Tim Kliphuis
“The Art of Improvisation”
Dutchman Tim Kliphuis is one of the world’s top improvising violinists and a popular
tutor. He combines his background in classical music with gypsy jazz and other improvised
styles, to teach music in the broadest sense.
Tim’s workshops for classical players promote a better understanding of musical language and
performance. He links up jazz, classical and folk music and explains universal principles. An
important subject is the cadence, which is at the heart of any Western music style and which
makes music ‘move’.
Using the cadence, II-V-I or IV-V-I, Tim demonstrates the different parameters of music that
play a big role in improvisation:
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shaping a melody using a scale
phrasing
dynamics
rhythmic patterns and accents
classical vs. ‘swing’ timing
bowing techniques
idiom (jazz vs. classical sound)
Also, Tim shows how improvisation can be used as a bridge between different styles, or idioms,
of music and how improv exercises can solve problems in your playing.
One-on-one individual tuition, general background information and group improvisation are
alternated, keeping everyone involved all the time. Each student in the group goes home with
three main points to work on, and tips how to do this.
Tim’s best-selling book ‘Stéphane Grappelli Gypsy Jazz Violin’, the ‘Hot Jazz Violin’ DVDs
and Jazz Etude videos are much in demand across the globe. His workshops have been featured
at festivals, conservatoires and summer courses in the USA, Canada, UK, South Africa,
Switzerland, Germany and Holland.
Tim holds the Jazz violin chair at Tilburg Conservatoire and hosts an annual Gypsy jazz violin
camp in Holland every August.
www.timkliphuis.com