Is it okay to improvise on my repertoire?

[cuberdrift]

I practice daily, 1-2 hours generally.

After these practice sessions, however, I feel like tinkering around the keys and re-harmonizing/re-notating my classical repertoire to fit my taste. I love doing this especially with Baroque or Classical pieces, doesn't usually work so well with Beethoven/Chopin/Rach.

What do you think? Is this productive or counter-productive?

Best regards.

[ajspiano]

Productive -

And highly offensive to classical snobs, which I'm all for.

[j_menz]

And highly offensive to classical snobs, which I'm all for.

LOL. BTW, my troll appears to have gotten lost.

To OP, I actually agree it's productive, and what you enjoy in the privacy of your own practice sessions is all good.  Just make sure you know the difference between the piece and your improvisations on it at the end of the day.

[ajspiano]

BTW, my troll appears to have gotten lost.

No. He found me earlier this week - but I had my trusty troll shrinking wand.

I turned him into plastic and mounted him to a small base, making him an idea decoration in fantasy war games with model army's.

[j_menz]

No. He found me earlier this week - but I had my trusty troll shrinking wand.

I turned him into plastic and mounted him to a small base, making him an ideal decoration in fantasy war games with model army's.

Gasp!! Oh, the horror!!!!! 

[ajspiano]

This is the kind of quality content that attracts high caliber pianists to the performance board, and this site in general.

[nanabush]

Sometimes I get carried away with Rach LH accompaniment figures, and I just kinda improvise and do what I want.

One spot that I loved messing around with is a certain passage in the Debussy Reverie; the melody goes (A-Bb-C-D-A, over a mix of Dm and BbM)... it's such a beautiful section, so I'd just kind of elaborate for fun.

You won't go to jail for it, and you are really just letting loose and having fun... but ya, there will always be those guys who go "well that is terrible, so-and-so is rolling in their grave"... who cares! honestly! 

[robson]

What do you think? Is this productive or counter-productive?

improvisation is always productive unless it's thoughtless noodling.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Of course it is!  Music is music right?