What is Improvisation?
by Michael Fein
Improvisation is...
Composing in the moment based on the rhythm and
harmony of the tune.
Creating musical ideas with restrictions.
Igor Stravinsky: What delivers me from the anguish into which an
unrestricted freedom plunges me is the fact that I am always able to turn
immediately to the concrete things that are here in question...in art as in
everything else, one can build only upon a resisting foundation: whatever
constantly gives way to pressure, constantly renders movement impossible.
My freedom thus consists in my moving about within the narrow frame that
I have assigned myself for each one of my undertakings. I shall go even
further: my freedom will be so much the greater and more meaningful the
more narrowly I limit my field of action and the more I surround myself with
obstacles. Whatever diminishes constraint, diminishes strength. The more
constraints one imposes, the more one frees one’s self...and the
arbitrariness of the constraint serves only to obtain precision of execution.
Improvisation is...
Limited by technical ability on the instrument.
Limited by ear development.
Limited by music theory knowledge.
Something that everyone can do. It’s not something you are born with
and it’s not “either you have it or you don’t.”
NOT just for jazz musicians.
Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven were all great improvisers.
Cadenzas and preludes used to be improvised.
Figured bass - a lead sheet from the Baroque era! How do I develop improvisation in
musicians?
Continue to work on developing good
fundamentals (tone, rhythmic feel, articulation,
etc.).
Listen, listen, listen
Listen to great improvisers. Focus on their
notes/licks, tone, and articulation.
Play with solo transcriptions and try to sound
just like the artist.
Play melodies by ear
How do I develop improvisation in
musicians?
Tools:
Scales - Major, dorian, mixolydian, harmonic
minor, blues
Chord tones - Major7, minor7, dom7, min7b5
Jazz licks
Use existing resources/methods
Compose your own
Borrow from solo transcriptions
How do I develop improvisation in
musicians?
Just do it!
Practice with play-a-long recordings.
The best way to get better at improvising is to
improvise a lot!
Practice technical exercises in the abstract
based on the tools above.
Write out a jazz solo.
Possess SELF CONFIDENCE
How do I develop improvisation in
musicians?
Soloing:
Keep your place - focus on the form of the
song
Play “right” notes - restrict yourself to
particular scales or chord tones.
Use repetition/sequencing
Practice at slow tempos
How do I develop improvisation in
musicians?
Select appropriate repertoire:
Vamp Tunes - 1 chord or set of chords for an extended amount
of time
Modal Tunes - 1 chord/scale for an extended amount of time,
limited chords used throughout tune
Blues - 1 scale for the entire tune, basic chord tones, basic scales
ii-V-I tunes - Ability to bracket sections for 1 scale, insert jazz
licks
Improvising is a skill that develops slowly over time and for this
reason it can be difficult for students to see concrete improvement.
Developing improvisation is a marathon, not a sprint.
How can technology facilitate the
development of improvisation in musicians?
Create play-a-long recordings so students can hear their
improvised ideas with the rhythm and harmony.
Use software to generate a solo, create appropriate notation,
and print for practice.
Easily transpose exercises for various instruments and ranges.
Notate scale and chord tone exercises.
Notate jazz licks and transcribed solos.
Have students write out a solo ahead of time and then
perform it on their instrument.
How can technology facilitate the
development of improvisation in musicians?
Use existing materials (SmartMusic, Aebersold,
Essential Elements, Standard of Excellence).
Edit audio recordings to highlight important aspects of
the performance.
Develop listening playlists on YouTube and/or Spotify.
Develop a series of podcast episodes that illustrate
beginning improvisation concepts.
Develop a website so students can easily access files
from home.