Improvise rhythmic and melodic phrases freely or within given structures, individually or as part of a group

Ask learners to improvise musical sounds and phrases freely in response to a picture or story.

Play and repeat an auto-accompaniment using an eight-bar chord pattern:

• asking learners to take turns improvising on a five-note (pentatonic) pattern, keeping time with the auto-accompaniment
• using fills to provide a cue for each learner’s response
• extending the chord pattern to 12 bars
• explaining to learners that they must count carefully and follow the chord changes
• encouraging them to give their improvised solo a clear beginning and end

As learners gain confidence, encourage them to extend the range of the pentatonic pattern across two or more octaves.

As an extension, ask learners to create their own chord patterns, or build on melodic and rhythmic patterns taken from pieces being learnt.

Ask learners to improvise modal/blues melodies using call and response, with increasing expectation of accuracy in terms of rhythm, dynamics and articulation.

Introduce a simple structure by asking learners to improvise a ‘sandwich’ rondo. Swap roles: teacher plays rondo and learner improvises episodes.