Improvise for Real: The Complete Method for All Instruments Paperback – February 27, 2013

This book should be a must-read for every music student on the planet. If you've ever felt frustrated or discouraged with music lessons in the past, this book will show you another path. Learning music can and should be a natural and fun process from the beginning.Yes, it's about improvising, but it's a lot more than that too. It's about how to play the songs you love by ear (rather than relying on painstaking memory, or having to use sheet music & charts). Sheet music & charts have an important role, but if you can't make music without them, you'll never have the satisfaction that comes from expressing your own ideas in music.With Improvise for Real, you'll learn how to play the sounds you hear, both in your own imagination and in music you love. Connecting with music in this way will give you a lifetime of pleasure and enjoyment. Perhaps you think it won't work for you because you aren't a creative or musical person. But I promise you that this gradual & systematic approach works for everyone, and it can work for you too if you are willing to give it a chance.David Reed presents the theory behind his approach, along with a systematic set of instructions and activities that anyone can follow. There are instrument-specific suggestions as well, but the overall approach is geared to musicians of all instruments.Of all the music books I own (and there are quite a few), this is the only one I revisit on a regular basis. I can't recommend it highly enough. And if you want support for the ideas in the book, be sure to visit their website and check out the workshops, resources, and courses that are available to support you on your journey.Don't let this life-changing opportunity pass you by.

This book isn't for everyone. That should be very clear. Only for those who are willing to have everything from bach, to beethoven, to billy joel completely demystified, and have the power of harmony at their fingertips. For many, ignorance is bliss. And that's okay, but if you're looking for true musical mastery, this book will help. You won't be asking for the chords to a progression anymore before entering a jam, or find yourself mentally flipping through memorized licks to show off. Every note possible on your instrument and every combination of notes will be perfectly familiar to you. That's the goal of this book. That doesn't mean you wont keep learning. There's always more to learn... after all, Bach didn't know what jazz what at his time, but he knew everything that was there for him to know.

This was a great book for deviating from pure music theory. There is theory present, but it is not presented in the typical format. This makes the book an approachable, seemingly less technical guide that supplements more rigorous theory based books. I recommend it as a complement to sight reading studies, theory studies, and unguided free improvisation.

I've been playing music for 30 years and singing professionally for about 15. I started studying jazz harmony in college and have noodled on the piano every since but not really getting very far in terms of truly creating music and improvising - i.e. - composing.The information in the book has completely changed my musical life for the better. I mean WAY better. And I've only just started the first 2 exercises. The concept is amazingly simple, but extremely powerful. It's like he gave me the key to the musical universe.One of the things David Reed teaches is what he calls "the 7 harmonic environments". Also known as modes.As per David's instruction, I've been faithfully exploring the 7 harmonic environments daily. One each day.By using the technique he teaches to explore these harmonic worlds, I noticed that they really started to stick in my mind/ear.Yesterday at the mall I was noticing the music in the stores and recognizing songs that were in 1, 2, or 6.It's interesting how many of the current hits are in the 6.And as I was listening and figuring out which harmonic environment a song is in, I would check myself on a little keyboard app on my phone, and to my astonishment find that I was correct!But even better than being "correct", I began to freely improvise along with the music just for the sheer joy of it!!!I was never able to do this after all my years of ear training and theory study. At least not this quickly and easily.This is a huge deal for a singer because we don't have buttons to push. We have to really KNOW the music inside ourselves.And David Reed has and is continuing to show me how to do that. I know the rabbit hole goes a lot deeper... and I'm super stoked toexplore what else there is to discover in harmony and melody.For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm actually CREATING (composing) and truly IMPROVISING... rather than just echoing a bunch of memorized licks and runs. I'm singing from my own imagination.. and I really can't think of anything more exciting and satisfying than that.I will be eternally grateful. And I am absolutely excited about the lessons I have yet to discover in this book.Thank you David Reed!!!