Improvisation Lesson with Andrey V. Drozdov - Andrey Goncharov's teacher (video with subtitles)

Improvisation lesson with Andrey V. Drozdov covering modes, jazz and classical traditions, and pentatonic scales with practical examples.

Key Takeaways

Improvisation is a vital skill in jazz and historically important in classical music.
Prepared improvisation involves understanding harmonic frameworks and modes.
The pentatonic scale is a versatile tool for creating melodies with cultural flavor.
Good improvisation balances technical skill with expressive simplicity.
Musical traditions vary globally, but harmonic principles often share common ground.

What the video covers

Introduction to improvisation and its historical significance in classical and jazz music.
Discussion of cadenzas in classical concertos and their evolution from improvised to written forms.
Importance of technique, harmonic knowledge, and ear training for improvisation.
Explanation of the European tonal system versus other musical traditions like Indian and Chinese.
Demonstration of the Chinese pentatonic scale using black keys and improvisation techniques.
Comparison of harmonic backing in European and East Asian folk music traditions.
Exploration of modal improvisation, including natural minor and other modes.
Emphasis on starting melodies simply and developing them gradually in improvisation.
Use of examples from jazz, blues, and folk music to illustrate improvisational concepts.
Encouragement of freedom and creativity within harmonic frameworks during improvisation.

Chapters

What is the significance of cadenzas in classical music improvisation?

Cadenzas are solo sections in concertos where performers traditionally improvised based on themes from the piece. Over time, many cadenzas became written, but improvisation remains an important skill.

How does the Chinese pentatonic scale relate to improvisation?

The Chinese pentatonic scale consists of five notes often played on the black keys of the piano, providing a simple yet effective framework for improvisation with a distinct cultural sound.

Why is prepared improvisation important in jazz?

Prepared improvisation involves understanding harmonic frameworks and practicing techniques, allowing musicians to improvise creatively within a structure rather than relying on pure spontaneity.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

Good afternoon, everyone. I was very pleased to see the comments on the previous short clip. It says that this is an improvisation lesson. In reality, we just needed to film a little something with Andrey. And, as I understood from the comments, it was

Speaker A

received with great interest. Therefore, the idea was born to continue this topic, specifically what we did with him in the last lesson, and to briefly summarize the academic year. So, we will now touch on some general points.

Speaker A

What did Andrey and I do in class? Naturally, some techniques or the performance of specific phrasing require a great deal of talent from a student. Not everyone succeeds at this.

Speaker A

Right. But Andrey Goncharov, in my opinion, handles any such tasks brilliantly. Now we will talk a little bit about modes first, and briefly touch on some genre-related points.

Speaker A

Performance can be quite spontaneous, but there is an opinion among musicians, even jazz players, that the best improvisation is the one that is prepared. That is, not necessarily memorized, but prepared. What does that mean? A person who works primarily in

Speaker A

the jazz genre, but also in rock, some popular music, and even in certain concerts of contemporary music where improvisation is a necessary condition of the piece. There is a certain framework, perhaps some kind of tonal plan. Right. But the musicians agree

Speaker A

that certain sections will be free and the performer will play something of their own. Such a tradition was mandatory at one time. We know that in the piano concertos of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, there are no cadenzas written. A cadenza is that part of a

Speaker A

concerto where the soloist plays with the orchestra, then the orchestra goes silent, and the soloist must play their own improvisation, a cadenza based on themes heard in the concerto. The first original cadenza, if memory serves me correctly, was written by Beethoven

Speaker A

only for his fifth concerto. Well, a tradition formed where subsequent musicians wrote down their own cadenzas. Now they are generally considered mandatory, but some performers still play their own. Right. It just happened that way, because improvisation was a

Speaker A

necessary element of music-making at the birth of music. It dominated in the Middle Ages. It was very widespread. In the Renaissance and Baroque eras, improvisation also played a leading role. And if we are to believe Bach's contemporaries, many wrote that when he

Speaker A

improvised on the organ, developing various themes—not necessarily his own, as they could be themes by Italian composers—people would even come from other cities just to listen. And so, the last great improviser in classical music was Liszt, who actually recorded

Speaker A

his improvisations. We have his piano transcriptions of various operas. In particular, there is "Ruslan and Ludmila," and a fantasy on themes from "Don Juan." Yes. And then it somehow faded away a bit, but this genre couldn't disappear entirely, and it

Speaker A

manifested itself vigorously in jazz. And so the 20th century went in such a way that classical music became something strictly fixed by the score, while in jazz, if you can't improvise, there's no point in pursuing the genre.

Speaker A

So, the performer must, first of all, possess a well-developed technique. They must know how to play the instrument. One. Secondly, certain techniques, figurations, and chord progressions remain in the inevitable learning process. They act as a sort of building material. Like LEGO bricks for

Speaker A

a child, right? And the more of these elements you have—it’s clear that if there are only 10 or 15 blocks in a LEGO set, you can’t really fantasize much. But if there are a thousand, the number of combinations becomes, well,

Speaker A

practically infinite. And, of course, you need to have a good feel for harmony, that is, to have a good ear, to understand the dominance of certain harmonic functions that are fixed in European music. Last time, Andrey and I

Speaker A

played some "Chastushki," and even now, the tonic-subdominant-dominant progression remains absolutely primary —one could say dominant—in European music, and I emphasize "European" because Indian music has its own laws.

Speaker A

In folk music, people listen for quarter tones. In Chinese, on the contrary, there aren't even semitones.

Speaker A

And Eastern scales imply a large number of augmented seconds. We will start today once again from the European tradition. But today, we will begin with a well-tested technique. I’ve seen it used by my colleagues, but I think it’s worth showing how one can

Speaker A

build a melody in a Chinese style. The Chinese scale consists of five notes. Absolutely correct, yes? Andrey showed it. It’s very easy on the black keys.

Speaker A

If a soloist plays exclusively on the black keys, we will inevitably end up with something in a Chinese spirit. But tell me, can you build this pentatonic scale starting on a different note? For example, from an F? No, no. Babikar.

Speaker A

Ah, it’s all symmetrical. No, look, you just need to shift all those fingers exactly half a tone down.

Speaker A

Ah, yes. And now the same mode starting from C, for example, if you of course, yes. There. So we can play in C major, yes, even F-sharp major, but that's a bit easier. This is a so-called technique. Playing on the black keys.

Speaker A

Let's try to improvise something like that together now. I will play the harmonic support. Andrey will play the melody for me. Yes. Let's do it. So, the main thing, really, there must be a central note from which everything else

Speaker A

follows. That will be the note F-sharp. Yes. Let's go. Hey. Wait. In this case, well, as the classic says, "to live in a hurry and to feel in a hurry." Young performers often try to show off all their skill from the very first bars.

Speaker A

Andrey just started, and it turned into some sort of music. Of course, look, you need to start more sparingly. The melody shouldn't necessarily be modest, but it shouldn't be overloaded with notes. Just imagine that someone is singing, right? And then you can

Speaker A

develop it in a more virtuosic way a bit later. So let's start again, and you play a more, uh, spacious melody.

Speaker A

Okay? There. And then, after a while, you can develop it, add eighths, sixteenths, and so on. Do you want to play by yourself? Let's do it together.

Speaker A

Let's go. That's better. Be bolder, don't be afraid. Damn, I'm not afraid. Hey. There. And now you can develop it with more notes. There.

Speaker A

Yes. Don't be afraid of the pedal. Hey. Wonderful. That turned out very logical. Very good. So, Andrey stuck to this mode, the Chinese pentatonic scale.

Speaker A

Once I covered the bass, and then, you see, here is the thing. Well, uh, the harmony in this case is being built. We still hear F-sharp major, right? Well, or someone might hear G-flat major, one way or another,

Speaker A

right? And the presence of the subdominant and dominant is still there. But here's a simple example, Koreans have the same thing. I'll just play the intro to a Korean folk song now. See, the subdominant appears here. So in

Speaker A

this case, uh, it is the absence of semitones in the melody that provides the color, while the harmonic backing is certainly more varied and, in principle, generally coincides with the European tradition. Often, of course, there is an alternation of parallel

Speaker A

keys, right? Meaning major and minor are linked in pairs, linked are the keys that have the same key signatures.

Speaker A

Right? Well, you know all that quite well, don't you? If it's C major, that's the reference key. A minor, G major, minor, right? And F-sharp major, E, that would be D-sharp minor. If it's G-flat major, then E-flat minor. Here

Speaker A

they are. Like ears. Yes. Uh, now, let's move a little further. We'll continue developing the theme of a specific mode. We'll take a natural minor now. Let's not take a minor, though, so that N also plays on the black keys,

Speaker A

composes. For example, this one. Yeah, that’s a cool one, by the way. I really like it. And, uh, a person not deeply initiated, so to speak, into the mysteries of music, they, of course, won't notice that Chopin managed to

Speaker A

actually compose this using only one white key. Ye

Speaker A

notice. But you're absolutely right, right? He used exclusively black keys here to write this etude. So, let’s move to the next point. Let’s take a natural minor now, right? Meaning, natural, not melodic and not harmonic, right? Uh, what is a harmonic minor

Speaker A

needed for? It just so happened that by the Baroque era, the dominant sounded in a major inflection. And, well, in major, of course, and in minor as well.

Speaker A

It's a turn that resembles a question and answer. Yes, a question and answer. Then, so to speak, uh, composers learned to make a kind of objection, an interrupted cadence, and then eventually arrived at some kind of consensus. These very connections are

Speaker A

still relevant today. And all the attempts in the 20th century to move far away from tonality, well, they didn't really capture the minds of millions, let's say. I mean that some elements of music, say, from the Middle Ages were present in both so-called

Speaker A

professional and, uh, folk music, although there wasn't a huge separation there, because musicians, in principle, many of them grasped this science even without sheet music. They learned to play their instruments, they possessed magnificent memories. We won't dwell on

Speaker A

this for too long now. I can simply refer those interested in this to the wonderful work of our prominent musicologist Mikhail Saponov, " Minstrels." He analyzes the entire tradition there. And the main message of the book lies in the fact that in

Speaker A

the 10th century—not the main one, but one of the messages—is that in the 10th century, a small error occurred among musicologists. That is, they decided that everything not written down or recorded in notation was folklore. If it is written in

Speaker A

notation, then it is professional music . But the thing is that, uh, in the Middle Ages, sacred music was written down in notation, because the Church is a very conservative institution, and, uh, any change to a chant at that time

Speaker A

was considered heresy. And all of it was written down in notation. But the music that sounded, uh, in the squares during fairs, there were a huge number of musicians working there. Many of them also knew how to juggle, and some,

Speaker A

so to speak, performed with trained animals in castles at knightly tournaments. Well, let's say, we don't know which knight will win. So he wins, and a minstrel comes out and immediately sings him some kind of ode.

Speaker A

He improvises on the fly and, at the same time, composes not only the melody with the accompaniment but also the lyrics, which were also very, very highly valued back then. That is, everything was saturated with improvisation. There. But at that time,

Speaker A

uh, those familiar combinations of tonic, subdominant, and dominant had not yet been so clearly fixed. And there is the brilliant work of composer Nino Rota in the film Romeo and Juliet, where he presents the main theme without once using a major dominant.

Speaker A

That is, it sounds absolutely identical , as if it were truly the Renaissance in Verona, written using those chords that dominated at that time. It is surprising that in music lessons now, the dominant also very often sounds in

Speaker A

the minor mode if we are in a minor key . That is, like this, and not like this . And therefore, so, uh, since our previous performance with Andrey, where we played in the G major mode, and it

Speaker A

was liked by many listeners. Now we will play something similar in minor. But before we start, you probably remember, right, how we played in G major last time, tell me, why did we match up there? I played different

Speaker A

chords, but nevertheless, not a single combination sounded out of tune. Can you explain to me why? There is a certain secret here. What was your task ? Remember that you are playing the melody strictly according to these semitones. Yes, of G major. Now you

Speaker A

must play in natural E minor. Okay, and I will play different chords, and I am sure we will match up. Are you using it in the second concerto?

Speaker A

Well, yes, that was a quote. Nevertheless, why did we match up? Can't you say? What is the secret here?

Speaker A

Correct. Keys of the so-called first degree of relationship; I didn't take distant chords. What is the first degree of relationship? It is the tonic , subdominant, and dominant, if it is G major, with their parallel minor keys.

Speaker A

That is, this connection, this connection, and this connection, right? In all of these, uh, chords, the notes of the G major scale are present. But what if, for example, it sounds thin, and a sharp appears in the melody, or

Speaker A

is it just a major seventh chord? That is a chord that is quite familiar to our ears, right, because, well, in jazz such harmonies are used. And Rachmaninoff too, of course.

Speaker A

Yes, yes. So, the 20th century expanded these chord boundaries a little bit. A second, simple way to understand. Look, if we take the G major scale, without changing a single note, without making any alterations, and we take the chords

Speaker A

built subsequently, we get the same chords of the first degree of relationship. That’s the whole secret . And this diminished triad, it has no quality.

Speaker A

But that is correct. And that is already a dominant chord, though it sounds a bit thin. Therefore, if we take the dominant, we can use it as a dominant seventh chord.

Speaker A

Yes, yes, but it sounds fuller, more confident. The same story happens in E minor. Here is our tonic; on the second degree, this diminished triad appears.

Speaker A

We skip it. And then chords appear that fit into this very degree of relationship I already mentioned. Well now, look, you have complete freedom.

Speaker A

Moreover, look, sometimes if you want, you can take some passing notes that are not in the E minor scale, but they just shouldn't be on the strong beats.

Speaker A

Well, for example, phrases like this, right? But, if you use only this scale, well, it will be perfectly adequate, right? Well, let's try.

Speaker A

And what if it's like this? That will be a slightly different kind of music. What you just played.

Speaker A

Basically, that gives us a lowered fifth degree. These are already more distant modes. And we will analyze similar combinations in the next academic year. You know, there are certain techniques; for instance, Hollywood has long since figured out how to score various horror movies. Not

Speaker A

a single film, like a thriller or horror, starts with such driving music. This isn't Mission Impossible with action, right? But it's something that makes us freeze. Yes, yes, yes, that’s right. Well, let's assume, what would be the next unexpected chord

Speaker A

after that? No, no, a lowered sixth. Look. And not so loud. You did that figuration exactly right just now. If you play around with it for a long time, yes, a certain fascination arises, and then suddenly it hits the sixth, and back, and back.

Speaker A

Yes, yes, yes. We won't scare anyone now, we'll just set a romantic mood. Yes, let's do it. Hey. Hey. And now, for contrast, let's change the mode.

Speaker A

And return to our tonality. Well done. That turned out to be a kind of romantic ballad. There. Now, moving slightly aside, what rock musicians love to do, right? Even in this kind of music, they sometimes sharpen certain chords. It's a normal move, the

Speaker A

so-called Neapolitan turn. We'll recall it later today too, okay? Ah, perhaps, what...Beautiful, but we moved a bit into a different area. And right now, let's not change the key, but move to a different area. Let's play a little in

Speaker A

the blues scale. Yes. Well done. Listen to this. It's surprisingly a problem for many people.

Speaker A

I mean, children learn it, they understand, yes, if you start from pentatonics, this is our Chinese pentatonic scale, and this is the African one. For many peoples in Africa , the main scale is also pentatonic, and it is minor. Black slaves arrived

Speaker A

in America with this pentatonic scale. And there, after contact with Europeans , one more note was added to this scale . Many students remember it in this arrangement, but when they are asked later, build, for example, the same one

Speaker A

as... Well yes, but this note, it gives that very color, well, in this context, yes, this is E-flat. And the presence, look, the presence in this scale of a minor third, nevertheless, amazingly combines with a major chord in the accompaniment, yes. And such a

Speaker A

chord, which in the 19th century would probably have offended almost everyone, in the 20th we already perceive as normal. Because, well, bluesmen, primarily black American musicians, they accustomed us to such a combination, that we simultaneously have a major component sounding in the

Speaker A

chord along with the minor third. If we take the chord in this arrangement, it doesn't sound right. Such an amazing thing. It's precisely when the minor third is on top and the major one is in the accompaniment, then it combines and

Speaker A

such a—well, I personally like it very much. Well, a real one. Well yes, that's right, that's taken, yes. Purely, of course, yes, purely blues. You have a good memory, don't you? It's enough for you to play any piece once. Can you quote it? Yes. In

Speaker A

this case, it was the ending of the music from the film "Gentlemen of Fortune" by Gennady Gladkov. Yes, Andrey, that's correct. So, what I'm saying is that you're doing great, you just built this scale from E right away

Speaker A

, and many students can't do it. I mean , they memorize it very well. Black keys from E-flat, white ones here. When you're asked to build this scale starting from a different note, for example, right? difficulties arise.

Speaker A

Well done. Well, let's go. So we had E minor, we had romantic E minor, but now we'll add a bluesy flavor. We won't play the so-called strictly defined twelve-bar progression, but we will use this specific scale. Yes, let's try.

Speaker A

And our rhythm will be a bit more active. (Music) Go on, go on, don't be shy. (Music) Yeah, you wanted to keep going, didn't you?

Speaker A

Uh-huh. Well, what can I say? Some compositions in this genre can last up to 12 minutes . Take B.B. King, for example. So, uh, now let's remember a little bit about the so-called Phrygian cadence. Is that the sequence, right? From A, yes, good,

Speaker A

from A. Uh, that is, we get, I don't really know why it got that name, because actually the Phrygian mode is, uh, a mode with a lowered second degree . Very characteristic of Spanish music.

Speaker A

But nevertheless, when we have a stepwise movement, uh, in the bass— primarily, though it can of course be in the melody too—but when the bass goes: first degree, seventh, sixth, fifth, uh, back in the era of establishing the laws of classical

Speaker A

harmony, to maintain correct voice leading. As a rule, it was harmonized in this way. That is, it is implied that in this case the melody goes according to the pattern of the first, third, fourth, fifth degrees, right?

Speaker A

But over time, despite the parallel octaves and fourths arising here, it began to sound, uh, in classical music, like in my first concerto, yes, but, uh, in jazz, so to speak, it is used very often. And there is even a

Speaker A

very famous song by Ray Charles. "Hit the Road Jack," which is entirely built on this progression. Now, let's do this . Let's start from this theme, and then in the middle, we'll improvise in a call-and-response mode. Well, roughly

Speaker A

speaking, uh, I will play a phrase, and you will, accordingly, answer, yes, however you see fit. We did this quite successfully during our lesson. Let's remember how it was now. Yes, support me with chords. Don't be afraid, keep

Speaker A

playing with your right hand. (Music) Now, attention. (Music) Andrey, you're not leaving me any space. Please try to keep your response to no more than four bars. Okay? Otherwise, it turns into your solo. I understand that you could

Speaker A

play for an hour, but let's stick to the structure. Like this. Yes, transitioning from one to another. Hey.

Speaker A

Hey. Yes, that was good; you held the form well at the end. So, you understood that I don't want to finish with a so-called fade-out, right? We had a diminuendo, but the end needs a bold period. Well, that will come with

Speaker A

time, of course, but you know, rhythm is very important in such pieces. You had a lot of that free playing, but a clearly defined rhythm has a better impact when it prevails. Then some free playing, like how I did those triplets,

Speaker A

sounds much better. And also look, remember I showed you some double-note progressions? Well, for example, they are very comfortable in G major, right?

Speaker A

You picked up on that. Take this move, for example. Our thumb, well, look, our thumb rests on a white key, right? And our long fingers, accordingly, press on the black keys.

Speaker A

Jazz pianists use such moves very effectively. There are just keys that are more comfortable, and others less so, like A minor, for example.

Speaker A

Such things are possible there too. There. Or, let's say, maintain the phrasing. Because you had octaves, you had chords, and you had passages. Also, take note that playing with double notes is also very very much possible.

Speaker A

It can be interesting, yes, but they need to be adjusted so that it's comfortable in terms of fingering. And that feeling comes when you, accordingly, play etudes, right? So, we still can't move away from the necessity of the so-called school. On

Speaker A

this point, my opinion is completely clear. I have heard sometimes, well, thoughts were tossed around that a classically trained pianist can never truly play jazz. That is absolute nonsense. It can only come from ignorance. It's like saying, you know,

Speaker A

if an athlete only trains in their head without doing the necessary exercises for their sport, then, of course, they won't achieve results. There are natural talents, of course, but we know , for example, that great jazz pianists like Oscar Peterson and Chick Corea

Speaker A

practiced on the instrument for up to 8 hours a day and published some exercises. And I want to say that this is a serious category of difficulty.

Speaker A

But it's not necessary to play specifically jazz exercises. A person who develops their technique and, I repeat, feels harmony well, will quickly grasp any modal peculiarities later. Take Andrey, for example, he is undoubtedly a very promising pianist who will be able to perform classical

Speaker A

music of any level of complexity, yes. Right. Nevertheless, he also has a gift for composition, so he senses tonal nuances very well and manages to apply them. But during spontaneous playing, thinking "oh, I'll build this phrase like this, or I'll do this and that,"

Speaker A

simply doesn't work. That is, the performer doesn't have time to overthink it; they just play, guided by the character of the composition. And the fingers themselves land on certain patterns, even very elaborate ones. In this case, a progression like this,

Speaker A

it's a pure pattern that can be in high demand. For instance, if someone is playing in a certain key, yes. And they have, say, a moment that calls for a shift like this. Right. Meaning, double notes, if you practice at home,

Speaker A

reaching the highest level of complexity, like those thirds, yes, so a person who plays everything required, including those types of passages, is undoubtedly potentially much more advanced for any improvisation. Right.

Speaker A

Well, now Andrey and I will play a composition in a Baroque style. So, we have already discussed the tonal plans with him. I won't dwell on that for too long now. We have a simple three-part form. On the edges, we play a standard

Speaker A

period built on the tonic, subdominant, and dominant, while in the middle we will play a sequence. What is a sequence? It's when the bass moves at strictly symmetrical intervals. Let's say we start in G Major, and in the

Speaker A

middle, we'll have an E minor section. Andrey, please demonstrate. If we start from E minor, the bass goes first a fifth down, then a fourth up. Yes, exactly right. This is a very ancient progression, but it's still highly

Speaker A

sought after today. The chords are adjusted accordingly based on their resolution. Andrey is also adjusting them now using the corresponding seventh chords. They can be simple triads or their inversions, it doesn't matter. The main thing is that such a

Speaker A

progression always pleases the audience , even today, including in modern songs ; as soon as a sequence appears, something just resonates inside. Okay, let's start in G Major and play the sequence in the middle. All right. 3 The last note was extra on the

Speaker A

syncopation. Back in those days, we didn't do that, we finish all together. Alright, good job. In general, it's nice, uh, to realize that you've grasped everything. Everything we've covered this school year, of course, we didn't show everything now, it's just

Speaker A

impossible to cover it all. Uh, what we did specifically with Andrey, you see, when a student is gifted, you can study and try a whole lot with them. If, let's say, a person isn't very friendly with the instrument, well, we cover

Speaker A

less material. At the very least, today we showed the main points that are relevant in our class. What do you want to say?

Speaker A

I played an extra note because I wanted to play it. Well, you should have hit it on the strong beat, not on the syncopation, of course. Yes. Well, alright. We had some things I just forgot, yes, some things were a bit loose, you

Speaker A

can hear it, let's say, something rhythmically wasn't quite right, there were a few accidental notes here and there, but we didn't prepare specifically. Meaning, this isn't a staged lesson, we just decided to drop in like this and summarize things a bit

Speaker A

. Well, on that note we say goodbye, dear viewers and listeners, thank you very much for your attention. Take care . Bye.

Topics:improvisationAndrey V. DrozdovAndrey Goncharovjazz improvisationclassical musicpentatonic scalemodescadenzamusic theoryChinese scale

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