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Basic techniques in improvisation: Session 5 - Harmonising melody

In October 2016, we ran the Festival of Making Music - a weekend of music-making workshops in Scotland aimed at exploring shared concepts of rhythm, melody and harmony using simple tunes as a basis for improvisation.

Following the success of the workshops (conducted by award-winning educator Professor Richard Michaels BEM), we have created a video series to allow everyone to benefit from his top tips on improvisation.

This session demonstrates how to re-harmonise a melody using the II-V-I sequence.

Basic techniques in improvisation: Session 3 - Using the II-V-I chord sequence

In October 2016, we ran the Festival of Making Music - a weekend of music-making workshops in Scotland aimed at exploring shared concepts of rhythm, melody and harmony using simple tunes as a basis for improvisation.

Following the success of the workshops (conducted by award-winning educator Professor Richard Michaels BEM), we have created a video series to allow everyone to benefit from his top tips on improvisation.

This session demonstrates how any tune can be made to sound more colourful and interesting by using the II-V-I chord sequence.

Basic techniques in improvisation: Session 2 - Using chords

In October 2016, we ran the Festival of Making Music - a weekend of music-making workshops in Scotland aimed at exploring shared concepts of rhythm, melody and harmony using simple tunes as a basis for improvisation.

Following the success of the workshops (conducted by award-winning educator Professor Richard Michaels BEM), we have created a video series to allow everyone to benefit from his top tips on improvisation.

This session demonstrates how to improvise on a standard tune, using the chord changes of G and D7.

Basic techniques in improvisation: Session 1 - Using a scale

In October 2016, we ran the Festival of Making Music - a weekend of music-making workshops in Scotland aimed at exploring shared concepts of rhythm, melody and harmony using simple tunes as a basis for improvisation.

Following the success of the workshops (conducted by award-winning educator Professor Richard Michaels BEM), we have created a video series to allow everyone to benefit from his top tips on improvisation.

An introduction to: Barbershop

At Making Music we're having a look at some of the music that our members make, and we've decided to begin with Barbershop. What makes this genre so unique? Why is it so easy for Barbershop singers to get hooked on this music? And what's this about 'singing polecats'?