Improvisation  -  Rusty Burge

What is harmonic improvising in 2025?

1. jazz, world music, pop, contemporary music, etc.

2. employment!

3. different from everything else in percussion

Sound - first thing band/audience hears is your sound

1. Instrument

2. Mallets

3. Player - technique and touch

Time - everyones responsible for the time (metronome 2 & 4)

Phrasing - practice ending phrases (easy to start but harder to end)

Basics

Improvisation starting place (start with one key area)

1. Rhythm - use what you already have

2. Melodic - find color tones - anything you can sing or whistle

3. Patterns - musical ways to use patterns

4. Grace Notes - coloring

5. Borrowing phrases - transcribing

Next steps

1. Learn basic jazz harmony chords and scales (reasonable pace)

2. Combine two chords (or more) and see how they interact

3. Learn basic two note voicing (3,7) this leads to four note voicings

4. Learn tunes (any style but not too difficult to start)

Chord Sheet

Diminished Patterns (octatonic)