Question 1

How do lessons for improvisation work?

Accepted Answer

I believe in teaching "the process." The goal is for the student to learn how to teach themself. I find that this takes a few regular lessons to get the hang of, but after that students should only need occasional check-ins when they're having trouble cracking a problem. Generally, lessons will look something like this:

-Discuss the improvisation process and necessary components thereof. 
-Identify the goal material. Which genre do you want to play in? Which players do you enjoy?
-Examine the traits of chosen genre or players? What do you like about it/them?
-Choose material to transcribe. The selection should embody qualities of the goal.

For next lesson:
-Transcribe the material (writing optional). Perform and analyze in next lesson.
-Compose your own relevant material (chorus, melody, arrangement, etc.) Perform and analyze in next lesson.

Afterwards, we will reflect upon the process. Which parts were easy? Which ones were difficult? Why? After each lesson, I will send you an email recapping the content we discussed and a To Do list for the next lesson.

We will also address instrument-specific issues as well as stylistic elements such as nuance and time feel. Eventually, you will be able to do this by yourself. You'll know what I'm going to say without taking a lesson. You'll become the Avatar.

Question 2

What do I need for an online improv lesson?

Accepted Answer

You'll need the following:
-Your instrument
-A stable internet connection
-FarPlay*
-Headphones/earbuds

*FarPlay is a video conferencing application (like Zoom). Unlike the other apps, FarPlay transmits uncompressed audio with low-latency. This means our lessons will have high quality audio without a bunch of lag. It's free, and you don't need to make an account.

Upon booking a lesson, you'll get a confirmation email. Around 5 minutes before your lesson, you'll get an email with a FarPlay Session ID to enter the room.

Question 3

What are the prerequisites?

Accepted Answer

The prerequisites are the "building blocks" of improvisation. For these lessons, you'll need to have a basic understand of the following:
-Nashville numbers
-Basic music theory/fundamentals of harmony
-How to build arpeggios for a given chord symbol
-Major scales up and down your instrument

I'm not asking for perfection here. Those don't need to be flawless, and I won't kick you out if you stumble through Gb. I'm just asking that you don't show up and say "I know C major in one octave/position but that's it." We won't get very far in that case, and I don't want you to waste your money!

If you struggle with any of those subjects, there is a wealth of information out there to get you up to speed. Don't get discouraged!

Question 4

Can I take a lesson if I'm a beginner?

Accepted Answer

If you are a beginner as it relates to improvising, then absolutely. Just check out the list of prerequisites above. If you are a beginner as it relates to playing your instrument or music in general, I wouldn't advise it. These lessons are like taking an upper-level university course in terms of content. I would be lost walking into Statistics 3500. Dig?

Question 5

But money?

Accepted Answer

Ah yes- "Why is it so expensive?" / "The person at my local store only charges $5 per lesson"

I will try to explain this without sounding pretentious. These are what I consider "specialist" lessons. I have multiple degrees and significant performance experience playing with world-class musicians. I am quite literally an expert in my field. The question is, "Do you need an expert?"

When you're first learning an instrument, you don't need someone with my pedigree to teach you. Most people need regular lessons with someone who is competent, can show them the basics, and will make sure they're practicing and building effective habits. This, however, is high-level stuff. Learning an instrument is the easy part (relatively speaking). What we're trying to do here is cultivate a significantly more difficult skill- one that is much more subjective and involves your own tastes.

Spending this kind of money would be a waste if you're just starting out. You don't need to hire Peyton Manning to teach you how to throw a football. There are a million people who can teach that relatively basic skill. You hire a guy like Peyton Manning to teach you what those other million people can't teach you- nuance, deep concepts, vision, etc. I don't mean that to come across as "I'm the best" and "No one else can do what I do" because both of those statements are false. But my point is that you're paying for a specialist. If you don't need a specialist, you should balk at the price. If you're looking for a specialist, the price should make sense to you.

Question 6

What's the cancellation policy? How do I cancel or reschedule a lesson?

Accepted Answer

You can cancel or reschedule up until 24 hours before your lesson time. To do so, create an account on the booking page (the one that says Fill Out Your Details. Click Log In → Sign Up). This account is only for booking- it will not email you any garbage. If you choose not to create an account, you'll have to email me at ben@domusicgood.com to cancel your lesson.

Question 7

Can I sign up for a mailing list to get 5 free tips that will make me play better, or maybe a cheatsheet of all the melodic minor modes?

Accepted Answer

No

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