One of the major payoffs is being able to play with other people and also being able to write and compose your own music. For the beginning improviser, the question of what key to solo in comes up a lot. This was something I had to figure that I didn't find in any improvisation book I read when learning how to play by ear on my own. This article should demystify this commonly asked question.
Learning how to improvise on the piano takes work and patience. Understanding that each key has natural notes that fall within its scale helps tremendously when attempting to figure out what notes to use when creating melodies. Let's use a C major scale for example. The notes found in C major are: C, D, E, F, G, A and B which are commonly referred to as the I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi and vii. For notes I - vi, it is possible to build a major or minor triad using one of these notes as the root i.e., you can build a triad from the note C, D, E, F, G or A.
The roman numerals represent the chords. Some of them are capitalized while others are not. The capitalized numbers are a representation of major chords while the others represent minor chords. One can get major chords from the triad of C, G and F notes. C will consist of C, G and E notes whereas G will comprise G, D and B. F on the other hand, will consist of A, C and F. D, E and A will form the minor chords. It is crucial that one master this because it answers the question of wondering if it is necessary to change keys when moving from one chord to the other.
However, if you understand that each key consists of naturally occurring chords which you can use without actually "changing keys" then it's clear that you can solo using the dominant key, which is often times the very first chord existing in a chord pattern. Take for example the chord change/pattern C, G, Am, F. There are four different chords used in this pattern however you would solo using the C scale. As long as you use the naturally occurring chords found in the scale of C, which is basically any chord major or minor chord built from C, D, E, F, G or A, you would continue solo in C.
However if you play a chord that is not found naturally in the key of C i.e., D major (F# is not a note found in the C scale naturally) then you would have to change keys when soloing for the duration of time you are using that foreign chord.
It is important that a learner embraces practice in this sector. This is the only way that they can fully master the art of choosing the perfect key to solo when jamming. Working with your hearing skills gives the best insight on what changes to make and how to improve. The more you jam out on the piano, the faster you'll improve.
Learning how to improvise on the piano takes work and patience. Understanding that each key has natural notes that fall within its scale helps tremendously when attempting to figure out what notes to use when creating melodies. Let's use a C major scale for example. The notes found in C major are: C, D, E, F, G, A and B which are commonly referred to as the I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi and vii. For notes I - vi, it is possible to build a major or minor triad using one of these notes as the root i.e., you can build a triad from the note C, D, E, F, G or A.
The roman numerals represent the chords. Some of them are capitalized while others are not. The capitalized numbers are a representation of major chords while the others represent minor chords. One can get major chords from the triad of C, G and F notes. C will consist of C, G and E notes whereas G will comprise G, D and B. F on the other hand, will consist of A, C and F. D, E and A will form the minor chords. It is crucial that one master this because it answers the question of wondering if it is necessary to change keys when moving from one chord to the other.
However, if you understand that each key consists of naturally occurring chords which you can use without actually "changing keys" then it's clear that you can solo using the dominant key, which is often times the very first chord existing in a chord pattern. Take for example the chord change/pattern C, G, Am, F. There are four different chords used in this pattern however you would solo using the C scale. As long as you use the naturally occurring chords found in the scale of C, which is basically any chord major or minor chord built from C, D, E, F, G or A, you would continue solo in C.
However if you play a chord that is not found naturally in the key of C i.e., D major (F# is not a note found in the C scale naturally) then you would have to change keys when soloing for the duration of time you are using that foreign chord.
It is important that a learner embraces practice in this sector. This is the only way that they can fully master the art of choosing the perfect key to solo when jamming. Working with your hearing skills gives the best insight on what changes to make and how to improve. The more you jam out on the piano, the faster you'll improve.
About the Author:
The author is a well known piano instructor from Southern California. His music school in Tustin gives piano lessons Irvine and instruction for other instruments as well. You can also find his blogs on his Twitter page.