The lessons in this website contain examples in MIDI and are based on weekly lessons (timetable) I have given during 20 years in Dutch to groups of 15 course-members.
The Dutch radio payed attention to my approach of learning to improvise. For the translation of the text click here.
The program 'vanBasco's Karaoke Player' may be instructive as it has the keyboard of a piano showing which keys are hit if the music is offered in MIDI. The program is freeware and can be downloaded from http://www.vanbasco.com/ this is the software.
Here are improvisations in MIDI I have made on different dates:
020825, 020904a, 020904b, 020905, 020907, 021114a, 021114b, 021114c, 021115a, 021115b, 021120a, 021120b, 021120c, 021120d, 021120e, 021120f, 021124x, 021204, 040115, 041029, 041031, 050504a, 050525b, 050604a, 050604b, 050701a, 050614a, 050614b, 050614c, 050621a, 050621b, 050622a, 050628a, 050701b, 050701c.
Here are the chord schemes and plays (by me in MP3) of songs:
Avalon, Bill Baily please come home, Chicago, Dr Jazz, Georgia, I'm confessing, I'm looking over, Is you is or is you ain't, I've got the world on a string, I will wait, Je suis seul ce soir, J'attendrai, I gonna sit right down, Muziekmilieu, My way, Shine, Some of these days, Stormy weather, On the sunny side of the street, Valentine.
Here are songs in MP3 played by me:
Ain't she sweet, Babyface, Besame mucho, Careless love song, Charleston, Danny Boy, Hello Dolly, Foolish Heart, Heart of my heart, I'm beginning, Lady is a tramp, Lover come back, Ma he's making eyes at me, Margie, Second hand Rose, The shadow of my heart, The sheik of Araby, Smoke gets in your eyes, Tipperary, The very thought of you, We'll meet, When you're smiling, Who's sorry now?, Yes sir, that's my baby.
MUSIC- DICTIONARY:
English-Dutch / Dutch-English.
Who improvises becomes interested in music-theory. The English literature contains good information, but a regular dictionary insufficient music-words. An example is 'the pitfall': the 'parallel key' of C is Cm, but the 'relative key' of C is Am.
'Remarks dictionary' justifies the plan and shows how words can be added, removed, changed, automatically sorted out and printed as a book.
Mail in English to: postmaster@improvise.nl.
Copyright: This website contains many original ideas of my own, collected over years of experience and research. I hope you will appreciate them, and if you use them, please be so kind to refer to my website or me.
Municipal Honour: De Zilveren Waalbrugspeld
On October 24 2005, Jan Krammer has been decorated by the mayor of the city of Nijmegen, Mrs. G. ter Horst, with the Zilveren Waalbrugspeld, (literally translated from Dutch to English: ''the Silver Waal Bridge Pin'') for his cultural and social services for the city of Nijmegen.
For a translation of the text of the speech click here.
Royal Decoration: Jan Krammer knighted as Member in the Order of Oranje Nassau
On April 24, 2006, Jan Krammer has been knighted by the mayor of the city of Nijmegen, Mrs. G. ter Horst, as Member in the Order of Oranje Nassau. It has pleased Her Majesty the Queen to grant him this Royal Decoration for his exceptional and outstanding services to the community on the field of culture.
For a translation of the text of the speech click here
Jan Krammer has been operated on a brain tumor on July 28 2005. His language center was affected by this operation which made it impossible for him to work on this website personally ever since. He died of cancer on July 5 2006.
Last change of the website: 2007 January 1.