Tutorial: Let It Go (Frozen) - advanced improvisation, rhythmic motifs, reharm

[creationrage]

This tutorial was made for my students to see that music is not all about reading notes (in fact, I find that to be rather unimportant unless you're a classical player), but about a deeper understanding of the structure of music. With that, you can take any simple song and do what you want with it to make it your own, and transcend the ordinary!

[m1469]

I can't say that this song is allowed in my studio or classrooms yet, but your tutorial actually made me slightly more open to the idea.  I have heard the original too many times to be very excited by it (not to mention that even my mom has quite often broken into song during normal and even serious conversation if she happens to utter the words "let it go" ... oh, time to realize what you just said and go ahead and reiterate the words by singing, I guess  ), but I was pleasantly surprised by your rendition.  Most of my students who would have an interest in playing or singing this are much younger and quite beginning, so even though they would not use these harmonies, it at least gives me ideas.  Or, it at least releases my senses ever so slightly from the tediousness they have felt about this song in general.

Thanks for posting your ideas!

PS - I would agree with one of the comments on your YouTube, in that the camera work is a bit of a difficult angle for me, though I can understand what you were thinking.

[creationrage]

Thanks m1469! I am teaching this to a few of my students but in a very basic way, ie just playing a rhythmically simplified melody and a bass line. The idea came to me when a teacher I interviewed with said a lot of her students wanted to learn it but the sheet music was too hard for them. I rarely use sheet music to teach, as I usually teach students what they want to learn by listening to it on youtube and transcribing it for them (this probably wouldn't work in a classroom setting though). I'm glad you liked it! My purpose was to educate my students and beyond about creativity in music, and that just because the original sounds a certain way doesn't mean that has to be how everyone should play it.

I actually posted another video of a Maroon 5 song about a week ago where I fixed the camera angle, feel free to check it out! Same concept as Let It Go, take something simple and take it to the next level.

[cbreemer]

Great playing ! Maybe it helps that I don't know the original ;-)
I don't think much of the ending though. An open ending is fine, especially in jazzy music, but
this just feels like unfinished business.

[creationrage]

Thanks a lot cbreemer! I like making the audience want more at the end, but you may want to just go to your piano and play your own ending if it drives you nuts!