Published:
2020-04-24
Updated:
2024-09-04

Learning Ukulele with Curt

Improvisation - Improv - Solos

Improvisation, or "improv," is the art of creating solos, licks, and riffs. It is one of the parts of creating music that gives beginners and intermediate players trouble.

Main Category: Improvisation Main Instrument: Improvisation

6 August 2026

Improvisation - Improv - Solos

Improvisation, or "improv", is the art of creating solos, licks, and riffs. It is one of the parts of creating music that gives beginners and intermediate players trouble.

It's not the note you play that's the wrong note – it's the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong.Miles Davis

Here is what the late great (jazz trump) Dizzy Gillespie said about improv when asked What do you feel inside when you start improvising in jazz music?.

The first thing you must have is a picture of what you’re supposed to do. (He's referring to the chordal structure or harmony of the tune).

Then, I have the rhythm that I want to portray with this harmony, and then I put the notes of the harmony with the rhythm. I’m a rhythm man. — Dizzy Gillespie

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Modular Phonetic Rhythm, - Chuck Anderson

Modular Phonetic Rhythm represents a significant advance in the teaching and application of rhythm. Eliminating many inefficient aspects of rhythm education, Modular Phonetic Rhythm streamlines the traditional educational approach, resulting in a reflexive reaction to rhythm.

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    Improvisation - Improv - Solos - "Take It!"

    Improvisation or “improv” is the art of creating solos, licks and riffs and are one of the parts of creating music that gives beginners and intermediate players trouble.

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    Scale and Mode History

    The history of scale modes dates all the way back to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras (569BC- 475BC) who discovered the numerical ratios which determine the intervals of the musical scale.

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    Six Essential Scales for `Ukulele

    These are six essential scales for ANY instrument, not just the ukulele.

    The six essential scales are: Blues, Major Pentatonic, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, and Ionian. From the six essential scales, you can get through a wide variety of traditional and contemporary music.

    Most music starts with a scale. The melody, chords, licks and riffs all can be related back to a particular scale or scales.

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    Essential Jazz Scales for `Ukulele

    A scale is simply a collection of pitches or notes, not really “this is a Jazz scale", “this is a Blues” or “this is a Rock scale”. It’s how a scale is used that really matters.

Series Info

Improvisation

Improvisation

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