From The Improv Handbook: The problem for improvisers is anxiety. The Improv Handbook is the most comprehensive, smart, helpful and inspiring guide to improv available today. Applicable to comedians, actors, public speakers and anyone who needs to think on their toes, it features a range of games, interviews, descriptions and exercises that illuminate and illustrate the exciting world of improvised performance. First published in , this second edition features a new foreword by comedian Mike McShane, as well as new exercises on endings, managing blind offers and master-servant games, plus new.
The Comedy Improv Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to University Improvisational Comedy in Theatre and Performance is a one-stop resource for both improv teachers and students, covering improv history, theory, maxims, exercises, games, and structures.
You will learn the necessary skills and techniques needed to become a successful improviser, developing a basic understanding of the history of improvisation and its major influences, structures, and theories. This book also addresses issues associated with being a college improviser — like auditions, rehearsals, performances, and.
This friendly, informative book looks at the reasons many actors hate improvisation, while quietly reinforcing the reasons improv is a vital part of acting and of theatre. In this landmark work Keith Johnstone provides a revelatory guide to rediscovering and unlocking the imagination. Admired for its clarity and zest, Impro lays bare the techniques and exercises used to foster spontaneity and narrative skill for actors.
These techniques and exercises were evolved in the actors' studio, when he was Associate Director of the Royal Court and then in demonstrations to schools and colleges and ultimately in the founding of a company of performers called The Theatre Machine. The example below shows the first four bars of Bye Bye Blackbird. Notice that the entire phrase is harmonized by the I chord.
Notice how well this still fits the melody. Note the alterations to fit the melody. This is called tri-tone substitution and is explained in more detail on the next page. Notice the smooth descending bass line. It functions by replacing that chord with a dominant seventh a tri-tone half an octave away.
This works because the most important notes in each chord, the 3rd and the 7th, are the same in both dominants. The root and fifth of the first chord become the 11 and the b9 of the tritone and vice-versa, as in the following example. This means that the two dominants can be substituted for each other at will. Notice how nicely the bass notes flow chromatically downward.
A good piano and bass player will be able to pick up on these nearly instantly. While the scale degrees for the chords are the same II, V, and I , the qualities are somewhat different. The ii chord is always half-diminished, the V7 chord is always altered, and the I chord is minor.
The V7 chord also sometimes has the alterations spelled out. And occasionally, the I chord can be major instead of minor. Instead, you must use different modes of the melodic minor scale. The ii chord is played by the melodic minor scale a minor third higher. The V7 chord is played by the melodic minor scale one half-step higher. And finally, over the one chord you can use its own melodic minor scale.
Make sure to transpose them into all twelve keys and also practice them ending up on the minor and major I chords. The most commonly used of these are the diminished and whole-tone scales, each of which are used often in modern jazz.
In either case, because the pattern is so repetitious, it means that there are really only 3 diminished scales as the same one can be used for 4 different keys. Try playing the C diminished scale starting on Eb, Gb, and A. Notice how the pattern is exactly the same. Even less to learn! There are no "avoid" notes in diminished scales, so almost everything you can play will sound good. The HW diminished scale can be played over 7 b9 chords, although you can also use it for chords with more alterations, such as a 9 and a Because the scale is so repetitive, there are endless licks that can be made up.
Here are some possibilities using the scale in the key of C. As its name implies, the scale is made up completely of whole steps. As with the diminished scale, its repeating pattern allows the same scale to be used over different keys -- in this case, there are only two whole-tone scales that you need to learn. There are no avoid notes with this scale, everything sounds equally correct. Because there is so little contrast between the intervals, the sound of the whole tone scale can be a bit outdated, and it is recommended that you use it in small doses to avoid boredom.
Be creative! Usually what ends up happening is the alteration gets skipped entirely and some form of major scale is played, which, of course, leads to clashes with the rhythm section and "wrong" notes. Here is some simple formulas for playing the correct alterations on 6 of the most common complicated chord types.
In each case, the notes include the 3rd and 7th the two most important notes in any chord and a major triad in a different key.
This triad will cover all of the correct altered notes in each chord. Notice that there is Ab Major A Major no third in a sus4 chord. You can create your own exercises based on these triads to practice playing over altered chords. I recommend that you try to commit the chart above to memory as soon as possible to avoid depending too much on written music. Listen to the song! Listen until you have the major details memorized. Try to not only pay attention to the melody line or your own instrument but spend some time focusing on each member of the rhythm section.
Can you hear the chord changes? Can you find the form? If you can, find multiple recordings. Learn the melody, by memory if possible. Play along with your recording. If the melody has a verse at the beginning, learn that too. Even better than reading the head out of a fake book is learning it by ear from a recording. Determine the form of the tune.
Is it blues? How many bars is it? If it falls into one of these standard types, it will make your job much easier. Learn the chord changes. Use a fake book if necessary, but be careful to find one that is reliable. The Jamey Aebersold series of books is usually very accurate.
Work over the chord changes. Play scales, arpeggios, and digital patterns. Hold the 3rds and 7ths. Use a play-along record or a metronome to help you keep good time. Can you say the 3rds and 7ths in time with the metronome? Find the connections between the chord changes. Is there a section that is repeated in a different key? Is there a series of dominant seventh chords descending in whole steps?
If there are chords or sequences of chords that you find difficult, isolate them and practice them individually. Use a play-along, computer software, or just play with a metronome. Jazz masters such as John Coltrane and Clifford Brown would spend hours practicing the exact licks that they would later perform. Improvise on the chord changes.
Again, use a play-along, computer, metronome, or find a friend to comp on piano. Play at a variety of tempos and styles. As soon as you are able, play from memory. Learn the tune in a different key. Particularly if you have to play with singers, songs may not always be in the expected key. Improvisation Acting I. Frances White, Deborah. I5S27 In writing this book, we have tried to serve two masters.
On the one hand, we want to give as broad an overview as possible. We have tackled questions like: Where did improvisation come from? Where is it going? What is it good for? Who are the major leaders and how do they differ?
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