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We’ve created a set of Improvisation Tool Cards that provide practical instructions and materials for many different improvisation activities. These Tool Cards have been contributed and created by active improvising musicians and are included on this site for free download in the hope that they may serve as a point of departure for your own improvisation-based activities! If you would like to contribute more Improvisation Tool Cards to this database please contact us at improv@uoguelph.ca.

Title Authors
1-2 Listening Exercise Tool Wallace, Rob
3 Scenes Tool Whitehead, Claire
Alliterative Name Game Tool Wallace, Rob
Alter-Egos Tool Roberts, Matana
Balloon Music Tool Stewart, Jesse
Bippity Bippity Bop [Anonymous]
Boom Chicka Boom Tool Roberts, Matana
Bumpity Bump Tool Pham, Khuong
Charlie's Island Tool Stewart, Jesse
Clap-Tag Tool Caines, Rebecca
Clerk and Customer Tool Whitehead, Claire
Emotional Replay Tool [Anonymous]
Free Playing: Warm Up Exercise Tool Wallace, Rob
Free Writing Tool Roberts, Matana
Group Circle Body Stretches Tool Caines, Rebecca
Imitate My Name Tool Waterman, Ellen
Improvised Name Jam Tool University of Guelph Music Students
Improvising Scenes through Sounds Tool Waterman, Ellen
Krazy Choir Tool Waterman, Ellen
Leaving for a Reason Tool (Anonymous)
Man Overboard Tool Pham, Khuong
Marching Carnival Line Tool
Bunnett, Jane
Cramer, Larry
Murder Wink Tool (Anonymous)
Music/Dance Name Game Tool Whitehead, Claire
Musical Character Cards Tool University of Guelph Music Students
Musical Production Tool (Anonymous)
My Fault Tool Pham, Khuong
Name Tennis Tool University of Guelph Music Students
Objects Tool Caines, Rebecca
Percussion Playground Tool Stewart, Jesse
Postcards Tool (Anonymous)
Random Ensembles Tool Waterman, Ellen
Rhythm Exchange Tool Pham, Khuong
Rhythmical Improvisation Goddard, John
Root for Your Fruit Tool
Bunnett, Jane
Cramer, Larry
Scream! Tool Pham, Khuong
Send and Receive Tool Waterman, Ellen
Shadowing Tool (Anonymous)
Show Me the Shape of Your World Tool Roberts, Matana
Silent Story Tool University of Guelph Music Students
Simon Says Tool Malcolm, Adam
Soloing Tool Wallace, Rob
Sound Effects Tool Whitehead, Claire
Soundscapes Tool University of Guelph Music Students
Space Jump Tool (Anonymous)
Statues Tool University of Guelph Music Students
Sticky Tag Tool Caines, Rebecca
Survivor Tool Pham, Khuong
Ten Minute Compositions Tool Waterman, Ellen
Text Compositions Tool Waterman, Ellen
The Arms Game Tool (Anonymous)
The Yes Game Tool (Anonymous)
Top 5 Tool Roberts, Matana
Umbrella Tool
Bunnett, Jane
Cramer, Larry
Vocal Warm Up: Tongue Twisters Tool Caines, Rebecca
Walking Different Ways Tool Caines, Rebecca
What's Your Name? Tool
Bunnett, Jane
Cramer, Larry
Yes, and... Tool (Anonymous)
Yes, But... Tool (Anonymous)

Improvisation is, simply put, being and living this very moment. No one can hide in music, and improvising in music is to be truly in this very moment and being completely yourself, with all your qualities and faults. It is probably the most honest state for a human being to be in.

– John McLaughlin in an interview with Daniel Fischlin.