How-to videos on improvisation in various styles

[Derek]

Another idea I had recently was for the "regulars" here to create videos of themselves talking at length about improvisation. How did you get into it? What are your favorite styles or have you developed your own style? What are some bits of advice you could give to aspiring improvisers or fellow improvisers who wish to grow/learn?

If this takes off and we amass several interesting videos---we could post links to them in another sticky thread. Perhaps this could spark new interest in the forum. It would be great to see a bunch of people in here giving improvisation a shot who'd never done it before!

[ted]

In theory it's a good idea but I have a few personal reservations. I played a few chords a while back to test my wife's camera:

https://www.box.net/shared/e7dng723a8

It's about 16mb for this little clip. If I started talking about things as well uploads would soon exceed my broadband allocation.

Secondly, I'm not sure all the ursine groping and incorrect posture and technique would be a good example for students. If I could find a way to keep myself out of it perhaps.

[pianowolfi]

I'm poring over some concepts and ideas for this, Derek , but I can't promise anything yet.

[m1469]

I would be interested to watch/listen to others, for sure .  My main idea right now is to do an audio file about taking one idea and developing it.  It would be pretty specific to me though, what I would consider my current style, and I have no idea where it would end up because one of the purposes would be to have a learning experience for me in the process. 

[Derek]

Would anyone be interested in some videos on the baroque style? I've been working on this style for several years now and I think I've finally "got it" so to speak. I'm not *quite* to the point of improvising fugues yet but I'm dangerously close. I've been developing a robust set of ideas, principles, tips, etc. that aid me in growing in this style. I was curious to know if anyone else would like to see/hear these ideas in some videos and try them out. I feel creating these videos would help me as I'd be forced to explain my thought process. My apologies to m1469 for hijacking her progressions thread---I thought it'd make more sense to start my own thread talking about all that baroque stuff in case anyone's interested in it.

[pianowolfi]

Derek, yes I would be interested

[Derek]

I am having second thoughts about specifically baroque videos. I think someone needs to blaze trails on making an improvisation video about improvisation in general. The risk here is that it won't "connect" with individuals who view it as well as when someone for example asks a personal question to another individual and receives an answer. I think, Ted, this is your misgiving as well? If anything, it can't do any harm I wouldn't think, and perhaps it would increase the "visibility" that there can be more to improvisation than all the websites that say they teach it.

I don't want to take for granted in making baroque videos that anyone will simply "get it" the way I'm explaining it, since I have a background in improvisation that sort of led organically to baroque playing. I may be taking for granted a lot of things that went into my playing in the style that have more to it than just the tips I can come up with.

So, I think I might give it a try, or at least introduce myself, a few ideas on improv, and then invite people to contact me for more information or something. Then our non (or, rather, not-yet ) improvising brothers and sisters on this website might see it and think hey maybe I should talk to one of these guys. Who knows. I think it'd be a worthwhile experiment.