list of musical improv games

Musical improv games

There are loads of games, exercises and advice for improvisers and musicians in our book

Welcome to our favourite musical improv games. Please let us know the ones we have missed or not heard about yet by dropping us an email. The instructions are only a brief guide and of course nothing compares to having experienced instructors with you. For more exercises that are not here, do check out improv encyclopedia too. Our book goes into much greater detail for many of the exercises below.If you would like Heather and Joe to help bring your musical improv comedy alive then get in touch and we will do our best to get to you, wherever you are in the world!

Beginners

scales

Good for - Warming up the voice

Sing 5 notes up and then 5 notes down again
key change
repeat until you run out of range.
We like to sing repeated words suggested by each person around the circle and then you can play with word association, rhyme or anything else at the same time. Try words that suggest a way of singing too like "quietly" or "furiously"

moving and emoting

Good for - Getting people relaxed and familiar with the space

Singers move freely around the space while the music goes through a few different styles and emotions.
Sing whatever is in your head, what you can see or how you feel.
This is like being the starring role in your very own musical. Go big.

gibberish duets

Good for - Being free and expressive

One person sings to the person next to them in gibberish.
They then answer in gibberish.
Then they come together in a beautiful/terrifying gibberish duet.
Music can vary in style to provide some different feels.

sing your name

Good for - Learning names, warming up, not saying sorry with your face.
This is a scanning exercise. Sing people's full names to a tune. We use this one:
C-D-E, D-E-F, E-F-G, F-G-A....B-C-D-C. E-D-C, D-C-B, C-B-A....F-E-D-C.

Intermediate

harmony duets

Good for- Listening and harmonising

Person 1 sings a short tune (can be la-la-la
Person 2 joins in the second time with a harmony line
Person 2 repeats their line on their own
Person 3 joins in with Person 2 with a harmony line. (Person 1 can now go and make a cup of tea)
Person 3 repeats their line on their own

band

Good for - Silly instrument mimicking fun

Each person thinks of an instrument that could be in a band and mimics it over a repeating phrase.
Players can be conducted, brought in and out, made quieter and louder.
Solos are also great fun.
With loads of people they can form little groups of the same instruments

song circle (Phil Lunn's circle of joy)

Good for - Practising song structures

Someone walks across the circle towards another player singing an improvised "line" of a song
The other player then walks towards someone else singing the second "line"
This continues until the song is finished.
This is a great sandbox for trying out literally anything! Songs are negotiated by the whole group.
Choruses can be sung all together.

pointing song

Good for - Group singing, performance piece, singing something amazing with other people.

Arrange the singers in rows facing the audience. Some sitting on the floor, some on chairs and some standing behind like a school photo
The conductor points at each singer in turn who sings a short repeating phrase. They will only sing this phrase when pointed at.
Once all the phrases have been heard the conductor can bring in two or three or more at the same time.
Try to find interesting and contrasting combinations.
Eventually the conductor will bring everybody in.
Through the magic of group mind the participants will try to end up all singing just one of the phrases that was heard.

hotspot

Good for - Chucking yourself in and singing.

Players stand in a circle.
One person goes into the middle and sings an existing song
That person is tapped out by someone else.
They sing a related song.
The song can be related in any way - that's not important.
Each person should only be in the middle for a few seconds before being tapped out.

acapella harmonies

Good for - A spiritual mind meld

Players stand in a circle with their eyes closed
After some breathing exercises they start to sing held notes
Every person should be singing at the same volume to create a group chord
It can sound horrible, or beautiful. Embrace both.
A full singong should be supervised by an experienced professional (Heather or Joe).

da doo ron ron

Good for - Practising Rhyming to a rhythm

Sing the original song one line per person with improvised bits
Person 1 - "I met him on a Monday and his name was Bill
All - "Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron"
Person 2 - "He looked very sick, he was very ill"
All - "Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron"
All - "Yeah"
Person 3 - "He took a pill"
All - "Yeah"
Person 4 - "It worked until"
All - "Yeah"
Person 5 - "He grew some gills"
All - "Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron.
Person 6 - "I met her on a Tuesday and her name was Anne"
etc.

musical 8 things

Good for - Letting words tumble out of your mouth without judging yourself - Backing Track
This simple little exercise has become the most consistent winner of almost any class. Backing track highly recommended!

Person 1 sings a category to Person 2 - "Give me, 8 things you'd find on the moon"
Person 2 sings 8 things in that category with the rest of the group singing "One, thing, two things etc." eg:
Person 1 - "rocks"
All - "One thing"
Person 1 - "Aliens"
All -"two things"
Person 1 - "Cheese"
etc.

improvised rounds

Good for - Ultimate commitment
As far as I know it is impossible to get this "right". It is therefore a matter of embracing the impossibility of the exercise and do it wrong with total belief and commitment

Pick a well known round like "Frere Jacques"
Stand 4 people in a line
Person 1 improvises the first line
Person 2 sings the first line while Person 1 sings the 2nd line!
Person 3 sings the 1st line while Person 2 sings the 2nd line while Person 1 sings the 3rd line
Person 4 sings the 1st line, 3 sings the 2nd, 2 sings the 3rd and 4 sings the 1st line.
Now the round is underway and each line can be changed at will
Try to pick up on the changes from the previous person to create an ever-changing round
It finishes when it finishes.

showstopper

Good for - High-kicking Broadway madness and commitment

During a scene a player will spontaneously break into a fully choreographed singing and dancing routine based on the last thing they said - even if it was "Smell my cheese".

love is like

Good for - Rhyming and quick thinking

Players stand in a circle.
Person 1 sings 2 lines to the next person, "Our love is like a ...., It ....................." eg.
Person 1 - "Our love is like a frog" <A>
Person 1 - "It's green and very small" <B>
Person 2 completes the mini verse by using the same rhyme scheme. eg.
Person 2 - "Our love is like a log" <A>
Person 2 - "It used to be quite tall" <B>
Then Person 2 turns to the next person and the process continues.
Notice that they do not have to make much sense, in fact they are generally funnier if they do not.

rhyme ball

Good for - Practising rhyming without the pressure

Person 1 holds an imaginary ball
They throw it to Person two and say a word.
While "catching" the ball, Person 2 rhymes with the word
While "throwing" the ball to Person 3 they associate with that word
Continue. eg:
Person 1 <throw> - "cat"
Person 2 <catch> - "hat". <throw> - "wig"
Person 3 <catch> - "big". <throw> - "huge"
Person 4 <catch> - "luge". <throw> - "bob"
etc.

hush little baby

Good for - Laughing uncontrollably - Backing Track

Sing Hush little baby improvising the words. eg:
Person 1 <think of something "Daddy" is going to buy you> - Daddy's going to buy you a piece of string
Person 2 <think of what could go wrong> - And if that piece of string's too short.
Person 2 <Rhyme with yourself - short> - Daddy's gonna buy you a bottle of port
Person 3 - And if that bottle of Port's gone off
Person 3 - Daddy's gonna buy you a picture of The Hoff
etc.
This is a great way of practicing associating and rhyming in a concise format

gibberish musical

Good for - Expressing yourself, not worrying about words, emotion and character

No words, but all the song structures, emotions and meaning can still be found.
A good time to concentrate on melody and harmony

busby berkeley

Good for - Physical coordinated dancing joy

Form a symmetrical shape on stage and put on some high impact music.
"Find a friend" - try to pair up with someone to imitate their moves.
Although symmetry should be preserved there is nothing to stop you all going round in a circle or forming an archway for people to dance down.
Crossing the stage simultaneously with a partner is a great effect.
Build up to a big group finish.

oscar winner

Good for - Practising responding to underscore

Start an everyday scene
The director calls out your name and "Oscar winning moment"
The music will inform you of your mood
Ham it up and win that award

tag-out musical

Good for - Getting the feel of a longer form musical

Only two people on stage at any one time
Everything must be sung, including dialogue.
One character gets tagged out but is in a new scene
A chain of scenes follows.
All players keep to one character and the story develops.

Advanced

123454321

Good for - Scouring your brain

All sing 123454321 5 1 to the corresponding white notes on a piano
Then sing 234565432 6 2
Then 345676543 7 3. etc.
Try different languages, letters days of the week or names for added spice.

sing as soon as music plays

Good for - Freeing yourself from your inner critic or planner

Start a scene
When the music comes in you must start singing immediately
The song can be any form or no form.

all things bright and beautiful

Good for - Making up words while singing a familiar tune

Improvise the verses of this classic hymn
You can use the irony of singing about horrible things for comedy value
All sing the chorus together, perhaps in a style suggested by the director

madrigal

Good for - A funny performance piece

Each player is given a short statement, like a headline.
They sing their piece in turn and then mix up the words
Watch the video and you'll get it!

blues

Good for - A highly stylised performance piece- Backing track here
There are many different ways of singing the blues in terms of structure but they all rely on the same principles. This example is for a 12-bar blues.

Ask for an everyday problem or nuisance.
Sing a rhyming couplet relating to the problem
Sing "Oh yeah I got the blah blah blah Blues"
Alternatively you can sing the same line twice and then the rhyming line.

beastie boys

Good for - Rapping without the pressure

Players split into two teams and stand in a line facing each other.
A name is given to rhyme with eg. "Bob"
Player 1a (Team A) tries to set up his team to complete his rhyme.
Player 1a - "I'm out of work, I lost my..."
Team A - "Job" - (hopefully)
Bit of music fill
Player 1b (Team B) "I like sweetcorn, I like corn on the..."
Team B - "Cob"
Bit of music fill
If a team fails to complete a rhyme, or a player clams up then the player is brutally shot by the other team and dies. (No responsibility can be taken for injuries resulting in over-acting your own death)
The winning team is the one with 2 or more surviving players

bad rap

Good for - Silly rhyming fun

A category is given such as "weather"
Person 1 sings a line that is an obvious set up for the next person in that category.
eg. "Bright flashing light is so frightnening, run for cover if you see..."
Person 2 deliberately fails to deliver the expected rhyming word
eg. "hailstones"
Everyone sings "Bad rap, bad rap, bad rap bad rap bad rap."
Person two sings a new feed line.

sing your day

Good for - Chorus practise and check in and warm up
Person 1 sings a verse about their day to music. Could be 4 lines or could be free.
Person 2 sings a chorus that sums up their day
Everyone repeats the chorus
Person 3 sings a verse about their day
etc.

musical henry

Good for - practising mini open scenes into songs

Each round of the Henry includes one song.
No structure just free-form.

Expert

hoedown

Good for - Performing under pressure, commitment

Person 1 sings a four line Hoedown on a given subject
Repeat down the line
If you dont know it, watch the experts here!

favourite things

Good for - Concentration, keeping a cool head

All sing through the verse/chorus of "Favourite things" to familiarise players with the tune
Each line will be improvised by each player in turn
Player 1 thinks of a category and sings things in that category, eg Fruit
Player 1 - "Apples and lemons and strawberries and plums"
Player 2 recognises the category and sings more things, the last of which rhymes!
Player 2 - "Bananas and pears and peaches shaped like bums"
Player 3 Sets up the next player to rhyme with the category...
Player 3 - "Anyone can eat them, wimps or brutes"
Player 4 completes the rhyme...
Player 4 - "These are a few of my favourite fruits"
Player 5 sings something that goes wrong with that thing
Player 5 - "When the core rots"
Player 6 does the same
Player 6 - "When they're squishy"
Player 7 same (they could set up a bad word for Player 8 if they are super-charged)
Player 7 - "When they fall on your head"
Player 8 sings two lines and rhymes
Player 8 - "I simply remember my favourite fruits, and then I don't end up dead"
All congratulate themselves about whatever just happened

set-ups

Good for - Seeming like a musical improv ninja

A category is given eg sports
Player 1 tries to set up Player 2 with a relevant rhyming word
Player 1 - "I hit balls through hoops, I hope that's okay"
Player 2 attempts to complete the rhyme
Player 2 - "Of course it is if you're playing croquet"
Player 2 tries to set up Player 3 with a relevant rhyming word"
Player 2 - "You cant play this without a wicket"
Player 3 has a zen-like moment of nothingness and cannot think of anything...
Player 3 - "I can't play that so please just stick it" etc.
Completing the rhyme successfully is not compulsory. Better to relax and enjoy yourself.

titling

Good for - Practising getting into a song in true Broadway style

Any number of players start a scene.
The emotional content is ramped up throughout the scene until a song is needed
When a suitable title for a song is heard in the dialogue it is repeated in cheesy musical theatre style out to the audience.
eg. Player 1 - "But John I have always held a flame for you"
Player 2 - "Love cannot survive in a storm"
Player 2 - <to audience>"Love cannot survive in a storm"
The song, "Love cannot survive in a storm" is then heard with that title being used as a tagline or in the chorus.

sing it

Good for - Producing funny songs on the spot

Any of the players or audience can shout "Sing it" when they hear a good, funny or outrageous song title during a scene
The Player who spoke that line must then deliver a song with that line as the title
Hilarious

Songs

pirate reel

Good for - absolutely no idea
I'm afraid the inner workings of Heather's mind are unfathomable to us mere mortals at the best of times. If you want to know how this works you will just have to ask her yourself!

irish drinking song

Good for - One word at a time group singing - watch it here

Four Players in a line sing one line each in an Irish style.
The lines are quick and in the rhyme scheme A-B-C-B

charity song

Good for - Acting like a D-list celebrity on your way down

Up to 8 Players stand in a semicircle around an imagined microphone hanging from the ceiling
A fake and ridiculous charity is discovered through suggestions
Player 1 speaks a heartfelt introduction over the music
Player 2 sings the first two lines of the verse1 (AA)
Player 3 sings the last two lines of the verse1 (BB)
Player 4 sings a simple and strident chorus
Player 5 sings the first two lines of verse 2
Player 6 sings the last two lines of verse 2
All sing chorus
Player 7 raps a verse on their own
All sing acapella (without backing music) chorus
All sing chorus with Maria Carey-esque vocal wailing from Player 8
Key change and final chorus

tagline song

Good for - Practising song structures - listen to our tagline podcast here

Players sing a song with the form Verse, Verse, Bridge, Verse with the "tagline" of the song coming on the first or last line of each verse

verse chorus song

Good for -Practising song structures - listen to our choruses podcast here

Players sing a song in the form Verse, Chorus, Verse Chorus, Chorus - or any other permutation of verses and choruses that suits.

set-up song

Good for - Listening and rhyming in a group
Explaining this song structure confused us more than our workshop participants most of the time. However it is well worth a crack as it is a great performance piece.

5 players in a line
A topic is suggested eg. "trees"
1st person sings a line that "sets up" the 2nd person to complete, eg:
Player 1-VERSE 1-<setup>: This mighty tree is known to all folk
2nd person completes the rhyme, eg:
Player 2: <complete>: And so it should be, the wondrous oak
2nd person sets up the 3rd person, eg:
Player 2: <setup>: If you chop it down you'll earn some cash
Player 3: <complete>: But please dont, it's rare the ash.
Player 5: CHORUS
Player 3-VERSE 2-<setup>:
Player 4 - <complete>
Player 4 - <setup>
Player 1 - <complete>
All: CHORUS
Bow to stunned applause

counterpoint song

Good for - That wow moment mid-musical
This really does work well as a tent-pole in the middle of a longform improvised musical. Think "One day more" from Les Mis or "Tonight" from West Side Story. Otherwise known as the "Non-pointing pointing song" for reasons that may become clear:

The protagonist or main character enters and sings a simple repeated line that sums up their desires
They are joined one by one (or in pairs) by other characters singing complimentary melodies but with their own words
When everyone is on stage, they all sing their lines together
All the singers converge on one line that sums up their combined state
End

split scene tagline

Good for - A sure-fire pathos-inducing, tear-jerking crowd-pleasing stunner

1st singer comes on stage and monologues (spoken) to set scene and setting
2nd singer enters in a different locality and or different reality and monologues.
1st singer sings a tagline verse to audience - an inner monologue
2nd singer sings a tagline verse using whatever last line (the tagline) the 1st singer used
Bridge is shared
Both singers repeat their verses over the top of each other
Magic.