Critical analysis of improvisation

Introduction

This essay seeks to explain the process by which a 7 minute improvisation was theorised and
carried out. It (the essay) also seeks to contextualise this improvisation - as well as improvisation in
general - within the post-modern landscape, through the lens of ethnomusicology. This
contextualisation includes an examination of a sample of classical improvising traditions. The
purpose of this work is to develop an understanding of the context - pedagogical, academic and
social - in which "improvisation" (to the extent which this term can still be considered to hold
classificational value) takes place.

Background

Improvisation is a high context musical activity in which participants "play" with ideas in a way
that creates music which is novel and exciting (Hall 1992, Racy 1998, 2000). Western music pre-
modernity had a rich improvising tradition (Blum 1998, Nooshin 2003, 2015, Moersch 2009, Levin
2009). In the Baroque and classical periods well known composers such as Mozart and Bach were
known primarily as improvisers, with their compositions becoming famous only later (Levin 2009,
Hall 1992, Nooshin 2003, 2015, Moersch 2009). As sheet music and musical instruments were
made available to the broader, less musically educated public through mass production and the
increase in wealth of the middle class improvisation in the western world became less prominent
and Musical conventions became more prescriptive, or lower context (As defined in Hall (1992)).

In this context, in musicological academia, musical traditions that emphasised improvisation or oral
- aural transmission of repertoire were considered to be antithetical to modernity, uncultured. Thus a
dichotomy of improvised/Composed music came to be used to support hegemonic practices in
postcolonial society (Nooshin 2003, 2015).

More recently, views in the literature seem to have shifted in the other direction with improvisation
becoming romanticised as being endowed with connotations of freedom or otherness (Nooshin
2003, 2015). This was partly supported by the political associations of improvised jazz music with
the black power movement in the United States (Nooshin 2003, 2015).

The hegemonic practice of dichotomisation is in itself a limiting dialectic which has been
instrumental in sustaining pathological power structures (Nooshin 2003, 2015). In light of this many
modern ethnomusicologists seek to find other ways to discuss and investigate "Improvised" music
(Mcneil 2015, 2017, Nooshin 2003, 2015). Some of these new dialectics will be examined in the
following section.

Improvising traditions

This section will explore briefly some of the more common improvisational vernacular from
three major improvising musical traditions. The vernacular will then be used to inform and also to
critique the improvisation to which this essay pertains.

Arabic

several forms of Arabic classical music involve playing in ways which could be called improvised
(Blum 1998, Racy 1998, 2000, Nooshin 2003, 2015). Despite this fact, the word "improvisation"
has not until relatively recently had a widely used equivalent in Arabic musical traditions (Nooshin
2003, 2015). In Persian modal music there is a strong emphasis on the relationship between the
musicians and the audience, with a competent artist being expected to be able to tailor his
performance to please the audience (Blum 1998, Racy 1998, 2000). In addition, the expectation of
the audience to participate in the creation of the mood in Persian music is also a significant aspect,
and it is said that a good performance depends also on the ability of the audience (Blum 1998, Racy
1998, 2000). The goal of some Arab Classical music is to reach a state of ecstacy, called Tarab. The
dialogue and lexicon around the emotional states of performers and audiences alike forms a
significant aspect of these traditions (Racy 1998, 2000, Shannon 2003).

Northern Indian

In Northern Indian classical music, as in many aspects of Indian life, improvisation forms a large
part of the traditional performance methodology (Ranade). Once again as for Arabic music, in the
common musical lexicon there is not a word that translates well the English word to improvise
(Mcneil 2015, 2017). In the Northern Indian classical tradition various metaphors are used to
discuss and describe the performance process. These include the concept of Rasa, or flavour, a
metaphor that is used widely throughout India (Mcneil 2015, 2017). In addition to this there are also
extensive traditional pedagogies for rhythmic and harmonic manipulation that are used in the
training process for musicians in this tradition (Mcneil 2017).

Jazz

There are many methods for approaching improvisation in the "jazz" tradition (Berliner 2009).
Likewise many pedagogical structures for training aspiring musicians in the art have been
developed (Berliner 2009). One of the central tenets of all jazz performance and improvisation is
the concept of groove (Shannon 2003).

Methodology

In this section the framework for the improvisation to which this article pertains will be
elaborated.

In his book Jerry Bergonzi (1993) elaborates a series of improvisational exercises based around
pentatonic scales. The chosen pentatonic scale is played through according to a pattern of steps and
leaps. Figure 1 shows the most basic representation of this pattern. The number of steps and size of
the leaps can both be varied. Rhythmic patterns can be super imposed over the melodic pattern.
Various forms of pentatonic scales (For example major, minor, flat five or flat six pentatonics) can
be used and the tonic can be displaced in order to create harmonic tension.

It is my intention to take the material described in Bergonzi and develop it in a 7 minute

improvisation. I have chosen this system because it is one which I am a little familiar with, and also
I feel that it incorporates many elements of approach which run parallel to those from the classical
Indian system as it is explained in Mcneil (2017). In particular a set of four rhythmic "seeds" will be
held as the focus for the musical exegesis and these will be stated at the beginning and end of the
recording. Figure 2 shows the Statement of the principle seeds that will be used.

The seven minutes will be divided into segments which will focus on different inspirations for the
improvisation. The inspirations have been chosen from the literature regarding the improvising
traditions described in the previous sections.
Figure 1: Melodic pattern from Bergonzi (1994)

Figure 2: Seed structure

Analysis

The "seed ideas" are not played precisely as shown in figure 2; Sometimes the 5/8 section has
the two bars of rests as notated and sometimes not. Also the 7/8 section is played before the 3/8
section. In between the sections relating to the different inspirations the basic 4/4 section from
figure 2 is played to denote the end of a section.

1:00 - 1:55 Patterns

In this section I am working principally with the material of the Bergonzi system as described in the
previous section, my primary focus is on working the patterns in rhythmically coherent phrases.

2:00 - 2:50 Seed ideas

In this section I attempt to establish and build on seed or motivic concepts. You can hear clearly in
this section that I continually "catch" phrases that arise in the improvisation and attempt to build on
them iteratively

2:55 - 3:43 Groove

In This section I am working on the concept of Groove as I have understood it in Jazz. There is a
strong emphasis on playing with the material in a way that is rhythmically interesting to create a
strong sense of rhythmic feel.

3:45 - 4:45 Ecstacy/Tarab

In this section I am trying to play in a way that expresses and communicates a state of ecstasy. This
came out on this occasion through a More nuanced, rubato-esque approach with more intensive use
of polytonal playing. In this particular improvisation it also felt to me to be appropriate to use heavy
distortion for this section. To my ears on listening it does indeed transmit a sense of emotional
intensity or bliss (As I understand that term).

4:50 -5:50 Rasa

In this section I am working on the concept of rasa or flavour in the playing (In so far as is possible
with my limited understanding of this concept). One of the things that came out in this section for
me was the idea of playing with the microtonal space around notes, as referred to in Mcneil (2015).

Conclusion

This essay has described the process by which an ethnomusicologically informed 7 minute
improvisation was theorised and carried out. It has also provided a sociohistorical context for this
process. The practice of improvisation is one that has only in relatively recent history returned to
prominence in the west. as we have seen There are numerous traditions of classical music on this
planet that utilise improvisation. It could be suggested that trying to understand a little better the
way in which they approach music making would be a useful exercise for any aspiring musician.

References

Bergonzi, J., 1994. Pentatonics, Advance Music.

Berliner, P.F., 2009. Thinking in jazz: The infinite art of improvisation. University of Chicago Press.

Blum, S., 1998. ‘Recognizing improvisation’ in In the course of performance: Studies in the world
of musical improvisation, Nettl, Bruno & Russell, Melinda, Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
27-45.

Hall, Edward T. 1992. 'Improvisation as an Acquired, Multilevel Process', Ethnomusicology 36(2):

223-235.

Levin, R., 2009. ‘Improvising Mozart’ In Musical improvisation: Art, education, and society, Solis,
G & Nettle, B, Chigago: University of Illinois Press, 143-149.

McNeil, Adrian 2015. ‘Ragas, recipes, and rasas’, Oxford handbooks [Accessed 7th May 2019].
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McNeil, Adrian 2017. ‘Seed ideas and creativity in Hindustani raga music: beyond the
composition–improvisation dialectic’, Ethnomusicology Forum, 26(1): 116-132.

Moersch, C.M., 2009. ‘Keyboard improvisation in the baroque period’, Musical Improvisation: Art,
Education, and Society, pp.150-70.
Nooshin, Laudan 2003. ‘Improvisation as ‘Other’: Creativity, Knowledge and Power – The Case of
Iranian Classical Music’, Journal of the Royal Musical Association, 128(2), pp.242–296.

Nooshin, Laudan 2015. Iranian classical music : the discourses and practice of creativity,
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Racy, Ali J. 1998. ‘Improvisation, ecstasy, and performance dynamics in Arabic music’, in In the
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Racy, Ali J. 2000. ‘The Many Faces of Improvisation: The Arab Taqāsīm as a Musical Symbol’,
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Ranade, Ashok D. ‘Improvisation; the Indian Cultural Perspective’in Perspectives on Music: Ideas
and Theories, Chicago: Promilla & co publishers, 215-229.

Shannon, J. 2003. ‘Emotion, performance, and temporality in Arab music: Reflections on Tarab’,
Cultural Anthropology, 18(1): 72–98.