Violin Class

Why classical violinists don't improvise: A history

Julia Reddy

Classical violinists are expected to have the skills to play virtuosic repertoire, beautiful melodies, and sight read almost perfectly...so why can't most improvise over simple chord changes? The history is pretty fascinating!

Sources: 

The Decline of Improvisation in Western Art Music: An Interpretation of Change -Robin Moore
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43873094?seq=1

Ferand, Ernst T. “Improvisation in Music History and Education.” Papers of the American Musicological Society, 1940, pp. 115–125. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43873094. Accessed 4 Dec. 2020.

Ivor Keys - Mozart, His Music in His Life

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Recommended listening:

Stephanie Grapelli & Django Reinhardt - Minor Swing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CDoJFmdFgA



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