# Technique, Theory, Playing Tips and Tricks > Theory, Technique, Tips and Tricks >  Improv From Scratch

## Pete Martin

I am posting a series of videos aimed at players who dont improvise but want to learn.   So far there are 8 videos with more on the way.  The first is here:

https://youtu.be/1_e9m-KqsBE

My suggestion is watch them in numerical order as they tend to build on each other.  If anyone has questions, ask them here and I will attempt to answer.  

This series would also probably help folks who are not happy with how their improvising sounds now.  

Have fun!!! :Mandosmiley:

----------

Bob Visentin, 

bro.craig, 

Christine Robins, 

colorado_al, 

Dave Martin, 

DavidKOS, 

DSDarr, 

Erikh, 

Gelsenbury, 

Gina Willis, 

Jairo Ramos Parra, 

John Soper, 

Laura Cauble, 

Mark Gunter, 

maxr, 

Nick Gellie, 

Rick Jones, 

Simon DS, 

smokinop, 

TheGourdsFan, 

Tony S, 

wildpikr, 

yankees1

----------


## Toni Schula

Improve my improvising, that's what I need. 
Thank you Pete, that sounds very promissing! I'll start with the videos right after work.

----------

Sue Rieter

----------


## Bunnyf

Thank you, Pete! I go to jams frequently and really want to be able to do a simple improv. I am learning to pick out the basic melodies by ear but this sure looks like it will help.

----------


## Paul B

Just started out with video #1 last night. As a hopeless improviser, I found it started off at exactly the right level. Good stuff. Look forward to working through this material. Thanks for your effort here.

----------


## LongBlackVeil

I really need to spend more time with this.

I cant be sure, because ive never gotten there. But i swear the thing that holds me back the most is fear of messing up. I know what notes to play over which chords for the most part, its just like an invisible wall that keeps me from letting loose. 

It seems, just from watching the first few minutes, that you try to address that

----------

Charlie Bernstein, 

Kay Kirkpatrick

----------


## Pete Martin

> But i swear the thing that holds me back the most is fear of messing up. I know what notes to play over which chords for the most part, its just like an invisible wall that keeps me from letting loose. 
> 
> It seems, just from watching the first few minutes, that you try to address that


LBV, I hear this all the time from students.  That is why I start with "free" improvising, just making things up playing by yourself, not worrying about fitting in with others.  Get some confidence in yourself, then add playing against a play along.  After you get confidence with that, then play with other musicians.  Kinda ease yourself in...

Another thing: EVERY improvisor makes mistakes.  You just play through it and keep going!!!  2 seconds after your solo is over, the ONLY one who remembers it is you!  Everyone else is in the moment, what is happening now.

----------

Drew Streip, 

LongBlackVeil, 

Mark Gunter

----------


## Bunnyf

Pete, I’ve already been enjoying your chord tone scale ebook. I like theory (surprise, surprise). It helps me understand and remember what I am suppose to be doing. I enjoy the supplement of videos but need that written material to really absorb and internalize things. I just started watching this free improv series and really finding it useful just practicing the ascending and descending CTS played over a chord progression. I am driving my husband crazy but it is definitely helping me. Mandolin is sitting next to me and I grab it and practice them every few minutes, all day. I am gonna keep at it until I really have it under my finger and am able to pick those scales up to speed, within the context of a song, before I move on to video#4. Thanks again!

----------


## MandoManCaleb

> I really need to spend more time with this.
> 
> I cant be sure, because ive never gotten there. But i swear the thing that holds me back the most is fear of messing up. I know what notes to play over which chords for the most part, its just like an invisible wall that keeps me from letting loose. 
> 
> It seems, just from watching the first few minutes, that you try to address that


Crashing and burning is, in my opinion, the best way to learn improvisation. There's nothing that gets your attention more than messing up and hearing what doesn't work in the context of an actual jam. Messing up sucks, but everyone does it.

----------

Pete Martin

----------


## yankees1

> I am posting a series of videos aimed at players who dont improvise but want to learn.   So far there are 8 videos with more on the way.  The first is here:
> 
> https://youtu.be/1_e9m-KqsBE
> 
> My suggestion is watch them in numerical order as they tend to build on each other.  If anyone has questions, ask them here and I will attempt to answer.  
> 
> This series would also probably help folks who are not happy with how their improvising sounds now.  
> 
> Have fun!!!


The Master teacher !  :Smile:

----------


## Pete Martin

Video links and PDF files here:

1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_e9m-KqsBE


2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CodmFqb_Jw


3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJpt7CDk8lY


4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y1DOsGmSsQ


5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoLLhBRr2nw


6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lTRXRCtb78


7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEDwGmxKZ-k


8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlzJWRvOreA&t=48s
no PDF file with this

----------

Bunnyf, 

burnham, 

Christine Robins, 

chuxster, 

derbex, 

Gary Hudson, 

John Soper, 

jpugh, 

Mark Gunter, 

Phil Goodson, 

smokinop, 

TheGourdsFan

----------


## Mark Gunter

Wow, Pete, that is awesome ... all your videos fit that adjective, but in this case I'm referring specifically to your having given links to the PDFs here in one place. Thank you very much.

----------


## JonZ

> I really need to spend more time with this.
> 
> I cant be sure, because ive never gotten there. But i swear the thing that holds me back the most is fear of messing up. I know what notes to play over which chords for the most part, its just like an invisible wall that keeps me from letting loose. 
> 
> It seems, just from watching the first few minutes, that you try to address that


This is why I am not enthusiastic about the copy great solos approach to learning to improviseespecially for beginnersbecause it puts the focus on achieving a correct result. Likewise, the great majority of school time is spent on generating correct results. I think the first order of business for improvisers is to abandon correct and replace it with compelling. Even a train wreck of a solo, if you really commit to it, can be compelling.

----------

Christine Robins, 

jshane, 

Mandoplumb

----------


## Carl23

Posted in wrong thread, removing. (see post about learning Jazz in the Jazz area)

----------


## Pete Martin

Made a few more videos for this series.  I suggest working through them in numerical order as they build on each other.

9) https://youtu.be/XDBCigi4dp0


10) https://youtu.be/Wysl_X9BkP0


11) https://youtu.be/FoQ2QAcgRpA


12) https://youtu.be/wVkOLrTRhdI


13) https://youtu.be/UHistKbhqUE


Enjoy!

----------

burnham, 

gfury, 

Jairo Ramos Parra, 

kurth83, 

slepa, 

smokinop, 

Werner Jaekel, 

yankees1

----------


## Werner Jaekel

Thank you, Pete Martin. 

My very personal experience: Forget tabs!!!!!. Tabledit provides a very helpful tool. Go Options, advanced, other options, tick note names instead of fret numbers. Know your fretboard. With note names improvising is much easier. Relations in mind. For help use "The chord Wheel".https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2mggm2
 And great John McGanns' book on Improvisation, inserting scales, Riffs, arpeggios, easy with knowledge about them.  https://www.amazon.de/Developing-Mel.../dp/0786650990
    Tef from  Jane Austen. Triad blues. I use this to transcribe it into  in all keys. The whole piece is basically chords. I use the function "note names" only for all music. 

 Of course I also have  Pete Martins' wonderful work on this subject, very much recommended. Mandolin and Fiddle Improvisation Using  the Chord Tone Scale. Great work!!! Thank you, again, for that one.

But, one could just simply doodle around the fretboard and do what sounds good.

----------


## Pete Martin

Had a hard time attaching PDF files for the second set of videos.  Ill try again here:

----------

Bob Buckingham, 

Mark Gunter

----------


## Pete Martin

#15 Dominant Improv Practice here



PDF here

----------


## Pete Martin

#16 Surround and Target Notes



PDF file

----------


## Pete Martin

#17 M O U S E



PDF file

----------


## woodnstrings

Thanks! I need it and will watch soon when I have time. Thanks for reminding users to click the notification bell.

----------


## Pete Martin

Missed posting #14, it is here:




No PDF file for this one.

----------


## Pete Martin

#18 Triplets



PDF here

----------


## Mandoplumb

> This is why I am not enthusiastic about the “copy great solos” approach to learning to improvise—especially for beginners—because it puts the focus on achieving a “correct” result. Likewise, the great majority of school time is spent on generating “correct” results. I think the first order of business for improvisers is to abandon “correct” and replace it with “compelling”. Even a train wreck of a solo, if you really commit to it, can be compelling.


Agree improvision by definition is off the cuff. You can't practice a break and really be improvising. The way I learned was I used to play with a BG gospel band that had a radio show at a local station. We met on Fri night to make a tape that played Sat. I could try anything as far out as I wanted and if I totally lost it just stop tape and redo. Just stepping out and doing it is the only way to improvise, yes you have to know the fingerboard, and you will work yourself into places that you can't get out of but it is what it is. In a jam situation if you get lost just wait a beat and pick up melody and go on. As stated before you are the only one sweating the mistake.

----------


## yankees1

Very nice of you to offer free lessons and great videos ! You are the man !  :Smile:  A great teacher !

----------


## Pete Martin

Thanks for the kind words y'all.  Many more of these in the works.

----------

DSDarr, 

lenf12

----------


## Pete Martin

Improv From Scratch #19 Quarter notes and rests



PDF file here:

----------

David Lewis, 

Mike Buesseler

----------


## Mike Buesseler

I know this is a dumb question, but Im going to ask anyway: how come something that sounds like so much fun, and LOOKS so easy when people do it well IS SO DIFFICULT TO LEARN? I play a LOT, but improv seems to be just on the other side of a very thin door. (I can hear it, but I cant open the damn door!)

----------


## Pete Martin

You just have to dive in and do it.  Nobody is a good improvisor in the beginning.  The best at it have been doing it a long time and have really studied how great players in the past have done it.  You are just beginning the journey, so have fun, but keep doing it!!!!! 

And there are no dumb questions.  Yours in perfectly legit Mike.

 :Mandosmiley:

----------

David Lewis

----------


## dhbailey

Mike, to Pete's great advice I would add that you need to lose your natural desire to sound good when you start improvising.  There are lots of play-along recordings that you can practice with in the privacy of your own home.  A great part of the success as an improvisor is to do what Pete says -- dive in and do it.  It will not sound so great at the start, but as you do it more and more you will begin to develop finger patterns that will give you good sounding notes to begin with.  

And separate from improvising practice, work on your scales in the most common keys that you're likely to want to improvise in.  Then work on the pentatonic versions of those scales (notes 1,2,3,5,6,1) because that gives the least conflicting group of notes for improvising for a lot of folk, bluegrass, pop/rock, Great-American-Songbook tunes.

Another thing to do to help you feel more comfortable making things up is to simply make things up without trying to fit into an accompaniment.  Just noodle on your mandolin in a specific key.  Remember Sturgeon's Law that 90% of anything is crap -- when you see performers or hear recordings you have to remember that you're only seeing or hearing the 10% that is good, not the 90% that isn't good that got left in the practice room or on the editing room floor at the recording studio.

----------


## Pete Martin

If anyone has questions regarding material in the videos, I'm happy to answer them to the best of my ability here.  Or I can suggest a plan of action for practicing the material and how to apply it in improv in real time.  There is a LOT to learn, but it IS learnable.

I'll add one more thing, a common jazz teachers saying:

"Good improv is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration" 

Holy cow is this true! :Mandosmiley:  :Mandosmiley:  :Crying:

----------


## Pete Martin

Improv From Scratch #20 How to Practice New Improv Ideas



PDF file here:

----------


## Pete Martin

The next videos in the series will be looking at what to play on minor chords.



No PDF with this one




PDF: 





PDF:

----------


## Pete Martin

Here is video #24, chord tone scale ideas over a IIm chord.




PDF

----------


## David Lewis

> I know this is a dumb question, but Im going to ask anyway: how come something that sounds like so much fun, and LOOKS so easy when people do it well IS SO DIFFICULT TO LEARN? I play a LOT, but improv seems to be just on the other side of a very thin door. (I can hear it, but I cant open the damn door!)


Keep going. At the heart of it is another body part - your ears.  Take it slow. Listen to what youre playing. Ignore music theory initially. Maybe just use one scale.  Hum slow, easy passages and try and replicate them. Dont berate yourself for 'mistskes'. A flat third over a major chord is a 'mistake' in a sense. Yet sounds fantastic. Take your time. Dont overwhelm yourself snd most importantly have fun. 

Youll get there. Try, but try easy.

----------


## David Lewis

PS @pete Martin . The video is great! Thanks!

----------


## maxr

> This is why I am not enthusiastic about the “copy great solos” approach to learning to improvise—especially for beginners—because it puts the focus on achieving a “correct” result. Likewise, the great majority of school time is spent on generating “correct” results. I think the first order of business for improvisers is to abandon “correct” and replace it with “compelling”. Even a train wreck of a solo, if you really commit to it, can be compelling.


I don't know enough improvising mandolin players work - but if you listen to popular (with the public) guitarists then noticeably innovative ones, you can often tell which ones learned hundreds of other people's licks and put them together when soloing. They're often the most popular ones, maybe because many people value familiarity over innovation. The guitarists I prefer are people like say Roy Buchanan, who seemed to be able to produce stuff nobody else had much thought of. I'll doubtless get a post telling me exactly who Roy lifted his licks from  :Smile: , but you know what I mean...

One thing about being apprehensive about messing up, whether improvising, generally performimng or otherwise - smile and act confident, and most non players will never know. The players have all messed up at some time, so they don't mind if you do it.

Thanks for the links Pete!

----------


## Pete Martin

Here is video #25, chord tone scale ideas over a VIm chord.

----------


## Pete Martin

Here is video #25, chord tone scale ideas over a IIIm chord.






Video #27 making phrases from chord tone scales





Video #28 non chord tones on a major chord

----------


## Pete Martin

#29 Solo Strategies

----------


## Pete Martin

Sam Bush Plays I IV V

----------


## Charlie Bernstein

> I really need to spend more time with this.
> 
> I cant be sure, because ive never gotten there. But i swear the thing that holds me back the most is fear of messing up. . . . its just like an invisible wall that keeps me from letting loose. . . .


A friend of mine is a real good music teacher. But when he was starting out, he had the exact same problem. Then he took lessons from an old jazz artist who recognized the problem. He stopped my my friend and asked him why he wasn't soloing more, and my friend said he didn't want to make mistakes. 

The old teach made a big circle in the air with his hands and said, "I make my mistakes _big_ like _Mars_!"

The obvious point: We're all going to lay down some clams. It's part of improvising. But if you just play through them, you stand to make some good music and have a lot of fun doing it.

And wouldn't Big Like Mars be a great name for a band?

----------


## tmsweeney

> This is why I am not enthusiastic about the copy great solos approach to learning to improviseespecially for beginnersbecause it puts the focus on achieving a correct result. Likewise, the great majority of school time is spent on generating correct results. I think the first order of business for improvisers is to abandon correct and replace it with compelling. Even a train wreck of a solo, if you really commit to it, can be compelling.


I agree, while being able to copy and execute a previously recorded solo by some great player (on any instrument) does imply technical skill, determination, and accomplishment. 
However copying an "improvised solo" is no longer improvising. 
Now a lot of the "masters" talk about doing this in youth, so there is value to the method. 
For my money I'd rather not hear live music "exact" as the album or last weeks concert, I'm more open to possibilities.
Thanks for offering a guide through this somewhat undaunting field.

----------


## Pete Martin

Copying solos DOES teach you the language of the music style.  It's up to each player how "authentic" to the style they want to sound like, but if you do want to play in a style, almost every great player has learned from past masters.

I have never regretted learning a solo from a favorite player.  I've learned a few hundred.  

No right or wrong here.

----------

Kenny

----------

