Keyboard Improvisation Technique

[coldheartedfreak]

Hey guys i was wondering how to improve on my keyboard impro technique. i know some which include doing runs higher up, changing melody etc. i know my chords rather okay as well, just dont have a clue when to use the coloured chords like 9ths 13ths 11ths 7ths etc. yup any suggestions? cuz ive been finding my playing to be boring of sorts yup. =( sad to say... anywhere u guys know i canp ost a music file so i can let u guys hear to give ur comemnts?

[playhear]

i know my chords rather okay as well, just dont have a clue when to use the coloured chords like 9ths 13ths 11ths 7ths etc. yup any suggestions?

Those are all dominant chords. They can be interchanged. One technique I have used is to start off a piece using 7ths (where dominants are to be played), then jazz the piece up with 9ths, 13ths and tritone substitution as the piece goes on. Generally, it sounds like you need to spend more time feeling and hearing the music, and less time memorizing and practicing your technical facility.

[T-Block]

All musicians go through a point when they feel their music sounds boring.  One thing i learned is that just because u think your music sounds boring, that don't mean other people think that.  You could play the simplest little song and to some people they be like "Man u sure can play that keyboard," or "Oh my gosh, can u please give me some piano lessons?"  I go through it a lot when i just feel like my music is so boring and routine that I don't realize other people are being blessed by what I call "boring" music.  God can take your "boring" music and maginify it with the Annointing and make u sound like Hezekiah Walker or John P. Kee.  So,  just build slow on what u already know and learn to play music as u feel it.  You will start to play stuff u ain't even know u could play.

[coldheartedfreak]

hm people have told me i need to be more intuned together with the band. to get the groove, the feel, the movement in the band. because im classically trained im not that good in that direction of music. so any suggestions please? as to how i can better improve my music playing.

people have given me general guidelines, to play less during verses, more during choruses and to play higher up the keyboard especially during chorusus, other that that and getting my fingers to be able to play in difficult keys like Db etc what else dcan i do? to improve improvisation?

[Ivorygirl]

coldheartedfreak "people have told me i need to be more intuned together with the band. to get the groove, the feel, the movement in the band. because im classically trained im not that good in that direction of music. so any suggestions please? as to how i can better improve my music playing. "

Yeah I'm more classically trained also- so I really get stuck on using printed music as a crutch!  One thing that has really helped me a lot is listening to a recording OVER and OVER- even just a couple measures if they are tricky, and playing along with it until my fingers and ears know it without me having to think much at all.  So it just flows. Then you can do it a little differently and improvise on the riffs.   That way, when I get together with the other musicians and the choir I can feel the groove more- it's like I have to get my brain out of the way in order to feel it.
Hope that helps.