Beginning Improvisation

Abstract

An improvised jazz solo is constructed from rhythmic and harmonic vocabulary. It requires the player to have an internal sense of melody, harmony and form that he or she relies on to create musical ideas in real time. This chapter outlines an approach to teaching beginning improvisors that can develop these concepts. It articulates principles of improvisation that students must learn before progressing to advanced theoretical concepts, which include communication; phrasing; tension and release; and the ability to simultaneously create, perform, and respond to music. Throughout the chapter, exercises, activities, and repertoire are provided that effectively lay the groundwork for learning to improvise in the jazz idiom.