Activity
Visual Reaction Improvisation
Theme and Variations
Published November 10, 2026
Aaron Butler demonstrates a short exercise that guides students to improvise as a way to enrich exploration of repertoire. Originally described by Anne Farber.
Theme and Variations
Anne Farber, in Improvisation in the Private Piano Lesson
Use the melody of a piece the student is working on to create a series of variations by reharmonizing, changing the meter, etc. This exercise can help a student who gets “stuck” while practicing a piece.
This improvisation exercise is with a violin student working on “Perpetual Motion” from Suzuki Book 1.
Whichever card is put forward dictates how the piece was to be played.
This activity was revised and adapted from Goal 4, #2. Theme and Variations in Improvisation in the Private Piano Lesson by Anne Farber and Sean Hartley.
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Aaron Butler
Aaron Butler is an active musical director, accompanist, and teacher in New York City. He is a specialist in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a musical director for Mind The Art Entertainment, and is a founding member of Sound Narcissist. He is comfortable in a variety of musical styles—from baroque through contemporary classical, opera, Broadway, and improvisation. Faculty: Lucy Moses School, Bloomingdale School of Music. M.M. (piano), Longy School of Music; Dalcroze Certificate & License, Longy School of Music; Artist’s Diploma, Brandeis University; B.A. (Music and Physics), Amherst College. Piano with Lois Shapiro, Lanfranco Marcelletti; Dalcroze with Lisa parker, Anne Farber, Ruth Alperson; Figured Bass with Frances Conover Fitch, Peter Sykes. More information at aaronplayspiano.com
Visual Reaction Improvisation
Theme and Variations
Aaron Butler, Author
About the Author(s)
Aaron Butler
Aaron Butler is an active musical director, accompanist, and teacher in New York City. He is a specialist in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a musical director for Mind The Art Entertainment, and is a founding member of Sound Narcissist. He is comfortable in a variety of musical styles—from baroque through contemporary classical, op…
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