Student’s question:
I’m just getting started in IFR. Should I practice in all keys right from the beginning? Or is it better to master one key at a time?
How we approach this in IFR:
In IFR we strive to be “key agnostic” because this is how our ear works naturally. The sensations that we feel and enjoy when we listen to a song are available equally in all 12 keys. So if we want to be able to express these sounds in our own music, we need to be able to see this musical landscape clearly in any key. And once we truly understand a musical idea, it should be available to us in all 12 keys. This is the sign that a musical idea has truly become “ours”.
But there are many paths to this goal, and there is interesting work to be done at many places along the way. If you are a relative beginner on your instrument, you might choose to focus on just one or two keys that are especially easy for you to play. This will minimize the technical difficulties and allow you to focus on the musical lessons about harmony and improvisation. This approach can greatly accelerate your learning by giving you an agile workspace to explore musical ideas. And since these same musical ideas are available to you in all 12 keys, you really only need one key in order to explore the ideas themselves.
But there is still the matter of those “technical difficulties” that we experience when we try to play in less familiar keys. Remember that improvising is not only mental but also physical. Because our art form happens in time, there is a role for physical exercise and conditioning so that we can express ourselves easily in the moment. Whenever we’re working on this aspect of our musical ability, we might intentionally prioritize the keys that are the most difficult or unfamiliar to us. But because we’ve already developed a certain level of comfort and mastery in the more familiar keys, we have a clear picture of the vocabulary and agility that we’re striving to attain in the other keys as well.
The question of whether to focus on one key at a time or to explore all keys equally right from the beginning is an entirely personal choice. My own preference is to study all keys equally right from the beginning because I enjoy the beauty and the mathematical elegance of this vision. If some keys are easier for me to play than others, I don’t want to exacerbate this imbalance by spending even more time in the familiar keys. So if anything, I tend to prioritize the less familiar keys in my own practicing.
But depending on your own personal needs and tastes, you might find that playing in just one key gives you quicker access to the beautiful experience of improvising your own music with ease and confidence. This is important! Just getting your first taste of that thrilling experience can be a great motivator that helps you envision how you want to approach all the rest of your practicing.
So I would just encourage you to just follow your own curiosity and enjoyment. Truly there’s no wrong answer. You have all the time in the world. On the days when you’re feeling ambitious and serious, do some work in one of those “unfamiliar keys” and start to gain some valuable experience there. But on the other days when you’re feeling a strong desire to just express yourself creatively and play your heart out, just enjoy playing in the keys that come most easily and naturally to you. Both experiences are valuable, and both are essential to your musical growth.
