How to Improvise

In 2005, Michael Dibb released the documentary titled “Keith Jarrett: The Art of Improvisation” to respect the legendary jazz pianist’s career, Keith Jarrett. To preface, the documentary discusses the vast range of musicians Keith performed with, played with, and spoke with, noting Keith’s “inklings of wisdom” he received from each artist respectively.

As a jazz musician myself, this documentary resonated with me greatly- not only did it satiate my fantasies of seeing Miles Davis’s “Live at the Filmore” be once aptly titled to its “liveness”, but it forced me to reflect on the way I approached my art form. Improvisation- this daunting word that makes you acknowledge that time is chiefly temporal, and makes note of the fact that all of your decisions are “improvised”. You don’t have nearly as much time as Richard Strauss had to compose his 2nd Horn Concerto. You have the mere instance of moving time.

Consequently, the main question posed by beginner jazz musicians is evidently “how to improvise”. All you’re given when your parents enlist you in the jazz ensemble at your school is an instrument of some sort and a piece of sheet music bombarded with weird triangles and #11s. And all your teacher gives you is some scale to play over each subsequent chord- but when you do get to playing, it sounds nothing like that Coltrane solo you heard on “My Shining Hour”. It sounds like some kid playing his major scales, out of time, tune, and feeling.

Though I myself haven’t played jazz for quite long, the one “inkling of wisdom” I collected on “how to improvise” is listening. You want to sound great? Listen to the greats. Jazz is an art form that requires a keen interest and enjoyment to the music itself, requiring less of a thorough understanding of music theory than a genuine will to play (though both are important). The music and “feel of jazz” is encapsulated by the origins of jazz, so listening to the dusty records of Marshall Royal’s solo on a Count Basie tune conveys the notion of “jazz”. The licks, lines, and rhythms that jazz emanates come directly from the records themself, so wholeheartedly appreciating the music and listening out of pure will will, as a product, make you a better player and make improvisation feel more effortless.

Jazz is judged holistically, and every jazz musician assumes a different way of expressing themselves, ranging from Steve Grossman to Lester Young in style and all conveying a different message. It is a journey of discovery in expression- each time you play over the same set of changes, you play it a different way, maybe finding a new way to whittle your way from chord to chord. Ornette Coleman puts it best:

“Improvisation is the only artform in which the same note can be played night after night but differently each time. It is the hidden things, the subconscious that lets you know you feel this, you play this.”

Play more, listen more. Discover more. That’s how you improvise.