12 Romantic Style Improv Licks

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:05][music] [music] >> At first glance, this might just look like an arpeggio pattern combined with a few chords, nothing particularly meaningful. It becomes an actual meaningful and reusable chunk when utilized as mini etude or compound pattern that's supposed to be transposed to several keys. What differentiates this kind from a conventional mechanical exercise [music] is the attempt to give an arpeggio or scale at least a minimal amount of musical context. My main purpose is to embed a technical commonplace subject such as a diminished seventh chord arpeggio within an environment that is well demonstrates a typical harmonic situation of such [music] a lick, which in this case is a pre cadential seven of five preparing a cadential six four chord. Another takeaway from this exercise might be a very specific voice leading paradigm that can be applied to the descending rule of the octave. And I guess you're already smelling where this is going. This is not just about technical exercises or arbitrary harmony knowledge. These serve as generic licks for keyboardists who want to learn how to improvise in early romantic styles.

[00:01:16]As you will see, most of the exercises are more or less stylized cadences decorated with runs and arpeggios that can especially be applied to post-classical preluding and improvising. There is 12 in total and I always present a major key version followed up by a minor key version of the same lick. As always, a collection of all of them is available on my Patreon. If you're interested in working materials and sheets on improvisation and composition, don't hesitate [music] to check it out because as I recently realized, it already grew into an admittedly [music] unsystematic but huge library on various subjects.

[00:01:56]And I guess it's finally time to start.

[00:02:02]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> This left-hand arpeggio here isn't especially comfortable in keys where the root is a black key. So, in such a case, I do a little adjustment. For example, when playing this in F sharp minor, may look more complicated than the original, but is just as comfortable.

[00:02:43]>> Oh, really?

[00:02:44]>> Yep. Yep. Yep.

[00:02:52]Okay, next.

[00:03:00]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> From this pattern, it's possible to draw combo exercises. For instance, a specific combo that's commonly referred to as Fonte sequence. So, you have a minor key segment presenting the idea that's followed up by a major key presentation a whole tone below.

[00:04:02]>> [music] [music] >> And now with the actual pattern applied.

[00:04:14]>> [music] [music] >> I'm next.

[00:04:39]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> I guess this is my favorite pattern of the video and I want to show you a practice routine that I just find very satisfying.

[00:07:05]There is a tiny problem though. The indicator fingerings don't work for all, but just a specific group of keys. But what's a nice coincidence about this is that those keys can be put in an order that consists of a common sequential pattern known as circle of fifths.

[00:07:27]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Final example.

[00:08:25]>> [music] >> Although this pattern can be played throughout the whole circle of fifths with comfortable fingerings, try as well to drop out at different points. I'm going to drop out at a certain point as well. Just look how I'm doing it because I'm using a little cheat.

[00:09:03]>> [music] [music] [music] >> And next >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Mhm.