Q&A – How quickly should an improviser advance?

Student’s question:

Hi David,

I’m currently practicing the IFR exercise Seven Worlds and I’m not sure how much time I should spend in each harmonic environment before advancing to the next. Is there any guideline?

Thank you for all your support.

Mike

David’s response:

Hi Mike,

I would propose a different way of thinking about it because musical growth is not a linear process. The idea of a linear timetable doesn’t really make sense in the arts because our learning is not just about the steady accumulation of knowledge. It’s a much more subjective experience, because ultimately we have to decide for ourselves what’s important and what we find beautiful.

drawing of a metronome You’re going to keep having new insights about all of this material for the rest of your life. The deeper you go, the more vivid the world of harmony becomes. The possibilities are literally infinite, and part of being a creative musician is learning to be at peace with this infinity.

There’s certainly a value in going deep, but there’s also a value in changing the material you’re studying to get a fresh perspective. There are some things that we can only notice about a harmonic environment after switching to a different one. (Imagine eating nothing but apples your entire life, and then suddenly you taste an orange. In that moment, you understand BOTH apples and oranges much more deeply.)

So it’s important to not get “stuck” on any one lesson, or worry that you have to master one set of sounds completely before you’re allowed to enjoy anything else. The best guide is your own curiosity and inspiration. Just explore each lesson for as long as those sounds feel fresh and exciting to you. And when you’re ready for a change of scenery, don’t hesitate to dive into a different harmonic environment.

Everything in the IFR Membership fits together anyway. So truly, you can go anywhere in our site and trust that anything you explore will combine naturally with everything else.

We try to give you a clear, step-by-step path so that you can see how the world of harmony is organized. But you don’t have to walk that path in a straight line! You can take as many side adventures as you want. And all of these experiences will combine naturally to give you a very complete understanding of our musical system.

Happy exploring,
David

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