A Short Introduction:

Music Improvisation in Different World Cultures

Osvaldo Glieca

© 2008 Rightocopy Osvaldo Glieca

Improvisation and interpretation between different cultures

Improvisation varies greatly between cultures and virtually in all of them there are improvised parts. Mostly of

the improvised material is based on models already composed, likely to be familiar themes in which the soloists

feel comfortable to play. Also there is music improvised where there are not models to follow, rather simple

guidelines that dictate the roles between musicians resulting in aleatory structures and materials. The players

needs to interprets the music with his own spontaneous phrases and embellishments.

Asian music

Improvisation is important in several Asian traditions. An Asian musician usually spends many years memorizing

and absorbing traditional models before improvising. In general, improvisation in Asian music requires

imagination within limitations of a frame works in which particular musical elements are obligatory, forbidden or

optionals. All the forms of traditional music have obligatory features that preserve the model of the function for

which the music is performed for. Usually pieces of music with complex structures and heavy textures have more

obligated passages that light textures which give more freedom to the performer. Generally, the texture of music

can described as either of high or low density.

East and South East Asia

Most of the music of East Asia (Japan, Korea, China) have obligatory features and permits little or no

improvisation. Although these main traditions emphasize composed forms, some improvisational forms are also

practised. In South East Asia, in the Indonesian island of Bali, the Gamelan has around forty musicians, and most

of them play only a fixed melody or important notes with no allowance to improvise. These ensembles include

soloists who play the introductions of each composition with some improvised musical material. Conversely, in the

Javanese Gamelan improvisation is characteristic. Javanese Gamelan consists of at least of thirty instrumentalist

and singers. The main improvising role is left to the leader of the Gamelan, which shares with some other

musicians the most important improvising parts. (usually xylophones, stringed instruments, and flutes) Very

similar musical forms are also present in the mainland of the south east Asia (Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam)

South Asia

Improvisation is the most prominent aspect of South Asian music. Polyphony and Heterophony are the main

characteristics. (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) The music has features of a single melodic line (vocal or

instrumental) accompanied by percussions and a drone. When the soloist performs a composed section the

accompanists play more or less in unison, but when the soloist improvises they imitate his melodies as close as

possible. The texture is generally low density and allow improvisation. Some obligated passages or conceptual

framework known as “Raga” have characteristic phrases of ascending and descending lines with obligatory

phrasing ornaments.

Improvisation involves the elaboration of the rhythmic cells through expansion, reductions, variations, and

syncopations.

An example of how to elaborate a melodic pattern

The Middle East

The music of Middle East includes Islamic musical traditions of which North African and Arabic countries are best

known. The music is similar to that from south Asia. Ensembles plays homophonically and heterophonically with

drum and percussion accompaniments. Comparable to the south Asian “Raga” are modal forms such the Arabic

Maqam and the Persian Dastgah which are the basis for composition and improvisation.

Another similarity is the division in two sections: an unmeasured section in which the improvisation occurs, and a

metric section with composed material accompanied by specific drum rhythms where the performer interprets the

music for the given function. Interpretation of musical works requires the performer to present own choice of

introductions, ornaments, melismatic elaborations, and expression.

A particular aspect of this system is that the traditional repertory may involve modulations of the scale in which

the melodic material is based with the development of a gradual expansion of the tonal range. As with the music

of south Asia the techniques of improvisation are not taught directly, but passed orally from one generation to the

other. A student of music is required first to absorb the traditional models in their composed form, and afterwards

to use the imagination to break away from those frameworks.

Africa

African music is rhythmically centered; the popularity of percussive instruments and the drums ensembles offer an

intense significance to rhythm as a principal vehicle of expression. Improvisation is based on ostinati patterns

that dictate the tempo. African music is polyrhythmic using techniques such displacement, irregular time

signatures, variable metres and syncopations. An important framework to improvise on, and create polyrhythm, is

superimposing three notes in the time of two or vice versa; what European music identify as Hemiola, and it is a

vital conceptual starting point to contrast independent phrases between two or more parts.

Rhythmic displacement occurs when the weak beats are accentuated instead of the strong one.

Variable metres is a common practice in African music performances.

The Hemiola creates fascinating polyrhythmic and complex patterns.

African music tends to be founded on the repetition of short phrases easy to remember to enable the improvisers

to modify, deviate and come back to the original theme; to some extent the improvisation is closely related to a

variation technique. Traditional African music is not written down but passed on by memory, and the tendency to

improvise is habitual. In some parts of Central Africa, across the regions of Uganda and Tanzania improvisation is

minimal.

The numerous musical cultures of the sub-Saharan regions show improvisation in a great variety of different

practises. Prominent in all the parts of the continent is the use of improvised variations. Vocal or instrumental

parts repeats a short phrase many times changing slightly each time, but maintaining the rhythmic framework.

Conceptually it is a call and response form that may consist of a refrain that alternates with a soloists variations

on the same theme. Percussion ensembles in Africa consist in an undefined number of performers; each of them

present a single repeated pattern while an improvising master drummer selects patterns juxtaposing and

blending them together.

Latin America

Latin music is one of the most exiting and popular music traditions, and is performed and improvised to

accompany popular dances and this distinctive style is intended to support this function rather than focus the

attention on the player, as happens in Latin Jazz music.

Generally the rhythms and the tempo are dictated by the clave that creates the framework for composition as well

as for improvisation. The clave defines the rhythms on which the improvisers build their own melodies. The time

signatures are usually simple or compound duple metres: ( 2/4, 4/4) or (6/8, 12/8). The clave plays a two-bar

fixed pattern allowing improvisations to play important roles in the accompaniment too. Much of the expressive

essence is in the rhythmic section The bass and piano parts that embrace the clave pulsation in a pattern called

Tumbao anticipates the strong accents creating a sense of an never ending groove in which the melodies can be

easily played. The solos are short and sometimes inexistent. Most of the time the melodies are composed with

obligated passages, allowing the musician’s ornaments and own interpretations. A particular feature is that the

player performs the solos playing behind the beats creating micro-rhythmic nuances to make the melodies

exciting. (often these are very difficult to notate into a music score accurately)

“Quizas Quizas Quizas” by the Cuban composer Osvaldo Farres in 1947

“Mas Que Nada” by the Brazilian composer Jorge Ben in 1963

These two famous examples have been performed and recorded in many different versions through the years

maintaining the melody untouched, but re-interpreting the music allowing improvised accompaniments to be

added according to the style. These musical extracts show how Latin music accommodate different musical

approaches extensively.