Performance in improvisation

[panolof]

Hey all you people  

Let me get right to it - I'm performing in a music competition for improvisation soon, and would like all the help I could get. Down below is a link to a YouTube clip of an improv from today.
If there is any musical thematic material or even basic progressions or scales in foreign keys that would help my musical vocabulary grow - I'd be forever in debt to you

Warmest regards
And have a great one,
Panolof

[cimirro]

Hello Panolof

Well, I love improvisations, and I see you have possibilities of developing a lot,
I listened the full recording, for now I think the ideas were too much "the same" and I do not like the full thing, 2 minutes would be maximum for keeping the same as it is.

You can try some different things:

- Melody in the left hand and harmony in the medium-high piano register
- More contrasting sections (if possible using the same melody again)
- 2 different melodies at the same time in a section
- try different arpeggios in the left hand, different ostinatos, textures, etc.
Without all these listed above the improvisation will not be more than a repeated thing in different scales/chords.

Of course, you must try all the harmonic combinations, and the experience will be very helpful when improvising, so nothing better than time.

I have no idea which kind of competition is this you are planning to enter, can you give more infromation about it?

If you think I can be of any help send me a PM.

Best
Artur Cimirro

[cuberdrift]

My knowledge and experience on this matter is quite little, though I'll share what I know.

Maybe you could try devising a series of simple "variations", each one based on a particular style of music.

Well, for me, I think this has what has helped me the most in my improvising (I am no jazz player, just one who likes to do it for fun).

I'm not sure. I think this kind of exercise helps us gain a firmer knowledge of the keyboard. In my opinion we become more flexible as we do these "variations" - it is not improvisation actually, since you're thinking it out in advance.

Best wishes!
cuberdrift