Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
This course is an introduction to improvising (‘soloing’) in popular music styles including folk, blues, rock and jazz. We’ll look at the characteristics of each style and the important ways they relate to each other.
What will we cover?
We will explore the most important approaches to melodic improvisation such as scale choices, phrasing, chord sequences, ‘blue’ notes and extensions. We will look at stylistic features that are typical in each genre, giving your improvisation an authentic and authoritative sound.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Produce musical solos using aural skills, an increased understanding of scale types, and an appreciation of stylistic elements that go to make a ‘sound’.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is aimed at students who read music, since course materials include written music notation. A basic understanding of chord types, and the ability to play major and minor scales in several keys on your instrument, will be useful.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
There will be demonstrations in the session to consolidate areas of study; we will analyse classic solos for their characteristic features. You will get the most from the course if you are able to practise between sessions; materials will be supplied to support your independent practice.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
All course materials and resources will be available in class and also in the google classroom.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
This is a supplement to instrumental pop and jazz musicianship courses.
David Harrison studied at Oxford Brookes university before taking a post-graduate diploma in saxophone performance at Guildhall School of Music & Drama. David has been teaching at City Lit since 1994. In 2004 he wrote a guitar player’s guide for Collins and joined Music Sales in 2005 to update the famous A Tune A Day tutor series, eventually producing over 40 titles as series editor of the relaunched A New Tune A Day books, which has since become the biggest-selling music tutor series worldwide. Since 2010, David has worked freelance writing, editing and producing mainly educational titles, including Abracadabra Beginning Theory (Collins Music); The Complete Ukulele Player (Music Sales) and most recently the Bob Dylan Complete (Hal Leonard), the authorised collection of every Dylan song, together with an extensive introduction covering Dylan’s acoustic guitar technique, his song-writing and Dylan’s place in the American folk music revival. Aside from his guitar and saxophone classes, David runs a course in song writing. a series of talks on the music of The Beatles, and a series on the songs of Bob Dylan’s 1960s albums.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/pentatonics-and-beyond-improvising-in-popular-music257127Pentatonics and beyond: improvising in popular musichttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/Music_theory-score_reading-1024.jpg9999GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Performing arts/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Music theory & musicianship/Courses/vm/Get Loud/Courses/vm/Summer offers/Courses/vm/Summer courses/Courses/vm/Summer courses/Summer courses in performing arts228513141351135986581361413457135661228513141351165313457<p>Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.</p>24.53004033Pentatonics and beyond: improvising in popular music9999https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/Music_theory-score_reading-1024.jpgInStockDaytimeSatKeeley StreetAvailable courses1 to 4 weeksWeekend2026-07-11T00:00:00+00:00Some experience, AdvancedJul 2026Performing artsMG4199999Pentatonics and beyond: improvising in popular music999999David Harrisonpentatonics-and-beyond-improvising-in-popular-music/mg419-2526<p>Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.</p>0000-Available|2026-07-11 00:00:00This course is an introduction to improvising (‘soloing’) in popular music styles including folk, blues, rock and jazz. We’ll look at the characteristics of each style and the important ways they relate to each other.<p>Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.</p>We will explore the most important approaches to melodic improvisation such as scale choices, phrasing, chord sequences, ‘blue’ notes and extensions. We will look at stylistic features that are typical in each genre, giving your improvisation an authentic and authoritative sound.Produce musical solos using aural skills, an increased understanding of scale types, and an appreciation of stylistic elements that go to make a ‘sound’.The course is aimed at students who read music, since course materials include written music notation. A basic understanding of chord types, and the ability to play major and minor scales in several keys on your instrument, will be useful.There will be demonstrations in the session to consolidate areas of study; we will analyse classic solos for their characteristic features.<br/>You will get the most from the course if you are able to practise between sessions; materials will be supplied to support your independent practice.All course materials and resources will be available in class and also in the google classroom.This is a supplement to instrumental pop and jazz musicianship courses.MusicMusic theory & musicianshipvirtual3034447Pentatonics and beyond: improvising in popular music229229https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/Music_theory-score_reading-1024.jpgInStockEveningTueKeeley StreetAvailable courses11 weeks or longerWeekday2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00Some experienceSep 2026Performing artsMG416229229Pentatonics and beyond: improvising in popular music229160229David Harrisonpentatonics-and-beyond-improvising-in-popular-music/mg416-2627Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.0000-Available|2026-09-15 00:00:00This course is an introduction to improvising (‘soloing’) in popular music styles including folk, blues, rock and jazz. We’ll look at the characteristics of each style and the important ways they relate to each other.Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.We will explore the most important approaches to melodic improvisation such as scale choices, phrasing, chord sequences, ‘blue’ notes and extensions. We will look at stylistic features that are typical in each genre, giving your improvisation an authentic and authoritative sound.Produce musical solos using aural skills, an increased understanding of scale types, and an appreciation of stylistic elements that go to make a ‘sound’.The course is aimed at students who read music, since course materials include written music notation. A basic understanding of chord types, and the ability to play major and minor scales in several keys on your instrument, will be useful.There will be demonstrations in the session to consolidate areas of study; we will analyse classic solos for their characteristic features.<br>You will get the most from the course if you are able to practise between sessions; materials will be supplied to support your independent practice.All course materials and resources will be available in class and also in the google classroom.This is a supplement to instrumental pop and jazz musicianship courses.MusicMusic theory & musicianshipvirtual99,22999,22999,160MG419,MG416NONESat,Tue11/07/26 - 25/07/2610:30 - 13:0010:3013:003 sessions (over 3 weeks)31 to 4 weeks,11 weeks or longerWeekend,WeekdayKSKeeley StreetDavid HarrisonSome experience, Advanced,Some experienceAvailable courses2026-07-11T00:00:00+00:00,2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00Daytime,EveningJul 2026,Sep 2026Performing arts9999,229Pentatonics and beyond: improvising in popular musicpentatonics-and-beyond-improvising-in-popular-music/mg419-2526,pentatonics-and-beyond-improvising-in-popular-music/mg416-2627<p>Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.</p>,Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.0000-Available|2026-07-11 00:00:00This course is an introduction to improvising (‘soloing’) in popular music styles including folk, blues, rock and jazz. We’ll look at the characteristics of each style and the important ways they relate to each other.<p>Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.</p>,Study how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.We will explore the most important approaches to melodic improvisation such as scale choices, phrasing, chord sequences, ‘blue’ notes and extensions. We will look at stylistic features that are typical in each genre, giving your improvisation an authentic and authoritative sound.Produce musical solos using aural skills, an increased understanding of scale types, and an appreciation of stylistic elements that go to make a ‘sound’.The course is aimed at students who read music, since course materials include written music notation. A basic understanding of chord types, and the ability to play major and minor scales in several keys on your instrument, will be useful.There will be demonstrations in the session to consolidate areas of study; we will analyse classic solos for their characteristic features.<br/>You will get the most from the course if you are able to practise between sessions; materials will be supplied to support your independent practice.,There will be demonstrations in the session to consolidate areas of study; we will analyse classic solos for their characteristic features.<br>You will get the most from the course if you are able to practise between sessions; materials will be supplied to support your independent practice.All course materials and resources will be available in class and also in the google classroom.This is a supplement to instrumental pop and jazz musicianship courses.MusicMusic theory & musicianshipconfigurable
13591351Music theory & musicianshiphttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/performing-arts/music/music-theory-and-musicianship1/2/285/1314/1351/13591/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Music theory & musicianship
