11 - Improvisation Flashcards
1
Q
Improvisation
A
- composition occurs simultaneously with performance
- can be contrasted with 1) composition and 2) performance
2
Q
Improvised forms in the arts
A
- improvised music forms
- contact improvisation (dance)
- devised theatre
- improv acting
3
Q
Structure of improvisation
A
- guided improvisation
- constrained by features of the style
- limited by physical constraints
- based on patterns, formals, or motor routines
4
Q
Approaches to empirically study improvisation
A
- experimental manipulation
- correlational analysis with non-improv skills
- corpus analysis
- interview analyses
- ethnographic analyses
5
Q
Theories of improvisation
A
- Pressing (patterns) = pre-learned patterns, motor routines, formulas
- Johnson-Laird (procedures) = musical rules and their application
6
Q
Ways to progress in an improvisation
A
- associative transitions = musical improvisers may concatenate melodic figures based on a repository of pre-learned patterns; moves along the same thread (typical)
- interruptive transitions = new thread of musical figures (sudden change)
7
Q
Entropy
A
- measure of the absence of structure, order, or predictability in a system
- the higher the entropy, the less structured, organized, or predictable a system is
- represents musical diversity
8
Q
Conditional entropy
A
- measuring the diversity of transitions between pitch classes
- a higher conditional entropy means a higher variety of pitch-class transitions (i.e. less predictable transitions)
9
Q
Types of constraints in improvisation
A
- cognitive
- music-theoretic
10
Q
Goldman - Study
A
- jazz musicians
- improvise over a backing track
- improvisations were pooled by factor
11
Q
Goldman - IVs
A
- within-subject (2 x 2 x 2)
- key = B-flat (familiari), B (unfamiliar)
- hand = right, left
- function = melody, bass
12
Q
Goldman - DVs
A
- entropy of the pitch classes
- conditional entropy of the pitch classes
- diatonic proportion (Major key diatonic pitches/total pitches)
13
Q
Goldman - Main Results
A
- entropy = main effect of key; higher entropy in familiar key
- conditional entropy = main effect of hand and function; right had higher than left, melody had higher than bass
- diatonic proportion = main effect of key; unfamiliar key had higher diatonic
- interactions = 2-way interaction between key and function for diatonic proportion; key had a greater effect on the melody line than bass
14
Q
Norgaard - Study
A
- analyzed 48 of Charlie Parker’s solos
- corpus from a transcribed collection (low error rate)
- control corpora = random, computer-generated
15
Q
Norgaard - Procedure
A
- pairs of pitches converted into directional intervals (size and contour)
- pattern = sequence had to occur twice or more in the corpus
- can not include = long rests, note values longer than 4 beats
- each note considered a possible start point