TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Improvisation may sound spontaneous, but jazz musicians spend countless hours preparing for that freedom.
Practicing improvisation starts with learning the language: scales, arpeggios, and chord changes. Musicians study jazz standards, analyzing how melodies and harmonies move. Then they transcribe solos by greats like Miles Davis or Sonny Rollins, absorbing the phrasing, rhythm, and vocabulary of the masters.
Once the building blocks are in place, the real work begins: improvising over backing tracks, playing with bands, and learning to listen as much as they play. It’s about developing intuition—reacting in real time, making musical decisions on the fly.
Improvisation is like conversation. You don’t memorize every word, you train your ears, sharpen your ideas, and trust your voice.
It’s a lifelong journey, but the joy is in the discovery.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.