What exactly are the steps that lead to ability? In which order should they been taken? What will be required to master each one? These are questions the author has explored in this book, How to Improvise: An Approach to Practicing Improvisation, resulting in a rather unique one-thing-at-a-time approach to studying improvisation---one that incorporates discipline, technique, creativity, and musical intuition. Each topic is explained and demonstrated using written musical examples and it is accompanied by suggested exercises and a sample daily practice schedule, which can be modified to fit your own needs or liking. The book has been used by the Performance Studies Department of the Berklee College of Music in Boston for teaching improvisation since September 1988.
"Each topic is explained and demonstrated using written musical examples and it is accompanied by suggested exercises and a sample daily practice schedule, which can be modified to fit your own needs or liking. The book has been used by the Performance Studies Department of the Berklee College of Music in Boston for teaching improvisation since September 1988."
"I have reviewed, read and used practically hundreds of jazz methods and I can honestly say that NONE of them are like How to Improvise. Where other authors overly concern themselves with which scale to play on which chord or memorizing ii V I licks in every key, Crook teaches us how to play music.
Each chapter deals with a different musical aspect such as pacing, phrase lengths, time, dynamics and articulation. There's a text description of each topic followed by a comprehensive regime of exercises dealing specifically with that topic.
A lot of what's wrong with the jazz playing of young musicians could easily be fixed with this one book. I know it made a huge impact in my playing and my career. With Crook's book, I was able to take all of the technique I learned from other books and turn it into something people actually like to listen to. For that, I can't thank him enough."
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