0:00 Introduction 0:36 Start 2:14 How did you come to improvise from a young age? Is that an organ thing? 9:55 How did you train your ears? 11:10 How old were you when you started to read music notation? 11:34 What are the famous organ methods? 14:12 How did you conceptualize music as a child? 24:46 Do simple things in music still interest you or do you need to be innovative all the time? 30:23 Sietze demonstrating harmonizing a simple melody in a minor key 31:43 Sietze demonstrating improvising over 5ths in imitation of organum and gregorian chant 35:11 Counterpoint 37:16 Sietze's epiphany 38:24 What do you mean by "rules" in music, as it relates to the different schools of music theory? 40:56 How do you teach a non-improvising conservatory student how to improvise at the beginning? 43:31 Piano conservatory students who can play Rachmaninoff and Liszt but can't harmonize simple nursery rhymes 46:55 What's the next step in improvisation after being able to harmonize simple songs? 48:40 Sietze transforming a static bassline into something more florid 53:32 What do you think about Rameau's theory of fundamental bass? 56:58 Do you use satzmodelle or schema theory? 1:00:33 Sietze demonstrates a free improvisation 1:01:44 Do people ask you if your improvisations are real pieces? 1:03:10 Improvising in the style of the 18th-century 1:04:51 Putting the melody in the middle voice demonstration 1:08:50 Do you prefer the 18th-century or 19th-century style to improvise in? 1:11:38 What do you think of Heinrich Schütz? 1:12:18 What do you think of Dieterich Buxtehude? 1:13:06 What do you think of Pachelbel? 1:13:47 What do you think of Handel? 1:14:34 Handel's typical use of sequences 1:15:34 What do you think of Mendelssohn? 1:16:08 What do you think of César Franck? 1:16:54 What do you think of Charles-Marie Widor? 1:17:53 What do you think of Camille Saint-Saëns? 1:20:01 Maurice Duruflé 1:22:13 As an incredible improviser yourself, do you have any improvisers you admire? 1:24:49 Sietze demonstrates a 20th-century style improvisation 1:36:48 Outro
@ 43:41 Those pianists who can play Rachmaninov, Liszt, etc, but can't play simple tunes by ear... couldn't they learn to visualise notation or would they not be able to notate tunes/improvisations either? I'd like to know, also, if these great improvisers visualise notation themselves when improvising. I had the idea once of a kid's toy/app that has the grand staff as notes you can press like an instrument, so you can 'play' notation, to learn (pitch) dictation in a similar way to playing an instrument by ear. The brain seems to learn very specific tasks not always so obviously transferable, like how learning sight-singing is not automatically going to enable students to dictate music.
What a wonderful podcast with one of the greatest improvisers alive. Sietze is a true inspiration for many of us. Not only by his fabulous improvisations, but also by his teaching and the way he talks about music. It's nice to see that more and more people (worldwide) get to know him and recognize his unique talent and craftmanship. So many thanks for making this beautiful podcast!
Sietze's observations about the parallels between the inductive/through exposure/from context learning of language and of music before structure and rules are imposed upon it are very valuable, as well as the parallel between the formative and internalising effects of reading literature and exposure to a wider musical repertoire. The greatest ability and readiness to do this coincides with a particular phase of childhood and development, which places no small pressure on parents and educators, as well as society at large, although of course we are never too old to learn... I also appreciate a good amount of Dutch independent thinking and slight subversiveness in his views on (teaching) technical excellence at the expense of cultivating natural creativity and exploiting intuition.
His Twinkle fugue really blew me away! I love the analogy of speaking a second language versus being fluent in your mother tongue. When we’re learning to improvise, even though we may be singing inside (and this is vital) it is still taking extra, slower thought processes like in speaking a second language. So The goal is to become as fluent as you are in your mother tongue. I also agree that drummers have an advantage because of their ability to coordinate both hands with different rhythms.
I think Sietze would approve of a book called 'Sketching at the Keyboard' by Laura Campbell for young students and the supplimentary ones 'Sketches for Improvisation' and 'Further Sketches for Improvisation'.
Wait a second.... I THINK I'VE SEEN/HEARD THIS PERSON IN REAL LIFE! It was a two years ago, in a church in Groningen. It was either the A-Kerk or the Martinikerk. He was playing the organ in that church, and talking about how organs mimick instruments and human voices. He was giving a presentation for the people of my high school.
I love what you both said at 1:21:00 talking about music getting better throughout history. Thank you for debunking that myth which is still prevalent. Plenty of musicians still talk about composers as being “forward-looking” as if that is a compliment!
I will never make fun of "Twinkle Twinkle" again. So inspiring I had to break off several times and practice. With emphasis on the 32 note pedal board I'm lucky to have on an old RT-3! We need to ask Enrico about Neapolitan organs and their "school", perhaps there is something we don't quite understand..IE use of pedal boards and "complexity"...well the singing was so refined...but were the organs really so much simpler? And where is the RO for those modes?
39:00 there are only didactic and stilistical rules. If you use the major dominant chord, instead of minor in the antecedent of a dance in the style of Praetorius it will NOT sound like Renaissance music, while the other option does. If you don’t finish every section with a major chord it will also fail to keep you in the style, and one you go out of style it is way harder to come back. If you want to imitate old poetry you have to use rimes in a certain way as well. Rules are in one hand techniques. But other hand, they are also the conditions of the game. The „prohibition“ rules are the problem, but still useful because they are made towards the common mistakes contemporary student . So in the barroque style you might need to say : never use a chord with 6 different chromatic notes…
0:00 Introduction
0:36 Start
2:14 How did you come to improvise from a young age? Is that an organ thing?
9:55 How did you train your ears?
11:10 How old were you when you started to read music notation?
11:34 What are the famous organ methods?
14:12 How did you conceptualize music as a child?
24:46 Do simple things in music still interest you or do you need to be innovative all the time?
30:23 Sietze demonstrating harmonizing a simple melody in a minor key
31:43 Sietze demonstrating improvising over 5ths in imitation of organum and gregorian chant
35:11 Counterpoint
37:16 Sietze's epiphany
38:24 What do you mean by "rules" in music, as it relates to the different schools of music theory?
40:56 How do you teach a non-improvising conservatory student how to improvise at the beginning?
43:31 Piano conservatory students who can play Rachmaninoff and Liszt but can't harmonize simple nursery rhymes
46:55 What's the next step in improvisation after being able to harmonize simple songs?
48:40 Sietze transforming a static bassline into something more florid
53:32 What do you think about Rameau's theory of fundamental bass?
56:58 Do you use satzmodelle or schema theory?
1:00:33 Sietze demonstrates a free improvisation
1:01:44 Do people ask you if your improvisations are real pieces?
1:03:10 Improvising in the style of the 18th-century
1:04:51 Putting the melody in the middle voice demonstration
1:08:50 Do you prefer the 18th-century or 19th-century style to improvise in?
1:11:38 What do you think of Heinrich Schütz?
1:12:18 What do you think of Dieterich Buxtehude?
1:13:06 What do you think of Pachelbel?
1:13:47 What do you think of Handel?
1:14:34 Handel's typical use of sequences
1:15:34 What do you think of Mendelssohn?
1:16:08 What do you think of César Franck?
1:16:54 What do you think of Charles-Marie Widor?
1:17:53 What do you think of Camille Saint-Saëns?
1:20:01 Maurice Duruflé
1:22:13 As an incredible improviser yourself, do you have any improvisers you admire?
1:24:49 Sietze demonstrates a 20th-century style improvisation
1:36:48 Outro
@ 43:41 Those pianists who can play Rachmaninov, Liszt, etc, but can't play simple tunes by ear... couldn't they learn to visualise notation or would they not be able to notate tunes/improvisations either? I'd like to know, also, if these great improvisers visualise notation themselves when improvising. I had the idea once of a kid's toy/app that has the grand staff as notes you can press like an instrument, so you can 'play' notation, to learn (pitch) dictation in a similar way to playing an instrument by ear. The brain seems to learn very specific tasks not always so obviously transferable, like how learning sight-singing is not automatically going to enable students to dictate music.
What a wonderful podcast with one of the greatest improvisers alive. Sietze is a true inspiration for many of us. Not only by his fabulous improvisations, but also by his teaching and the way he talks about music. It's nice to see that more and more people (worldwide) get to know him and recognize his unique talent and craftmanship. So many thanks for making this beautiful podcast!
This is a legendary interview. I have literally watched this dozens of times
Sietze's observations about the parallels between the inductive/through exposure/from context learning of language and of music before structure and rules are imposed upon it are very valuable, as well as the parallel between the formative and internalising effects of reading literature and exposure to a wider musical repertoire. The greatest ability and readiness to do this coincides with a particular phase of childhood and development, which places no small pressure on parents and educators, as well as society at large, although of course we are never too old to learn... I also appreciate a good amount of Dutch independent thinking and slight subversiveness in his views on (teaching) technical excellence at the expense of cultivating natural creativity and exploiting intuition.
His Twinkle fugue really blew me away! I love the analogy of speaking a second language versus being fluent in your mother tongue. When we’re learning to improvise, even though we may be singing inside (and this is vital) it is still taking extra, slower thought processes like in speaking a second language. So The goal is to become as fluent as you are in your mother tongue. I also agree that drummers have an advantage because of their ability to coordinate both hands with different rhythms.
This is one of my favorite episodes. 👍
Very good and informative ❤
Thank you for all the terrific content. Sietze is a wonder!
I think Sietze would approve of a book called 'Sketching at the Keyboard' by Laura Campbell for young students and the supplimentary ones 'Sketches for Improvisation' and 'Further Sketches for Improvisation'.
Wait a second....
I THINK I'VE SEEN/HEARD THIS PERSON IN REAL LIFE!
It was a two years ago, in a church in Groningen. It was either the A-Kerk or the Martinikerk.
He was playing the organ in that church, and talking about how organs mimick instruments and human voices. He was giving a presentation for the people of my high school.
Nice, what a treat to hear de Vries live!
I love what you both said at 1:21:00 talking about music getting better throughout history. Thank you for debunking that myth which is still prevalent. Plenty of musicians still talk about composers as being “forward-looking” as if that is a compliment!
Amazing content Nikhil. Thanks a lot!
I will never make fun of "Twinkle Twinkle" again. So inspiring I had to break off several times and practice. With emphasis on the 32 note pedal board I'm lucky to have on an old RT-3! We need to ask Enrico about Neapolitan organs and their "school", perhaps there is something we don't quite understand..IE use of pedal boards and "complexity"...well the singing was so refined...but were the organs really so much simpler? And where is the RO for those modes?
What a great episode!
Súper!!!!
This one was great!
1:29:00 well noticed!
FELLOW GRONINGER!! :D
39:00 there are only didactic and stilistical rules. If you use the major dominant chord, instead of minor in the antecedent of a dance in the style of Praetorius it will NOT sound like Renaissance music, while the other option does. If you don’t finish every section with a major chord it will also fail to keep you in the style, and one you go out of style it is way harder to come back. If you want to imitate old poetry you have to use rimes in a certain way as well.
Rules are in one hand techniques. But other hand, they are also the conditions of the game.
The „prohibition“ rules are the problem, but still useful because they are made towards the common mistakes contemporary student . So in the barroque style you might need to say : never use a chord with 6 different chromatic notes…