Calendar

Event Information

  • Tue
    28
    Nov
    2023
    Sun
    03
    Dec
    2023

    Improvise a Baroque Solo

    The Art of Preluding: Improvise Your own Baroque Solo

    Other online courses:
    Quantz Baroque Ornamentation Course
    Online Summer Improvisation Course

    With L’Art de Preluder by Jean-Jacques Hotteterre
    6-days course – an hour/day – max 4 participants per time slot

    Learn to improvise solos (Preludes)
    A fun way to approach scales & technique
    Learn how modulation works
    Learn about French style

    L’Art de Preluder by Jacques Hotteterre is one of the only methods describing how to improvise as a monodic melodic instrument (like recorder, violin, or bassoon). Below you can see my in-depth video about this book. In the Baroque period even amateur musicians were able to improvise such little solos with the help of ideas like the ones in this book. Hotteterre put down a wonderfully clear and well built-up pedagogy, where we learn to start from simply playing three notes, to full-fledged preludes and even what he calls the prelude caprice, which is a longer, stand-alone solo.
    On the way we also start seeing scales and technique practice in a different and more creative way. Hotteterre’s is also the simplest approach to explaining modulation that I’ve ever come across. And finally, of course, we learn a lot about the French style: ornaments, typical melodies and affects.

    Course overview:
    Lesson 1: Using the skeleton [basic melody] and simple traits [figures practised in the scale]
    Lesson 2: Playing with different skeletons and typical French ornaments
    Lesson 3: Simple modulations, choosing meter and more complicated figurations
    Lesson 4: Typical modulation schemes and overall form
    Lesson 5: Simple characters in preludes & writing
    Lesson 6: Question, Overview and our final Preludes

    For Whom:
    The advantage of preludes is that they can be done at many levels and everyone is playing individually, so anyone can join in. However, it helps if you can play the scale of  C major (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C) at the very least.

    Dates:
    2 July – 7-July
    Times [Amsterdam time]:
    Daily at
    6:00, 11:00, 16:00 or 22:00*

    *Other times may be available as well, let me know if you are free that week but not at these times.

    Cost:
    200 € (please write in the comments for a reduction if you can’t afford this)

    Who am I?
    I am Robert. You might know me from The Scroll Ensemble or our YouTube channel. If not, in short: I have improvised in various styles in classical music for the last 20 years and teach improvisation at all levels. I teach improvisation at the Conservatory of The Hague, but have also traveled around teaching in various places in Europe and even Texas!
    Beside this I have taught many courses designed to teach amateur musicians to learn to improvise and even worked with small children with the starting points of improvisation.
    What is important for me, and what I receive most as feedback: Everyone feels safe in my class to experiment, make mistakes and learn together.

    Improvise your own Baroque solo
    Amsterdam time !! (Classes Online)