See what fellow musicians are saying
Stories from students around the world who transformed their musical journey with Improvise for Real
"IFR is an exciting and original way of learning music, and should be seriously considered by anyone who wants to express themselves freely through the art of music."
"IFR is like opening your eyes to what you already know about music, and invites you to engage with it right away with a sense of curiosity, ease, and play. While I still feel like I'm just stepping out on my journey, I feel like I have what I need for a life-long practice of exploration and creativity."
“This method is by far the best music learning system I have ever experienced.”
"The whole IFR ethos of gradually developing understanding through playing, experiencing, and really listening to the musical environment seemed so right, and means I've been using improvisation in my learning path pretty much from the start. Very much improvise to learn."
"I am a musician, music teacher, and guitarist with decades of experience performing, teaching, and creating music. IFR has given me a practical, effective, and musical means of engaging with music in a much deeper and more meaningful way than I had in my many years of previous experience."
“I’ve been involved with music for most of my life and just could not break through into playing from the heart (as you put it) the “usual” roads have proven to be too academic for me. The IFR way has been so helpful, and I can’t say enough about how good the approach to both music and learning is.”
"IFR has completely upended how I practice, from focusing on music theory and technical exercises to focusing on sounds. My practice now centers on very deliberately exploring how musical sounds embody and communicate meaning. The IFR process is open-ended and I don’t see any endpoint to my musical growth."
"I began as a complete skeptic and soon realized that it IS possible to learn to recognize chords by ear. It just takes patience and practice. I learned how to feel the difference between different chords and how to internalize the sensations of each chord. I particularly enjoyed learning how to improvise over various chord progressions, something I still try to do every day."
IFR's teaching approach is unique in the field of ear training and, for me, is a joy to practice.
"I came across IFR last summer and have spent the last six months dedicating my practice to its methods. I have seen growth in my ability to hear, imagine sounds and melodies, and produce them on my instrument. In short, I am a convert."
"I am always searching for new teaching methods and IFR is the best I have ever seen."
"I was a frustrated sheet-music-playing piano student before IFR. Now, the world of music has opened up to me. I understand the patterns of music and how they fit together without the complicated vocabulary that has evolved to be modern music theory. I have new ways of hearing sounds in context which completely changed the way I listen to music. I can't recommend the IFR enough. Now, I can sit down and play some of my favorite songs by ear and improvise some of my own creations. What a joy!"
"The IFR method is explained so clearly—it's logical, easy to understand, and taught in such a stimulating environment with great teachers and beautiful backing tracks to improvise with."
"I've been using Improvise for Real for a fantastic four years, and I absolutely love it! The creative freedom and musical exploration it offers are truly unmatched."
“It's among the best music methods I've ever come across. IFR's perspective immediately opened doors that I didn't know existed.”
"Thanks to IFR, I am totally connected to my instrument—I think a phrase, and then it’s coming out of my instrument, without me having to consciously think of what notes I have to play for that phrase."
"Improvise for Real helped me discover and develop a foundational musical sensibility I had not known was possible. It has completely changed the way I experience music."
"With no doubt, joining IFR made me stop being frustrated. Now, I only let the pleasure of playing music guide me every time I grab this marvelous instrument called guitar."
"With IFR we are encouraged, almost required, to begin improvising with our instrument in the simplest and most satisfying ways no matter what our current level of proficiency is. No knowledge prerequisites or preparation. Just us, right now, with our ear, our instrument, and a backing track. And we are allowed to create freely, without restrictions, without 'shoulds'. Like kids playing with toys in a sandbox, with nobody watching."
"The IFR method has profoundly changed my life; even though I got a late start in learning music, it is empowering me to overcome that and dramatically improve, not just in playing the guitar but in truly experiencing and understanding music."
"Your method was the missing piece that I needed to express my full potential."
“Your method gave me what I had always heard about but never understood how to actually do: to play the music inside me.”
"I am very glad I stumbled on the IFR method last year and bought the book. I never thought I wanted to be able to improvise, but this method is so much more than improvisation—I'm finding that it really is giving me insights into how to speak the language of music"
"When I discovered the IFR system, a door opened for me into the universe of sounds and music. Until that moment, the traditional systems for understanding music only generated confusion and frustration for me. Thanks to David, his human warmth, and the profound simplicity of his teaching method, I was able to find in music a beauty that otherwise would have been impossible. Totally recommended for people who want to understand musical harmony with simplicity and improvise from the very beginning."
"As a retired music educator, I have previously taken many theory and ear training classes; however, nothing has worked as well or made as much sense to me as the IFR approach. Through my studies with IFR I feel like I am finally starting to find my own musical voice."
"You can take the smallest bite out of this method and gain the nourishment to feed your musical quest for weeks at a time."
"I haven't enjoyed simple practice this much in years!"
"I LOVE the methodology that IFR has created. I'm constantly blown away how without thinking I'm playing around almost effortlessly in all 12 keys even those that 'conventional' musicians consider the 'odd / difficult' keys. It makes no difference once you learn the IFR way."
"Improvise for Real has helped my improvising more than anything else I've ever studied."
"I have found IFR to be a fully integrated learning program that places the student at the very front and center of the learning experience. Whilst my goal was initially to learn how to play the guitar, IFR has given me a much wider appreciation of music itself and that is leading to my ongoing development as a musician who plays the guitar."
“I’ve studied so many books on harmony, but the theory was never connected to my ear. IFR helped me get on the path to recognizing the sounds. For me, it was the missing link—not a quick fix, but a lifelong and pleasurable journey.”
"Although I initially embraced IFR as a vehicle to advance myself as an instrumentalist, I have come to wholeheartedly appreciate the value of the IFR singing exercises. In ear training, it's very important to be able to IMAGINE the SOUNDS when music is not present. That's when you know you have really internalized them. Singing / humming is the first step in hearing music in your mind...the first step in thinking in music. These basic activities have greatly enhanced my ability to improvise!"
"The IFR team have created what I feel is easily the best approach to engaging with music. And incredible value too. I'm a massive fan"
“IFR has become my favorite method and the one I practice most. I recommend it enormously to all musicians who want to take their improvising farther.”
"IFR is simple yet profound. David supports people to find and express their own creativity freely."
"IFR is not a collection of quick tips and clever tricks, that only give you superficial skills, like you get from many YouTube videos. IFR goes deep into the musical sounds and their relationships in an organized, methodical way. You learn music at a deep level so you can be a real musician."
"I've long played guitar as a hobby and pretty much stayed at the same level until I discovered IFR, which somehow opened the door to a lot of musical knowledge that just wasn't sinking in before."
“This method gave me the courage to work happily in a project of French music, a rock band and a film score. I use it with my students and their faces light up!”
"IFR is an exciting and original way of learning music, and should be seriously considered by anyone who wants to express themselves freely through the art of music."
"IFR is like opening your eyes to what you already know about music, and invites you to engage with it right away with a sense of curiosity, ease, and play. While I still feel like I'm just stepping out on my journey, I feel like I have what I need for a life-long practice of exploration and creativity."
"You can take the smallest bite out of this method and gain the nourishment to feed your musical quest for weeks at a time."
“This method is by far the best music learning system I have ever experienced.”
"I am a musician, music teacher, and guitarist with decades of experience performing, teaching, and creating music. IFR has given me a practical, effective, and musical means of engaging with music in a much deeper and more meaningful way than I had in my many years of previous experience."
"The IFR method is explained so clearly—it's logical, easy to understand, and taught in such a stimulating environment with great teachers and beautiful backing tracks to improvise with."
"The whole IFR ethos of gradually developing understanding through playing, experiencing, and really listening to the musical environment seemed so right, and means I've been using improvisation in my learning path pretty much from the start. Very much improvise to learn."
“I’ve been involved with music for most of my life and just could not break through into playing from the heart (as you put it) the “usual” roads have proven to be too academic for me. The IFR way has been so helpful, and I can’t say enough about how good the approach to both music and learning is.”
“This book gave me the courage to work happily in a project of French music, a rock band and a film score. I use it with my students and their faces light up!”
"I have found IFR to be a fully integrated learning program that places the student at the very front and center of the learning experience. Whilst my goal was initially to learn how to play the guitar, IFR has given me a much wider appreciation of music itself and that is leading to my ongoing development as a musician who plays the guitar."
"IFR has completely upended how I practice, from focusing on music theory and technical exercises to focusing on sounds. My practice now centers on very deliberately exploring how musical sounds embody and communicate meaning. The IFR process is open-ended and I don’t see any endpoint to my musical growth."
"I began as a complete skeptic and soon realized that it IS possible to learn to recognize chords by ear. It just takes patience and practice. I learned how to feel the difference between different chords and how to internalize the sensations of each chord. I particularly enjoyed learning how to improvise over various chord progressions, something I still try to do every day."
"The IFR team have created what I feel is easily the best approach to engaging with music. And incredible value too. I'm a massive fan"
"I came across IFR last summer and have spent the last six months dedicating my practice to its methods. I have seen growth in my ability to hear, imagine sounds and melodies, and produce them on my instrument. In short, I am a convert."
"I am always searching for new teaching methods and IFR is the best I have ever seen."
"I was a frustrated sheet-music-playing piano student before IFR. Now, the world of music has opened up to me. I understand the patterns of music and how they fit together without the complicated vocabulary that has evolved to be modern music theory. I have new ways of hearing sounds in context which completely changed the way I listen to music. I can't recommend the IFR enough. Now, I can sit down and play some of my favorite songs by ear and improvise some of my own creations. What a joy!"
"IFR is not a collection of quick tips and clever tricks, that only give you superficial skills, like you get from many YouTube videos. IFR goes deep into the musical sounds and their relationships in an organized, methodical way. You learn music at a deep level so you can be a real musician."
"I haven't enjoyed simple practice this much in years!"
"Your method was the missing piece that I needed to express my full potential."
“I’ve studied so many books on harmony, but the theory was never connected to my ear. IFR helped me get on the path to recognizing the sounds. For me, it was the missing link—not a quick fix, but a lifelong and pleasurable journey.”
"I've been using Improvise for Real for a fantastic four years, and I absolutely love it! The creative freedom and musical exploration it offers are truly unmatched."
“It's among the best music methods I've ever come across. IFR's perspective immediately opened doors that I didn't know existed.”
"Thanks to IFR, I am totally connected to my instrument—I think a phrase, and then it’s coming out of my instrument, without me having to consciously think of what notes I have to play for that phrase."
"I LOVE the methodology that IFR has created. I'm constantly blown away how without thinking I'm playing around almost effortlessly in all 12 keys even those that 'conventional' musicians consider the 'odd / difficult' keys. It makes no difference once you learn the IFR way."
"As a retired music educator, I have previously taken many theory and ear training classes; however, nothing has worked as well or made as much sense to me as the IFR approach. Through my studies with IFR I feel like I am finally starting to find my own musical voice."
"Improvise for Real helped me discover and develop a foundational musical sensibility I had not known was possible. It has completely changed the way I experience music."
"With no doubt, joining IFR made me stop being frustrated. Now, I only let the pleasure of playing music guide me every time I grab this marvelous instrument called guitar."
"With IFR we are encouraged, almost required, to begin improvising with our instrument in the simplest and most satisfying ways no matter what our current level of proficiency is. No knowledge prerequisites or preparation. Just us, right now, with our ear, our instrument, and a backing track. And we are allowed to create freely, without restrictions, without 'shoulds'. Like kids playing with toys in a sandbox, with nobody watching."
"The IFR method has profoundly changed my life; even though I got a late start in learning music, it is empowering me to overcome that and dramatically improve, not just in playing the guitar but in truly experiencing and understanding music."
“Your method gave me what I had always heard about but never understood how to actually do: to play the music inside me.”
"Although I initially embraced IFR as a vehicle to advance myself as an instrumentalist, I have come to wholeheartedly appreciate the value of the IFR singing exercises. In ear training, it's very important to be able to IMAGINE the SOUNDS when music is not present. That's when you know you have really internalized them. Singing / humming is the first step in hearing music in your mind...the first step in thinking in music. These basic activities have greatly enhanced my ability to improvise!"
IFR's teaching approach is unique in the field of ear training and, for me, is a joy to practice.
“IFR has become my favorite method and the one I practice most. I recommend it enormously to all musicians who want to take their improvising farther.”
"I am very glad I stumbled on the IFR method last year and bought the book. I never thought I wanted to be able to improvise, but this method is so much more than improvisation—I'm finding that it really is giving me insights into how to speak the language of music"
"I've long played guitar as a hobby and pretty much stayed at the same level until I discovered IFR, which somehow opened the door to a lot of musical knowledge that just wasn't sinking in before."
"When I discovered the IFR system, a door opened for me into the universe of sounds and music. Until that moment, the traditional systems for understanding music only generated confusion and frustration for me. Thanks to David, his human warmth, and the profound simplicity of his teaching method, I was able to find in music a beauty that otherwise would have been impossible. Totally recommended for people who want to understand musical harmony with simplicity and improvise from the very beginning."
"IFR is simple yet profound. David supports people to find and express their own creativity freely."
Begin your creative journey today!
Join thousands of musicians around the world who have discovered their own musical creativity with Improvise for Real. An IFR Membership gives you the complete method: step-by-step video lessons, progressive jam tracks and beautiful ear training lessons, all working together in a single integrated method. Discover the joy of improvising and play the music inside you!