Did you know that a lot of Johann Sebastian Bach’s musical pieces started off as improvisations? These magnificent creations have reached us after centuries. Yet, they never ceased to amaze musicians and music lovers alike.
But, what is improvisation in music, and why do many singers and musicians want to perfect this specific skill? Is it purely talent, or can you learn it just like you’d study music theory?
In this article, we’ll answer these questions and discuss music improvisation more in-depth.
Let’s dive in!
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What Is Improvisation in Music?
Improvisation in music means coming up with ways to enhance your music performance on the spot.In other words, it refers to the ability to create and play new music, or add different touches to existing pieces, without previous preparation.
When you improvise, you’re not limited to a certain instrument or musical style. Instead, you use the resources at hand to come up with a creation that’s uniquely yours. You’ll use whatever instrument you’re playing along with your listening skills to compose music spontaneously.
Improvisation in Music: Talent or Skill?
You’re in a concert watching the live performance of your favorite rock band. The lead guitarist steps up to play his solo, and you can’t help but notice that he’s managed to play some incredible notes on the spot. How does that ability come easily to such an artist?
To answer your question, improvisation in music can be approached in a number of ways. But, most importantly, it’s not a magical talent nor does it require heavy studying of music theory. It just requires confidence and practice.
A huge barrier that makes many people believe they can’t improvise music is that they might think that only skilled musicians do it. On the contrary, improvisation is a skill that anyone can learn. Even children are encouraged to improvise when they first start learning music.
Yet, before we get to the basics of improvisation in music, let’s take a look at how this skill has shaped music throughout history.
Historical Examples of Improvisation in Music
Many people think that improvisation is a modern creation because it goes well with the fast-paced rhythm of our lives. But the truth is that improvising musical pieces and adding new elements have been around for centuries.
Baroque Period (1600-1750)
Remember how we mentioned that many of Bach’s compositionswere originally improvised? A lot of his organ and piano pieces started off this way.
In these pieces, there’s always plenty of room for the performer to add his or her decorations or ornaments to the music. Since they’ve first been composed until today, many musicians have added extra notes or techniques to them. Eventually, that has made the pieces more elaborate.
Classical Period (1750- circa 1810)
Another historical evidence of improvisation is what happened during the performance of concertos. A concerto is a piece of music that was played by a soloist and an orchestra, and it often included a cadenza.
A cadenza is a short section within the concerto where the orchestra will stop playing to allow the soloist to show off their technical skills. The soloist’s performance was always an improvisation.
Modern Day – Jazz
There’s no better example of improvisation in music in modern times than jazz music. The reason behind this is that jazz covers a wide array of musical styles, giving a lot of freedom to performers to improvise.
Improvisation in jazz is often done by instrumentalists as well as vocalists.Ultimately, a lot of people fell in love with jazz music simply after seeing how performances tend to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Types of Improvisation in Music
Throughout the years, musicians have come with numerous ways and techniques of improvisation. As a result, we can’t gather all types of improvisation in music under one headline because they’re endless.
However, we could still talk about the most essential and common approaches when it comes to improvisation in jazz.
1.Sequences
Some artists, when improvising while playing an instrument, will go for this approach. Using a sequence means playing the same intervallic and melodic structureon several different degrees of a scale.
2.Scalar Improvisation
Scalar improvisation is a bit advanced. It means improvising new melodies within the same scale.
3.Arpeggios
Arpeggios are quite different from the previous two techniques. This is because they focus more on the chords within a song or musical composition. An arpeggiohappens when you play each note of a chord independently.
Played one by one, these notes are another form of improvisation in music.
4.Neighboring and Leading Tones
Here’s another approach that many musicians favor when they try to improvise. In this method, the performer focuses on a note in a scale along with its neighboring tones.
The technique is based on approaching the target note diatonically or chromatically.
Why Is It Important to Learn Improvisation in Music?
You’re probably wondering why many artists keep working hard to reach this level of spontaneity in live performances. Well, in this section, we’ll talk about why it may be a good idea to approach improvisation as a musician.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a member of a small-town band, a music student, or a professional musician. There are numerous benefits to improvisation, which can help you reach higher steps in your musical career.
Improves Your Listening
Many music students focus so much on reading and playing music that they forget the most important thing about what they’re doing. Being able to listen, feel, and express your emotions while playing a piece is as essential as getting the notes right.
Therefore, when you explore new territories in an improv session, you’ll be training your ears to define which notes work best with each other. With every new combination that you try, you’ll learn new sounds and make fewer mistakes.
In no time, you should have the ability to compose your own music effortlessly.
Enhances Creativity
Ever wondered how musicians come up with these magnificent compositions? It almost seems out of this world!
Well, creating a fantastic musical piece isn’t impossible after all, especially when you invent something on the spot. See, this is another thing that improvisation in music can help you with.
When you improvise, your mind will be forced to make quick decisions and think ahead. In that situation, a lot of brilliant ideas can come to the surface. Even squeezing your mind for new sounds may not have the same effect as improvisation will.
Helps You Become More Familiar With Patterns and Scales
If you’re a student, you may become quickly bored of playing scales to warm up. So, with your mind out of focus and your ear used to those patterns, you’ll forget how notes tend to interact with each other.
Improvisation can solve this problem. When you improvise, you’ll get a better understanding of how patterns and scales work. This should help you refine several concepts surrounding chords, scales, arpeggios, etc.
How to Get Started With Improvisation in Music?
In this section, we’ll approach the basics of improvisation in music for beginners.
1.Consider Learning Some Music Theory
Sure, knowing music theoryisn’t the reason why many artists create magic while center stage. Still, learning the basic concepts of scales, harmonies, keys, and notes will make improvisation much easier.
This way, you’ll know which notes work well together. It’s also a great idea to understand how chord progressionsare done. Once you learn these things, you can choose a few notes that’ll fit the chords of the song you’ll be improvising with.
2.Open Yourself to More Musical Styles and Genres
The more exposure that you have to various styles, the less restricted you’ll be to a certain genre. As a result, your improvisation should grow richer and more creative.
After combining different sounds, scales, and other elements, you’ll find yourself with a truly original piece of music.
3.Practice, Practice, Practice
In the world of music, art, writing, or any form of creative work, the key to advanced skills and techniques is practice. If you wish to hone your improvisation skills, make time each day to perfect your instrument playing and find ways to become more creative.
Remember that, besides practice, you’ll need patience, persistence, and a lot of confidence.
If you play the piano, cello, guitar, drums, or any instrument out there, it may do you good to sit down for an improv session every now and then. Just hum a few notes, play some chords on your instrument, experiment with variations of notes, and that’s it!
You could also try improv with members of your band or a group of musician friends.
Ultimately, doing this with a group can help you exchange new ideas and get more inspiration. Even better, jamming with friends or bandmates will always be fun, and it may be a cool way to bond.
Generally speaking, you can reach a great level of improvisation in music by starting small and simple, then paving your way to the top!
