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Extemporisation help

Started by BachMeer, September 19, 2011, 07:24:13 PM

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BachMeer

Hi all

Can anyone help me with this? Would be grateful!

Thanks
BachMeer

David Pinnegar

Hi!

No doubt other members will have other suggestions - but keep an eye out for masterclasses organised by Nigel Allcoat

Best wishes

David P

Jonathan Lane

There are two approaches, one is to sit down and 'free up' by just playing, trying to get out of the Associated Board harmony approach.  The other is to use a number of books; the hardest but best (and most expensive) is the Cours Complet d'Improvisation a l'Orgue.  There is an excellent book, which is much easier, by Gerre Hancock, ex of St Thomas, Fifth Avenue. Its called Improvising: How to Master the Art.  They can be found at the OHS and Amazon respectively at: http://www.ohscatalog.org/maducocoinor.html & http://www.amazon.co.uk/Improvising-How-Master-Gerre-Hancock/dp/0193858819

Above all, enjoy!

Jonathan

BachMeer

Hi guys

Thanks for this - can yourselves (or anyone else!) advise on extemporisation from the last verse of the offertory hymn? I'm after some pointers on that.
I'm after learning more about the technique where after the last chord of the last verse, all notes are let go of apart from the root notes and then these notes are played in unison and it goes down the scale by four or five notes until the extemporisation begins.
Can anyone help on this?

many thanks

David Pinnegar

Hi!

I have tried to encourage Nigel to join the forum to share his enthusiasms and contact you directly - but if he doesn't, go to his Facebook page and contact him from there. He's a master of masters . . .

Best wishes

David P

Jonathan Lane

I think the trick, as previously mentioned, is not to get hung up on any formula, and that includes AB harmony or anything like it.  It is important to have some structure, but this is much easier to achieve with rhythm and phrase length than with any harmonic device.  If something is in D and ends in on a D major chord, don't be afraid to move to F major or C major, or some unrelated key immediately, it can be very effective, and free you from what has gone before (and the 'audience'), then you can reintroduce fragments of the tune in the new key, or gradually modulate back to the old key.  Time is of course key, as unless you have a very big church, with a very large congregation, and a very short hymn, you don't have much time to play with!

Jonathan