With this marvelous second volume, Jeffrey Agrell provides 642 new games to help musicians acquire depth and fluency in every aspect of instrumental technique and performance—and have a great time in the process. Improvisation games integrate instrumental technique with music theory, history, and composition, uniting literate and aural traditions to produce comprehensive musicianship. The game format takes the pressure off of classically trained musicians, steering them away from a fixation on mistake-free performance and introducing the basic concepts of playing with music itself instead of obsessing over a perfect rendition of a written score. These new games require no previous improvisation experience. They are great for beginners and professionals alike. They should be part of the library of every music teacher, student, and player. Enjoy! Besides leading classes in Improvisation for Classical Musicians and Creativity in Music, Jeffrey Agrell teaches horn and performs in the Iowa Brass Quintet at the University of Iowa.

Praise for Volume 1:

“Jeffrey Agrell’s book, Improvisation Games for Classical Musicians, provides simple and powerful activities which can open up whole new worlds to musicians of any level of experience. He really hits the right notes, as it were, in giving students something, but not too much, to hang on to as they explore the world of improvising. It’s a fantastic compendium of ideas, a set of procedures which are fun to do and which lead to profound results. Bravo!“

— Stephen Nachmanovitch
author of Free Play

“Jeffrey Agrell’s Improvisation Games for Classical Musicians is one of the most inspiring and innovative books I have come across... The musical range and variety of games, exercises, suggestions, and methods presented is astonishing in both breadth and depth. The book is a real ‘must read’ for music educators (either in private or ensemble settings) who want to open up their student’s understanding of the real creative possibilities of music. It will be equally useful to musicians of any level of experience who wish to expand the creative and expressive range of their playing.”

— Jared Burrows, PhD,
author of Resonances:
Exploring Improvisation and Its Implications for Music Education