 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: chipper
Date: 2004-11-24 14:01
I'm a new player, lessons for just over a year, some theory but not much, and my son is at the same level on guitar. We play sheet music together fairly well (since the instructor has a computer program to adjust the key for our different instruments) but last night he started a chord progression and I cut in with a melody that worked. I think this is called improvisation? I varied the notes of the melody, within the key of G, and I don't know which key he was playing in. But it worked, simply by accident.
How can I make this magic consistantly? How do I figure what key his chord progression is in and therefore in which key I should play? I've been trying to understand the circle of fifths but it's one of those concepts that goes over my head at this time. Perhaps it's a matter of familiarization and applicability? It's kinda like reading computer instructions, I can grasp what is being said but can't see the relevance to what I'm trying to do.
Thanks, in advance, to the experience of you folks.
Chipper
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-11-24 14:30
Hi Chipper,
No need to think about the Circle of Fifths as that tells you the number of sharps or flat in a specific key. This concept can come later.
The one thing you need to know is the Bb clarinet sounds, ignoring octaves, one note lower than the same note for a C instrument (piano, guitar, flute). So to get things to sound together, since the clarinet sounds one note lower, all you have to do is play one note higher. I'll bet you can do some of this at sight very quickly.
So, if the guitar is playing an F chord (or is in the key of F), the clarinet would be in the key of G and a G chord would be the same.
Keep it as simple as this for a bit.
HRL
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Author: ron b
Date: 2004-11-24 20:36
Right on, Chipper!
(and Hank:)
Keep it simple and uncomplicated by just doing what you're doing (noodling and doodling). Improvization, impromptu, jazz, faking, playing by ear; call it whatever you wish -- when it sounds good, that's what you're after.
All the great "improvisors", every last one of 'em, started out by doing exactly what you're doing 
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
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Author: RWW
Date: 2004-11-24 22:02
Using a blues scale with a blues progression is a nice and easy experience. Guitars in F, clarinet in G, etc.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-11-24 22:16
Hi,
As my old two Dixieland pals Bobby Truman and Hershey Cohen (we miss you guys) used to say "Ain't nothin' but the blues!" Three chord changes and you've got it
"Got drunk last night and my baby's done left town!"![[frown]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie2.gif)
HRL
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-11-25 19:31
If you don't already know what key you're in, you'll eventually learn to FEEL it by comparing notes from your instrument to what you're hearing.
For right now, just noodle around and try things.
If you know what key you're in, just noodle around the notes of your major scale. If you need something safer, there's a pentatonic scale (1-2-3-5-6) that's pretty easy to pick up.
My advice for now is to try an reproduce the successful experiement that you just had, using the same song. You often make great gains simply from reverse-engineering something that just happened to work.
Allen Cole
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Author: chipper
Date: 2004-11-26 13:12
Comming from the attitude that "I" could never play music, the moment this impromptu jam session clicked was a magical moment in my life. And especially to do this with my child. I hear some families don't even eat together. So we will keep this up and maybe someday will play at an open mike night or other amature venue. I tried the third chair with our civic band but cannot keep up with them yet. Perhaps in the spring.
Thanks for the encouragement
C
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