The dimensions of music improvisation

The paper reports research employing a quantitative approach to investigating the specific cognitive processes adopted and musical abilities required during musical improvisation. Two questionnaires were used: the Improvisation Processes Questionnaire and the Improvisation Abilities Questionnaire. Participants were 76 adult musicians, each of them with at least two-year’s improvisation experience. Factor analysis extracted five dimensions for the Improvisation Processes Questionnaire (anticipation, emotive communication, flow, feedback and use of repertoire) and two dimensions for the Improvisation Abilities Questionnaire (musical practice and basic skills). Data were subjected to ANOVA for each of the 5+2 factors, considering the influence of three concurrent variables (instrument played, being or not being skilled at several instruments and kind of preferred music for performances). Results revealed a significant interaction between instrument played and the dimension basic skills, and between being or not being skilled at several instruments and the dimension flow. Significant Pearson correlations were found between flow and anticipation, between flow and musical practice, between anticipation and basic skills, between repertoire and emotive communication, between repertoire and feedback, between musical practice and basic skills. The interactions between the factors and the importance of the dimensions are discussed considering also how an improviser can improve performance levels.