Improvisation is a core musical skill across a variety of styles and genres. Being able to make up music on the fly is obviously useful in and of itself, but improvisation is also an excellent tool for songwriting, composition, production, and teaching. The best way to learn how to improvise is to do it along with actual music. The problem is that so much actual music is harmonically complicated. What do you do if you have limited technique but aren’t content to run “Hot Cross Buns” over and over? To solve this problem, I’ve made a collection of tracks you can confidently improvise over using nothing but the white keys on the piano (the C major scale and its modes).
If you’re a pianist or keyboard player, you can improvise along with all the music in this post just by playing the white keys. If you’re a guitarist, consult any fingering chart for the C major scale–the default setting on Guitar Dashboard is a good one. You can also play along using your computer keyboard via the default setting on the aQWERTYon, or on the Ableton Push in its default scale mode. Trust your ears and have fun!
C Major Scale (the white keys from C to C)
Aphex Twin – “Lichen”
This track is pitched a wee bit off from A440, but it’s close enough that it shouldn’t bother you too much.
I also have a recommendation from Adam Neely:
https://t.co/e0PpP6PXbq peace piece is the c majorist of c major you’ll ever c major, although Bill occasionally gets spicy
— Adam Neely (@its_adamneely) June 18, 2020
The main spiciness comes at the end, but your white-key improvising will still sound good throughout.
D Dorian mode (the white keys from D to D)
John Coltrane – “Greensleeves”
You’ll have a few note clashes during the melody, but you can play the white keys with complete confidence otherwise. Pick a note or two to focus on and see if you can follow rhythmic patterns in the music.
E Phrygian mode (white keys from E to E)
Hildegard von Bingen, “O vis aeternitatis”
This music predates the major/minor system, which gives it that air of mystery and ancientness. You should have no trouble picking out some of the melody. Or just run freely up and down the keys.
F Lydian mode (white keys from F to F)
Beethoven – String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132: III. Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenden an die Gottheit, in Der lydischen Tonart
After the first three minutes, the energy picks up and the key changes to D major, so your white keys won’t work anymore. Skip ahead to 5:02 where the piece returns to white-key-friendly F Lydian. At 8:00 there’s another fast part in D; skip to 10:01 and you’ll be able to resume playing along on the white keys through to the end.
G Mixolydian mode (white keys from G to G)
“India” by John Coltrane featuring Eric Dolphy
Coltrane and Dolphy play a lot of notes outside of the mode, but the underlying groove stays strong within it, and playing on the white keys will sound great all the way through. You should be able to figure out the melody without too much trouble, it’s a beauty.
A Natural Minor (white keys from A to A)
Björk – “Blissing Me”
Less of a groove and more of an impressionistic atmosphere. Björk is great for shaking you out of the cliches.
B Locrian mode (white keys from B to B)
Ami Maayani – Fantasy No.7 in Locrian Mode
You don’t do a lot of improvising with Locrian mode in “real life” music, but in the spirit of completeness, I leave you with this. If nothing else, it’s a challenge for your ears.
Leave me more recommended white-key jams in the comments.
This one wanders around in multiple modes, but they’re all white-key.
https://soundcloud.com/zoundsabar/sines-beats-zoundsabar-disquiet0440/comment-1013812333
I love how you break down the theory behind the “fun!” For years I have used A Natural minor to play with people who express an interest in learning the piano – while C Major is the most accessible – it isn’t the most interesting and so I will always default to A minor – I sit on the left with one buttock hanging off the piano stool playing a simple groove – typically in 6/8 working around the A minor, F major 7 and creating a basic pattern and encouraging them to “play any white note you want” – it’s the immediacy of the melancholy that grabs them and most take to it like a duck to water – once they get comfortable we’ll throw in a D minor 7 – the odd G major and once they’re ready we might even resolve to the E – ‘cos by that time – they’re ready for a black note!