 6 ok 60 7 ok

65 7 70 6 75 5 80 4 85 3 80 Improv rhythm

P.S. Add an A natural for extra jazzyness

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 6


LESSON RESOURCES

Improv 2: 3 Black Notes


A flowing and calm feeling in triple meter with students playing on any of
the three black notes. You could alternate between the Ebm and Gb
major chords for longer if you wish. The Cb9 chord has a really open
feeling - you could also try substituting Bbm for a change or as well as the
Cb9. Explore it - this is just one idea.

Short Piano
Audio Sample
Three Black
Harp / Strings Notes
Sample Accompaniment

30 5 ok 35 6 ok 40 7 ok

45 6 50 5 55 4 60 3 65 2 60 No met

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 7


LESSON RESOURCES

Improv 3: Any Black Notes


Another dreamy option with some warm, rich chords in a simple
progression. This is a pop style which I’m sure will appeal. Students can
play on any black note for this one. As you can tell, I love 9th chords (as
per bar 4). You could easily take this approach and add other chords in
Gb major: eg. Bb minor, Db major, etc.

Short Piano
Piano / Harp / Audio Sample
Strings / Any Black Note
Percussion
Accompaniment
Sample

40 3

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 8


LESSON RESOURCES

MORE IMPROVISATION ACCOMPANIMENTS


- BLACK KEYS
This first excerpt is “For the Joy” from Forrest Kinney’s Create First Series
Book 1. Used with permission. Students improvise with any black notes.

50 2 Black Keys Improvisation Accompaniment


Variation 1
Variation 2

Short Piano Fully Orchestrated


Audio Samples Backing Tracks

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 9


LESSON RESOURCES

MORE IMPROVISATION ACCOMPANIMENTS


- WHITE KEYS
There are heaps of options here. Any chord progression in C major or A
minor will work - just play a 4 chord progression (eg. C, G, Am, F) in 4/4
time with a steady beat. You can also use Canon in D (in C major!), Heart
and Soul, or try one of my favourites in Am below.

White Keys Improvisation Accompaniment

Short Piano Chamber Strings


Audio Sample

Here’s Canon in D (in C Major!):

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 10


LESSON RESOURCES

The A Minor improv over the page is just an example of an easy way to
accompany students improvising on the white notes. Play the first section
“Improv” a few times and then mix it up with the “Variation” when you’re
ready.

A Minor Improvisation Accompaniment Short Piano


Audio Samples

Variation 1

Orchestra

BEGINNER IMPROV POWER PACK | PAGE 11

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