Personal guidance
Full attention for every participant
Innovative materials
See improvisation from a completely new perspective
Expert
More than 25 years of experience guiding musicians
Registered course
The course meets CRKBO quality standards
Who is it for?
The impro 4-day 'The Chord Progression' is intended for anyone who wants to feel at home in the wonderful world of chord improvisation. When you improvise with others, you can quickly end up with a chord progression. Even when you improvise alone, a chord progression can be a good framework.
Do you long to be able to join in when a group of musicians is improvising on a chord progression? Are you curious to learn how to 'grow towards a chord progression', how to lay down 'the foundation' of a chord progression, and how to take a solo on a chord progression? Do you mainly long to enjoy making music together, and feel free during your improvisation, as if you are flying? Then this impro 4-day could be a great fit for you.
Together with Robert de Bree
I give the impro 4-day 'The Chord Progression' together with improvisation wizard Robert de Bree. Robert has an enormous imagination, a wonderful feel for improvisation, and amazing mastery of the oboe. When you hear him play, you think I want that too, because he touches your heart. He also plays recorder, and does the most fascinating, exciting, and remarkable things in the field of music improvisation, with great success, see www.robertdebree.nl/over-mij/curriculum-vitae.
Robert and I know each other from a music day at the Akoesticum in Ede, where we both gave an improvisation workshop. We clicked. He has invited me several times for projects, including at his 'home base' the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where he teaches improvisation. Like me, he has his roots in classical music, and now plays virtually all styles - especially his own. More information about him can be found at www.robertdebree.nl.
I look forward to shaping the impro 4-day together with Robert. Because not only is he a wonderful craftsman, he is above all a very amiable and loving person, with a delightful, playful energy.
Before you start...
It is helpful if, before you start the impro 4-day, you are broadly familiar with keys. This will make it easier for you to join in.
Is this still a bit unfamiliar to you, and would you still like to participate? Then I recommend:
- reading chapter 1 of my book The Fifth Factor, and doing the accompanying improvisation exercises;
- watching chapter 1 of the video course The Fifth Factor (Dutch), and doing the accompanying improvisation exercises.
Together, this gives you sufficient foundation to participate well in the impro 4-day The Chord Progression.
When?
'The Chord Progression' consists of a 4-day event for everyone: from Sunday 31 May to Wednesday 3 June 2026.
RegisterGeneral programme
What is fixed are the start and end times:
- Sunday there is arrival from 12:30 PM. From 1:00 PM we start with lunch.
- Wednesday around 4:00 PM we close the 4-day event.
How the impro 4-day takes shape will partly be determined by you as participants. The weather also plays a role: imagine, for example, that it's rainy with occasional moments of sun, then we plan it so that we can improvise outdoors during those sunny moments. The impro 4-day is allowed to take shape organically, in the moment.
Per day you can roughly expect:
- a block of improvisation workshop with Robert
- a block of improvisation workshop with Robijn
- a block of time with a surprise programme
- a block of time to fill as you choose (think of: time to let things sink in / informal improvising, individually or in small groups / walking / cycling / swimming / enjoying the sunshine / resting).
Generally, we take a short three-minute break every hour, and a longer break every two or three hours. But we can deviate from this according to your needs and your 'absorption capacity' ('Can you still go on, or are you ready for a break?')
At the beginning of the impro 4-day, everyone may make a wish: something you would like to learn or experience. We will make sure that by the end of the impro 4-day, all your wishes will have been fulfilled...!
Topics
Topics that may be covered include:
- recognising a progression by ear;
- 'growing towards' a chord progression;
- intro, outro, interlude;
- accompanying or 'supporting' based on chords or chord symbols: how do you do that, even if you don't play piano;
- soloing or taking a solo: how do you do that, and how do you feel comfortable doing it;
- feeling free, even while following the progression (sometimes a chord progression can feel like a kind of 'armour': how do you avoid that?);
- keeping an eye on the 'big arc' over the total improvisation;
- bringing head, heart, and hands together;
- 'horizontal' thinking (melody lines) and 'vertical' thinking (chords);
- chord progressions of one, two, three, or (many) more different chords;
- inventing your own chord progression;
- the 'octave rule' and the 'fifth rule' (centuries-old ways of arriving at a chord progression that still work well);
- modulations: tricks for moving from one key to another, and recognising them in your music;
- jam sessions: enjoyable improvising together without pressure;
- whatever other questions you may have...
What does it cost?
Costs
The costs for the impro 4-day 'The Chord Progression', including all workshops, 3x breakfast, 4x lunch, 3x evening meal, continuous coffee and tea, optional 3x overnight stay, and including my three improvisation books The Fifth Factor, Free Your Music, and Tonediving, are € 695. The Improvisation Academy is registered with the CRKBO, and is therefore exempt from VAT.
Discount?
If you really want to participate in 'The Chord Progression', but you cannot afford the costs, please contact us. If it is your dream, we believe that costs should not be an obstacle for you to realise your dream...!
More information and registration
Does 'The Chord Progression' appeal to you and would you like to register? Click here.
If you think: 'Such an impro 4-day might be for me, but I'm not sure, I still have some questions', please email your questions to robijntilanus@gmail.com. Always include your phone number in your email: Robijn can then call you back or leave you a message, if she feels that is the best way for her to respond.
RegisterFAQ
You can participate with any instrument. No instruments are excluded. Singers are also welcome.
The location is: Dorpsstraat 39, Uffelte, South-west Drenthe, The Netherlands. A beautiful farmhouse on a hectare of land, a hundred metres from a stunning nature area with forest, heather, sand drifts, ponds, and two dolmens.
The impro 4-day is given in a small group (minimum four, maximum ten people).
Of course! Overnight stays are included in the price for free. Expect basic comfort, not a star hotel. We ask you to bring your own bottom sheet (or a sheet bag), a pillowcase, and a duvet cover. We have duvets, blankets, and a bed for you. In the farmhouse there are two bathrooms that we share. If you prefer camping, that is also possible: there is plenty of space on our grounds for your tent or camper. You can of course also choose to find a B&B or hotel in our area if you prefer more comfort.
Uffelte is in the south-west corner of Drenthe. From the Randstad, it is roughly an hour and a half by car, depending on your starting point. If you come by train, go to Meppel station. From there, continue by bus 28, direction Dwingeloo. After fifteen minutes, get off at the Anserweg stop in Uffelte (Note: do NOT take the Dorpsstraat stop in Uffelte, as it is much further to walk. Also do NOT take the Dorpsstraat stop in Havelte, as you will be in the wrong village). From the Anserweg stop, it is approximately a ten-minute walk to Dorpsstraat 39.
Of course! Please send your dietary requirements to us by email well in advance.