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Improvisation in Early Elementary General Music. This article explores how to improvise with your young students, starting with rhythm and then moving on to pitch. There are several singing games referenced with explanations on how to play and how to relate it to improvisation. This article breaks down the process of teaching improvisation and takes the initial fear out of it.

This site provides a plethora of jazz education advice. This is made by either professional jazz musicians or educators. It covers topics as style, improvisation and jazz history. This type of information would be useful to jazz educators.

This resource offers advice on a range of jazz improvisation topics for the aspiring jazz musician. The writer brakes down common problems an improvising musician faces and offers structured exercises and ideas to overcome particular musical issues.

This resource offers advice on a range of jazz improvisation topics for the aspiring jazz musician. The writer brakes down common problems an improvising musician faces and offers structured exercises and ideas to overcome particular musical issues.

This is a blogpost that helps give ideas and aid for helping teachers be more comfortable teaching improvisation. It is very descriptive and has sample videos supplied showing the suggestions in action. A helpful resource to help facilitate teaching improvisation to young children especially.

The article discusses a new app that was created to improve or teach improvisation concepts using loops on any particular scale.

Getting students to improvise is sometimes a very tricky task--lending itself as one of the most difficult challenges we face as teachers; however, author Steve Treseler provides a concise list of 10 steps, or strategies, for approaching the aforementioned topic with students, which includes but is not limited to building community through improvised games, choosing a piece that remains in one key center, and teaching all students the melody. By following these 10 easy steps, Treseler is convinced that students will receive the support they need to perform with confidence.

This resource provides piano teachers with tips about how to help students begin to improvise.

This program offers in the moment improvisation with a loop-based accompaniment. There are up to 4 users at a time improvising a melody together. The user can control the different sounds/ colors easily.

I like this particular blog post about being confident in teaching improvisation. It breaks down some great ideas for keeping everyone engaged and growing.

This article discusses strategies that can be used to continue to encourage students' creativity in music through pedagogical techniques.

Improvisation games that can be used for icebreakers and teambuilding exercises. They are mostly non-musical, or at least they do not require musical instruments, only the voice. Could be a good introduction to musical improvisation unit.

This is a search engine database of commonly used "licks" in jazz that can be used for specific functions. For instance, you may type in ii V I and bopland will search for all licks in its database that can satisfy a ii V I progression. It is very helpful for jazz classes and for students stuck on improvisation creativity.

This is a search engine database of commonly used "licks" in jazz that can be used for specific functions. For instance, you may type in ii V I and bopland will search for all licks in its database that can satisfy a ii V I progression. It is very helpful for jazz classes and for students stuck on improvisation creativity.

Free Improvisation software tool for beginning to intermediate jazz musicians.

The software has its occasional glitches (it is free after all) and does not allow for audio input like many paid doppelgangers, but this allows students to understand chord progressions, work out solo lines (and notate them using colorized notes for feedback), play along with auto-accompaniment and utilizes the brick chord layout for easy form understanding.

This is a companion website to a series on improvisation for students, ranging from beginner to advanced. Has anyone ever used this series? I'm considering buying it to see what it has to offer.

This website has a cool ear training applet. Other links discuss improvisation and trumpet techniques.

This website has information on Orff-Schulwerk workshops, certification courses, as well as access to resources and video demonstrations with a membership. This is a great website for general music teachers, as well as any secondary teacher wishing to incorporate movement and improvisation into their classroom. I highly recommend all general music teachers get involved in their local Orff chapter.

" Lesson 1: Free and metrically organised music (98kB)"

Michele Weir's vocal improvisation blog includes several videos about scat singing. This particular video brings math into the discussion of jazz song form. There are many more instructional videos on her website, as well as other resources for aspiring jazz singers.

This nifty Facebook group asks its members to post a video of improvisation over any given tune. Many use backing tracks while others use rhythm sections or improv by themselves. The content usually ranges between jazz standards to contemporary pop artists. Comments and critiques are welcomed, but sometimes not requested.

The Improvisation Handbooks that Alex Noppe has put together and made available for free are great resources. More methodical and up-to-date than Jamey Aebersold's jazz handbook. I use these daily in my combo teaching.