I usually try to introduce improvisation to my students as soon as possible after starting lessons with me - whether they've played before or not. As soon as they can play a note they can have a go at it. The intention is to reduce the fear that a lot of people seem to have about improvisation. Occasionally I get somebody who really wants to go for it but, on the whole, most are reluctant.
When I first started teaching I found this surprising. I assumed that most people would be like me and want to play improvised music. Evidently not the case. The worst ones are the ones that have had some musical training that didn't include improv. Lots just flatly refuse to play anything 'off the top of their head'. Fair enough, if they just want to play from dots, they can. It's the fear, though, that I find most odd. They'll quite happily massacre a piece of Bach and be totally aware of the mess they've made but won't improvise a few notes because "it'll sound rubbish". Well, so did the Bach but that didn't stop you. It's as though they expect that they should be good at it from the beginning and if they're not then it's not worth trying. Why should improvisation be different from any other skill that you have to practise?
Anyway, what are your experiences with starting improvisation? Did you embrace it eagerly or were you petrified? If the latter, then I'd be interested to know what it was about it that caused this.
When I first started teaching I found this surprising. I assumed that most people would be like me and want to play improvised music. Evidently not the case. The worst ones are the ones that have had some musical training that didn't include improv. Lots just flatly refuse to play anything 'off the top of their head'. Fair enough, if they just want to play from dots, they can. It's the fear, though, that I find most odd. They'll quite happily massacre a piece of Bach and be totally aware of the mess they've made but won't improvise a few notes because "it'll sound rubbish". Well, so did the Bach but that didn't stop you. It's as though they expect that they should be good at it from the beginning and if they're not then it's not worth trying. Why should improvisation be different from any other skill that you have to practise?
Anyway, what are your experiences with starting improvisation? Did you embrace it eagerly or were you petrified? If the latter, then I'd be interested to know what it was about it that caused this.