A short and sweet look at the similarities, differences, and common roots between Music Composition and Music Improvisation…
How are Music Composition and Improvisation Alike?
Music composition and improvisation are both creative processes that involve communicating musical ideas. And require a deep understanding of how music works–specifically how form, meter, melody, harmony, rhythm, and other musical elements work together to create meaningful sounds.
How are music Composition and Improvisation Different?
- Composition is like written language, while Improvisation is like spoken language.
- Composition typically involves generating a score (music notation) so that it can be communicated to others, while improvisation is a live performance that is not necessarily meant to be documented in writing.
- Composition typically involves careful construction and revision, while improvisation requires presence, deep listening, adaptability, and responsiveness.
- A composer must understand the nature of the instruments they write for, while an improviser must have the skill to express themselves with their particular instrument.
- Composers typically work alone and take time to craft and polish a piece of music, while improvisers typically perform live for an audience using the knowledge and skills they’ve internalized over the years. This performance can be influenced greatly by the time, venue, mood, other performers, and styles of music played.
The Takeaway
Music composition and improvisation differ in terms of their musical intentions, time frame, skills and craft required, and context in which the music is generated, but the key point is this…
Music composition and improvisation are both creative and share a common foundation: a deep understanding of how music works.
And so, if you study and practice the right things the right way, you’ll have internalized enough of the language of music and enough craft that you’ll be able to compose (have something to write) and improvise (have something to speak) using the grammar and vocabulary in whatever genres and styles of music you’ve studied and practiced over the years!
return to… Music Composition
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