learn piano with improvisation

Work & Play

To learn piano, many elements come together. Learning piano involves understanding new concepts and techniques; practicing new repertoire (check out this article for practice tips); cementing your experience by performing this repertoire for your teacher or an audience; and much more. 

It can be too easy to forget that people learn piano in order to play the piano! Playing the piano should be enjoyable, not only for the listening audience, but for the piano player, too.

Improvisation is an approach to music that all pianists can access, at any skill level, that focuses on play. Not only does improvisation help the pianist learn piano, it’s rewarding unto itself. In this article, let’s define what improvisation is, what it does for the musician, and why musicians should improvise in order to better learn piano.

What Is Improvisation?

First, let’s define what improvisation is.

  • Improvisation is spontaneous. The improvising musician plays the instrument in the present moment. This requires—and strengthens—focus and concentration. It also involves letting go of self-criticism and judgement. Improvisation gives the musician freedom in the moment.

  • Improvisation is creative. A musician who improvises creates something new. This is a huge part of what makes improvisation so exciting—in fact, the improviser is often surprised himself by the music that happens. Improvisation is often personal, emotional, and satisfying for the improvisor.

  • Improvisation is collaborative. Many musicians like to improvise together; it’s like a conversation they have with one another. Of course, it’s possible to improvise alone, too. Even for the musician who improvises alone, improvisation is a collaborative process: the solitary improviser collaborates with himself. For this reason, improvisation is a social process that builds relationships.

Now we’ll get into how improvisation benefits the musician and helps one learn piano.

1. Improvisation Solidifies Lessons

Improvising gives you the opportunity to solidify techniques and concepts that you learn in your piano lessons.

Take the example of a scale, for instance. A scale is a collection of notes; a major scale differs from a minor scale by the intervals that make up that scale.

Imagine practicing a scale, up and down, note by note. C, D, E, etc. Suddenly, you start going up and down this scale with a different rhythm. One idea leads to the next. What was once a simple scale now seems more and more like the beginning of a song!

You can do this with compositions, too. Everybody can recognize Beethoven’s “Für Elise.” It’s a great accomplishment to play it perfectly—now, what can you change about it to make it yours? To change the rhythm of it? Change the emotion of it?

Improvising isn’t a distraction from learning; it IS learning. Playing a scale with enjoyment and creativity helps the musician learn that scale.

2. Emotional Connection / Stress Relief

Improvisation is a direct path to express how you’re feeling. Even more than that, improvisation is a way to better understand WHAT you’re feeling, here and now.

Composers often get their best ideas by sitting down with an instrument in order to find out how they actually feel and what they actually express. To connect with themselves, they let their instrument speak for them.

Using your instrument to connect with your emotions is rewarding and has multiple benefits: in fact, as MacDonald and Wilson argue in their article “Musical improvisation and health: a review,” music therapy includes improvisation as an important part of the process.

For best results, improvisation should be free of judgement and criticism. It is what it is. Not only is this a relief, it’s a healthy attitude for all aspectings of learning piano.

3. Get to Know Your Instrument

When improvising by yourself, you have the time to get to know your instrument. Improvisation is exploration. Take time to investigate what your instrument can do, and what you can do with your instrument.

Play something as quietly as you can, for example. Play something as loud as you can. Now alternate, soft and loud. Notice how the keys move. Pay attention to how the sounds coordinate.

Improvisation is one of the best ways for you to develop a relationship with your instrument. This means pianos, in general, but also it means your specific piano. (Not all pianos sound the same, after all.) The better relationship you have with your piano, the better you’ll be able to play; it’s just like a human relationship where, the closer you are to somebody, the more comfortable they’ll be with talking to you about anything important.

Knowing your piano through improvisation is an important way to learn piano.

4. Learn Piano the Fun Way

Finally, and maybe most importantly—improvisation is simply enjoyable. Beyond its benefits of solidifying techniques and concepts, providing emotional connection and relief, and getting to know your instrument better, improvisation is an end unto itself.

What is the end goal of learning piano, after all? It’s to provide enjoyment and enrich life. Musicians train to improve their skills and perform difficult pieces, of course, but that practice and training is not an end unto itself. Learning music helps improve the body and the mind, it’s true, but these are beneficial side effects. The goal is always enjoyment.

Improvisation is the way that all piano players, no matter how long they have been learning piano, can access the enjoyment that music is all about.

Start Now

Music is a passion that you can explore for a lifetime—but you don’t need to train for a lifetime to enjoy it. Improvisation invites you to express yourself, no matter what your level. Your instructor at MiFa can show you how. Contact us for your first free consultation today.