The Full Pitcher Approach

Part of the The Full Pitcher's mission (About) is to promote creative music-making. This includes facilitating partnership between composer and amateur musician. For this reason, many of our publications invite creative interaction. These are complete works and can be performed exactly as written, in the same way that most of us perform Mozart sticking to the score (which is not what a contemporary performer would have done!) However, these pieces are not over-composed and there is scope for performers to add their own ideas. Some provide ideas for improvising an entirely new piece, using the original as a kind of template.

Technically, the pieces are fairly undemanding and, when improvising, players can work at their own level. This makes these resources ideal for the instrumental studio, where teachers can use them as a framework for creative exploration with a wide range of pupils. Many teachers who would like to introduce improvisation are discouraged when they can find resources only in the, for them, unfamiliar idiom of jazz. In an attempt to meet their needs, we have started our collection with more classical repertoire.

Many of the folk songs/dances are flexibly scored and suitable for ad-hoc arrangement and experimentation.

Below is an index of titles which may be of particular interest to would-be improvisers, with links to help you locate them. Use the 'Back' button on your browser to return here.

Improvisation Resources - Software

Not currently available  

Improvisation Resources - Mail Order

Not currently available

Improvisation Resources -PDF

For use in conjunction with our Classroom ensembles.


Get Creative L2 / Carnival of Venice (pdf)

Get Creative L2 / Portsmouth (pdf)

Get Creative L2 / Minuet II (pdf)

Get Creative L2 / German Dance (pdf)

More Improvisation Resources - PDF

Drunken Sailor Worksheet

First Blues Worksheet

Creative Flute/Violin

Classroom Ensembles Series

Simply Carols Series

Morning Has Broken - Ensemble

Parnatanc -Ensemble

Parnatanc - Flute & Piano

Veteran's Dance

Spring (Vivaldi)

improvisation Resources - Web Pages

Kids' Pages

Some Class Projects

Improvisation for Beginner Pianists

Some thoughts on improvisation in classical music

Just think, in the beginning, all music must have been improvised! ...