[GhostGoat]

Wow, that's great advice Wolfgang. I only play keyboards a little, but I play a couple of other instruments and grew up with a piano in the house. (I have a crappy Yamaha keyboard, not sure of the model but its a cheapie).

Anyhow to take Wolfgang's statement about learning music theory to open up improvisation a little further, here's how I approached this subject, based on what musical knowledge I already had.

A lot, if not most, of rock music is in the keys of E and A, so the following is directed with that in mind. Once you are comfortable playing the E and A major chords with your left hand, learn the pentatonic minor scale in the key of E. Its a simple five note scale, all white keys:

E G A B D E

The pentatonic minor is basically the blues scale (minus one note), but it also is a big part of rock music, and all pop music in general.

Noodle around with that scale with your right hand, while you play the E chord with your left (tip: start out your right hand phrases with the E note, which is the tonic note of the key you are in). After a while try alternating playing the E and A chords with your left hand while continuing to play notes in the E pentatonic minor scale with your right. (Starting out, I'd just concentrate on a one or two octave area with your right hand, before playing way up the keyboard).

(There are many left hand patterns to be learned later, boogie woogie shuffles, walking bass lines, etc., that sound good and are easy to play, but for now I'd stick with just the regular chords for the left hand).

Once you are comfortable with the E pentatonic minor scale, learn the A minor pentatonic. Its also all white keys:

A C D E G A


Practice this scale primarily with your left hand playing the A chord, then try mixing the D and E chords in.

Also, try alternating between playing the E chord with the E pentatonic minor, to the A chord with the A pentatonic minor scale. Go back and forth between the two and really get comfortable playing them.

To play in the country scale, just transpose the scale 3 notes down on the keyboard (don't forget to include the black keys as you are counting keys). Always start the scale with the root note of the key you are playing in.

For instance in the key of A, the country scale is:

A B C# E F# A



In the key of E, its:


E F# G# B C# E

Now you may not be interested in playing country, but the scale is actually used a lot in rock music too (Stones, the Dead, Eagles, etc.). And when you mix the country scale and the pentatonic minor scale together, you get the rock scale, as used by everyone from Chuck Berry to AC/DC to Metallica:

Key of E:

E F# G G# B A B C# D E

Key of A:

A B C C# D E F# G A

When playing these, concentrate on emphasizing the notes found in the minor pentatonic, particularly your root tonic notes (E in the key of E, A in the key of A). Use the notes from the country scale as passing notes (filler notes between the notes of the pentatonic minor).

Well I hope I didn't confuse anyone with this, I hope some of you gain from my shortcuts in learning to improvise. To be sure, there is a wealth of musical joy to be found in more advanced chords and more exotic scales, but it all pretty much starts with this.

Good luck!