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VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Many think improvisation is creating music on the spot. Many teachers say improvisation is “spontaneous composition.” Improvisation is not spontaneously creating melodic lines, harmonies, or rhythms that you’ve never played before. Instead, improvisation is a language that is similar to spoken language. Great speakers do not spontaneously create new words or phrases they have never heard before when they speak. You and I don’t spontaneously use words we have never learned in a spontaneous conversation with another person. Instead, we communicate to others using words we ALREADY KNOW. So, improvisation is really about spontaneously recalling “musical words” (melodic lines, harmonies, rhythms etc.) you ALREADY KNOW. Learning jazz piano licks, runs or exercises is a very effective way to broaden your melodic musical vocabulary. Dr. Alton of Minstrel School of Music has made available his 30 Modern Bebop Licks PDF exercises book to download at
