#13: How to Teach Improvisation from Lesson One (No Jazz Degree Required)
How to Teach Improvisation from Lesson One (No Jazz Degree Required)
Have you ever had a student or parent ask you to teach improvisation and felt your stomach drop a little?
If yes, you're in good company.
Paul's master's research found that around three quarters of piano teachers never or almost never improvised when they were learning themselves. And when he asked teachers what they most wanted help with, improvisation came out on top, above everything else.
So if you've been filing improvisation under "I'll deal with that later," this is your moment.
Why So Many Teachers Avoid Improvisation (And Why It's Not Your Fault)
Most of us grew up reading first. Notation always. Classical repertoire. If you strayed from the dots, you got into trouble and you never did it again.
That’s not a “you” problem. Sadly, it’s a gap in how all of us were trained.
And here's what happens as a result. Teachers consider improv to be "advanced." They introduce it once students are ready. But then when students are advanced, it feels too late to go back to the beginning, and the whole thing just becomes too hard.
The truth is, improvisation doesn't belong at the end of the journey. It belongs at the very start.
What the Research on Improvisation Actually Says
Paul has just completed his Master's thesis, surveying hundreds of piano teachers and interviewing twenty of them. Two findings stood out.
First, around three quarters of teachers had never or almost never improvised when they were learning piano themselves. Second, when asked what they most wanted help with, improvisation came out higher than everything else. More than nine out of ten teachers wanted support in teaching it.
And there's more. Research showed that improvisation activities actually improved creative thinking in six-year-old kids. When children make real choices at the piano rather than copying symbols off a page, they are building executive function; the same executive function Dr Anita Collins talked about in Episode 11. Making choices, changing when something isn't working, developing agency over their own music.
Improvisation gives that on steroids.
The Copy Me Game: A First Lesson Activity That Actually Works
In Episode 13 of the Piano Teaching Success Podcast, Paul shares a video of himself doing this exact activity with an adult student in his very first lesson ever.
Watch it above.
Here's what you'll notice. There is no sheet music. No counting out loud. No talk of right or wrong. Paul starts the backing track, plays a short phrase using just four fingers, and the student copies him back.
That's it.
And here's what is actually happening underneath that simple activity:
- Focused listening.
- Beat - Feeling the pulse in the body.
- Coordination - Keeping one thing going while responding to another.
- Confidence - One bar at a time, the student thinks "I can do this."
- Rhythm - Complex rhythms the student has probably already danced to in their life, now coming out through their hands.
- Recovery - When a mistake happens, you laugh and keep going.
Why Backing Tracks Change Everything
The thing carrying this whole activity is the backing track.
When a backing track is running, students cannot rush it or drag it. They have to listen, feel, and lock in. That is a foundational musicianship skill that pays off in everything they do at the piano afterwards. The student who learns to play with a track is the student who feels the pulse rather than just counting it. Who listens while they play. Who makes music rather than just producing notes.
And for the teacher, a great backing track means you don't have to worry about keeping the beat and the energy up yourself. You can focus entirely on the student, the interaction, and the connection.
A Few Tips Before You Try This
Don't move to the student giving you a phrase too soon. They need to build a vocabulary of phrases first, and that takes time. Do the Copy Me Game for several weeks, gradually making the phrases longer, before you ask them to lead.
Keep it to four fingers to start. Leaving the thumb out keeps hands relaxed and stops that beginner habit of scrunching up.
Use the blues scale. It sounds cool immediately, which matters more than you'd think!
There is no right or wrong. If someone plays a wrong note, laugh about it and keep going. That’s the whole point.
How to Get Started
In Episode 13 of the Piano Teaching Success Podcast, we walk you through the activity so you can try it yourself before you bring it into your studio.
We also have a free download to get you started straight away.
🎁 Free Download: Improv Intro Activity
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