How to Improvise a Solo With the Major Scale 1

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Instructor

Jonny May

Course Type

Workshop

Skill Level

Intermediate

Duration

02:26:14

In this workshop, you will learn how to improvise piano with one of the most important scales – the Major (Ionian) Scale.

We’ll start with learning the notes of the scale along with 3 common chord progressions you can use when soloing. Then we’ll learn 5 left hand accompaniments, including chording, rock, latin, flowing, and comping. Jonny will you teach you his best techniques for soloing, including steps, skips, and outlining chords. We’ll dive further into the scale by learning 2 block positions and 4 rhythm exercises.

To finish, we’ll practice a scale shifting exercise and learn how to solo over multiple chords.

Course Objectives

Learn the notes of the major scale in every key
Discover 3 common chord progressions you can use the major scale to solo over
Master 5 left hand accompaniments: chording, rock, latin, flowing, comping
Practice 2 block positions and 4 rhythm exercises
Develop your soloing technique with steps, skips, and outlining chords
Understand how to solo over multiple chords

Learning Focus

Exercises
Improvisation
Scales

Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

Jyrki Lahtonen verified

Took me a while, but I think I got the gist of it

At first I felt a bit lost about what I'm supposed to do. I now think that Jonny simply wanted us to muck around with the simple tools, while training our ear (and brain) to know what sequences and lines sound more musical than others. Towards the end this became at least implicit (if not explicitly mentiones). In other words, this course/workshop is a longer term project - leading the students to the path of improvisation. In yet other words, Jonny was applying the "Show, not tell" approach of many a teacher (or author).

John Falconer verified

Lots of Great Soloing Ideas Here!

Jonny goes over many, many soloing ideas in this course. Really makes it look effortless! Great improv tips!

Ian Gardiner verified

Enjoyable and Informative course.

Generally enjoyed the course. Got a little frustrated in the earlier videos as to lack of guidance on best fingering to use - really important for beginners and intermediates where they don’t have access to a physical teacher. It would seem to be very easy to anotate the sheet music with some fingering suggestions. Also, found some of the examples at the end of each session to be way too fast a cadence to understand/follow what was being done, and the left hand accompaniment seemed to drift away from basic triads with no explanation as to what was happening. Thanks for the lessons.

Thomas Monaco verified

The method behind the magic

When you don't know what you're hearing, it sounds like wonderful complex magic that you think you could never master. Then you follow Jonny's course and he breaks down exactly how it's done. Turns out it's not magic, just a methodology that a great teacher can explain and make it seem rather straightforward. If you really commit to diving into each technique and taking your time with each concept, pretty soon you are the one creating the 'magic'. Jonny's approach is so much better than simply playing scales up and down and still not being able to make music with them. Within this course the major scale won't seem scary anymore, nor will your approach to what to play seem random and non-musical. It's not that complicated once he explains it, but that's the gift of great teacher.

Nancy Thomas verified

Fun!

My favorite course to date!!!

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