Hello everyone!
Today, I want to share with you the incredible power of storytelling in musical improvisation. After a wonderful weekend of improvisation with some great musicians, I’ve seen firsthand how having a story behind the music can transform the improvisational process.
When we have a narrative or image to guide us, our improvisations become richer and more imaginative. It’s not just about the end result, but about the journey and the creative process. A story gives us a framework to develop as we play, making the experience more engaging and meaningful.
The Power of a Story
During my recent improvisation weekend, I noticed how much more expressive and inventive our playing became when we incorporated stories. When you have a narrative to follow, it’s like having a roadmap for your imagination. This approach is especially beneficial when teaching students, especially young ones. They naturally create and develop stories, which makes their improvisation more fluid and enjoyable.
A Practical Example
Let’s explore how to use storytelling with a practical example. To begin with, I like to focus on the black keys of the piano because everything sounds “good”, though feel free to use the white keys if you prefer. The black keys form a pentatonic scale, which is great for improvisation. I’ll provide prompts and ideas on how I use storytelling in my own improvisations and introduce some compositional techniques along the way.
Imagine it’s a beautiful summer afternoon. You’re walking through the countryside, feeling the warmth of the sun. This peaceful setting can be translated into music by creating an ostinato—a repeated rhythmic and melodic pattern that represents your footsteps. As you walk, you hum a happy melody.
Suddenly, an animal darts across your path. You don’t know what it is yet, but it’s fast and intriguing. This can be represented by a swift ostinato in your left hand, with an inventive melody in your right hand. As you improvise, you’re singing along, making the experience more immersive.
Engaging with the Story
As the story unfolds, you can imagine the animal to be a fox (or any other animal), cautiously approaching you. You have a conversation through your music, with long, whole notes in the left hand and a responsive melody in the right. This musical dialogue can be even more fun if you’re playing with someone else, each taking a role in the story.
The fox eventually trusts you, and together you decide to explore further, perhaps down a hill with descending intervals in the left hand and a melody in the right hand.
This journey can be continued in your imagination, leading to countless possibilities.
When teaching children, this method is particularly effective. They come up with endless ideas, from making friends with the fox to throwing a party or going on an adventure together.
The Joy of Improvisation
The key to successful improvisation is to have fun and let go. As adults, we often take ourselves too seriously, but improvisation should be a joyful and freeing experience. During a recent workshop, a participant, a mother of six, shared how she ended up playing the piano differently after the session. She experimented with sounds, played with different parts of her body, and even explored underneath the piano. This playful approach is what music should be about—experimenting, exploring, and thinking outside the box.
Even when playing traditional repertoire, incorporating a story can bring new life to the music. Imagining a narrative while playing pieces by composers like Clementi or Mozart can make the music soar.
I encourage you to try this approach in your own playing. Experiment with storytelling in your improvisations and see how it changes your experience. Share your stories and your musical journey with us in the comments. Let’s discover together how storytelling can transform our music.
To watch the full video of Storytelling inside our Facebook group “The Music in You”, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/josee.allard.963/videos/2230769267273581?idorvanity=959497991767744
Enjoy your improvisations and happy improvising!