Frequently, instrumental music programs limit our students to reproducing notes written on the page.
The value of this type of learning is incredibly valuable in many ways.
Music educators agree that our students learn valuable skills such as listening, breaking down tasks into smaller pieces to learn new things, participating in a cooperative environment to achieve group goals, etc.
All of these skills are transferable to other aspects of daily life.
We are aware of studies that show music students' brains develop increased neural connections which increase both mathematical and verbal skills.
All of these results are reasons why music is vital to the education of all students.
There is another type of learning we can bring to our music students that provides them with an additional complementary skill set.
The process of improvisation enables students to tap into their personal creative process.
This type of thinking is critical in our increasingly entrepreneurial marketplace.
If we want to prepare the next generation for this new role in society, improvisational thinking can help them to maximize their potential throughout their lives.
Instrumental students of all levels can learn the process.
We break each key down to its simplest elements using a few notes to begin over the first chord, then add a couple more notes as confidence develops until we learn the use of the whole scale.
This process enables students to make their own choices within the given framework (particular notes over each chord), giving them freedom to be creators of music.
Students who are used to only reading notes from the page may feel a little bit uncomfortable at first with this freedom.
That is one reason why we start with only a few notes and not the whole scale.
We build successes and confidence with the initially "limiting" parameter.
It is also helpful if the teacher can demonstrate vocally or on an instrument.
Once we have learned the first scale and chord (I Blues Scale over I7) we learn the second (IV) and third (V) keys of the progression.
After we learn all 12 keys' blues scales and progressions, we learn the Dominant 7th scales and chords next.
Students are successful with this method because they can practice using the correct notes over each chord with home practice, learning to recognize what sounds "right" while learning theoretical knowledge and new techniques.
With your enthusiastic guidance, string students can experience the joys of improvising that so many students in jazz bands have known for decades.
If you want to use this improvisational process in a string ensemble setting, you can teach your students to perform a simple I-IV-V backing 12-bar progression and select a soloist to perform an improvisation.
As in learning individually, break the elements down into the smaller pieces and then join them together, increasing successes and confidence.
Who knows? The next Jean-Luc Ponty or Jaco Pastorius could be in your orchestra right now...