Copyright by Martin Norgaard 2008 The Dissertation Committee for Martin Norgaard Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Descriptions of Improvisational Thinking by Artist-level Jazz Musicians Committee: Robert A. Duke, Co-Supervisor Laurie S. Young, Co-Supervisor Lowell J. Bethel Eugenia Costa-Giomi Jeffrey L. Hellmer Judith A. Jellison Bruce W. Pennycook Descriptions of Improvisational Thinking by Artist-level Jazz Musicians by Martin Norgaard, M.A., B.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August, 2008 Dedication Jonna Hindsgaul Kai Nørgaard Leif Hindsgaul Descriptions of Improvisational Thinking by Artist-level Jazz Musicians Publication No._____________ Martin Norgaard, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2008 Supervisors: Robert A. Duke and Laurie S. Young I investigated the thought processes of seven artist-level jazz musicians. Although jazz artists in the past have spoken extensively about the improvisational process, most have described improvisation only in general terms or have discussed specific recorded improvisations long after the recordings had been made. To date, no study has attempted to record artists’ perceptions of their improvisational thinking regarding improvisations they had just performed. Seven jazz artists recorded an improvised solo based on a blues chord progression accompanied only by a drum track. New technologies made it possible to notate the recorded material as it was being performed. After completing their improvisations, participants described in a directed interview, during which they listened to their playing and looked at the notation of their solos, the thinking processes that led to the realization of their performances. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a qualitative research methodology. v Six main themes were identified through the coding of the interviews. In all of the interviews, artists described making sketch plans, which outlined one or more musical features of upcoming passages. These plans became increasingly more explicit as the time to play each idea approached. The artists also described monitoring and evaluating their own output as they performed, making judgments that were often incorporated into future planning. Interestingly, the artists at times expressed surprise in hearing what they were playing, indicating that not all of the improvisations were based on ideas that were first imagined before they were played. The artists described four strategies for generating the note content of their improvisations: recalling well-learned ideas from memory and inserting them into the ongoing improvisation, choosing notes based on a harmonic priority, choosing notes based on a melodic priority, and repeating material played in earlier sections of the improvisation. vi Table of Contents Table of Contents.................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ........................................................................................................ xii List of Figures...................................................................................................... xiii Chapter One: Introduction .......................................................................................1 The Temporal Levels of Decision Making ............................................2 What Affects Decision Making?............................................................5 The Timing of Decision Making and the Use of Learned Material.......7 To What Extent Do Improvisational Decisions Involve Conscious Thought? .......................................................................................7 Theoretical Models of Thinking in Jazz Improvisation.........................8 Interview Data......................................................................................10 Purpose of the Study and Research Questions..............................................11 Limitations of the Current Study ..................................................................12 Chapter Two: Review of Literature .......................................................................14 Empirical Ethnographic Evidence .......................................................15 The Knowledge Base ...........................................................................18 Structures of Moderate Duration in the Knowledge Base ...................21 Large Structures in the Knowledge Base.............................................22 Generative Models........................................................................................22 Triggering Note Groupings..................................................................25 Determining Individual Notes Based on Rules....................................30 Conscious and Unconscious Processes................................................32 A Model for Conscious Mental Focus.................................................35 Learning To Improvise .................................................................................37 Children’s Vocal Improvisations .........................................................39 Children’s Instrumental Improvisations ..............................................41 Interaction .....................................................................................................42 vii Conclusion ....................................................................................................44 Chapter Three: Method..........................................................................................46 Participants....................................................................................................47 Setting ...........................................................................................................48 Apparatus ......................................................................................................49 Interview Procedure......................................................................................53 Analysis Procedure .......................................................................................55 Chapter Four: Results ............................................................................................61 Sketch Planning ...................................................................................62 Evaluative Monitoring Process............................................................65 Generative Strategies ....................................................................................68 The Idea Bank......................................................................................69 Explicitness.................................................................................70 Extent ..........................................................................................73 Intact Form..................................................................................75 Harmonic Priority ................................................................................76 Melodic Priority...................................................................................80 Incorporating Material Played Previously ...........................................82 Combining the Generative Strategies ..................................................84 Transcriptions and Summaries......................................................................86 Ron Westray Transcription and Summary.............................................................88 Ron Westray: Examples of the Sketch Planning Process and the Four Generative Strategies ...........................................................................97 The Sketch Planning Process...............................................................97 The Four Generative Strategies ...........................................................98 The Idea Bank: “Nuggets”..........................................................98 Harmonic Priority: “Math” .........................................................99 Melodic Priority: “Singing” and “Playing Bluesy Stuff” .........100 Incorporating Material Played Earlier ......................................101 viii Rufus Reid Transcription and Summary..............................................................102 Rufus Reid: Melody Rules..........................................................................109 Incorporating Material Played Earlier to Create Symmetry ..............110 Avoiding the Idea Bank .....................................................................111 Darol Anger Transcription and Summary............................................................113 Darol Anger: The Theme Dominates..........................................................122 Searching for a Theme.......................................................................122 Various Ways of Responding ............................................................123 The Hand Leads .................................................................................124 Lapse of Brain Power.........................................................................125 Mitch Watkins Transcription and Summary........................................................127 Mitch Watkins: Spelling Out the Chords....................................................133