On December 4, 1957, Miles Davis revolutionized film soundtrack production, improvising the score for Louis Malle’s Ascenseur pour l’échafaud. A cinematic harbinger of the French New Wave, Ascenseur challenged mainstream filmmaking conventions, emphasizing experimentation and creative collaboration. It was in this environment during the late 1950s to 1960s, a brief “golden age” for jazz in film, that many independent filmmakers valued improvisational techniques, featuring soundtracks from such seminal figures as John Lewis, Thelonious Monk, and Duke Ellington. But what of jazz in film today? Improvising the Score: Rethinking Modern Film Music through Jazz provides an original, vivid investigation of innovative collaborations between renowned contemporary jazz artists and prominent independent filmmakers. The book explores how these integrative jazz-film productions challenge us to rethink the possibilities of cinematic music production. In-depth case studies include collaborations between Terence Blanchard and Spike Lee (Malcolm X, When the Levees Broke), Dick Hyman and Woody Allen (Hannah and Her Sisters), Antonio Sánchez and Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman), and Mark Isham and Alan Rudolph (Afterglow). The first book of its kind, this study examines jazz artists’ work in film from a sociological perspective, offering rich, behind-the-scenes analyses of their unique collaborative relationships with filmmakers. It investigates how jazz artists negotiate their own “creative labor,” examining the tensions between improvisation and the conventionally highly regulated structures, hierarchies, and expectations of filmmaking. Grounded in personal interviews and detailed film production analysis, Improvising the Score illustrates the dynamic possibilities of integrative artistic collaborations between jazz, film, and other contemporary media, exemplifying its ripeness for shaping and invigorating twenty-first-century arts, media, and culture.

Learn to improvise at the keyboard and open up a brand new world of musical knowledge with this exciting method from Alfred. Students of all ages can continue their journey to a lifetime of musical enjoyment. By following the step-by-step set of instructions, you will learn all about improvising in blues, rock and jazz styles. With its chord symbols, mini-music lessons and both original and traditional songs, this book will have you improvising right from the beginning! Improvisation is a skill that can be learned and one that every budding pianist should know. It allows the performer to musically express feelings and ideas and is an exciting skill for performing all styles of music. Be your own teacher, and let Alfred be your resource every step of the way.

Improvise for Real is a step-by-step method that teaches you to improvise your own music through progressive exercises that anyone can do. You'll learn to understand the sounds in the music all around you. And you'll learn to express your own musical ideas exactly as you hear them in your mind. The method starts with very simple creative exercises that you can begin right away. As you progress, the method leads you on a guided tour through the entire world of modern harmony. You will be improvising your own original melodies from the very first day, and your knowledge will expand with each practice session as you explore and discover our musical system for yourself. Improvise for Real brings together creativity, ear training, music theory and physical technique into a single creative daily practice that will show you the entire path to improvisation mastery. You will learn to understand the sounds in the music all around you and to improvise with confidence over jazz standards, blues songs, pop music or any other style you would like to play. And you'll be jamming, enjoying yourself and creating your own music every step of the way. The method is open to all instruments and ability levels. The exercises are easy to understand and fun to practice. There is no sight reading required, and you don't need to know anything about music theory to begin. Already being used by both students and teachers in more than 20 countries, Improvise for Real is now considered by many people to be the definitive system for learning to improvise. If you have always dreamed of truly understanding music and being able to improvise with complete freedom on your instrument, this is the book for you

Teach yourself to improvise at the electronic keyboard or acoustic piano in this easy-to-use book. Each new concept is presented in logical, progressive fashion and is followed by reinforcement exercises and fun songs to improvise to. You'll want to jam every day!

(Jazz Book). A study of three basic outlines used in jazz improv and composition, based on a study of hundreds of examples from great jazz artists.

This book illustrates how technology can be used to support improvisational growth and musical development in the practice room and music classroom. Hands-on technology activities guide the reader through the basic mechanics of improvising and the essential music theory elements needed to improvise and teach improvisation.

This book teaches the improvisation of classical piano music through a step-by-step method including the use of chord tone approaches, scales, arpeggios, non-chord tones, motivic development, ornamentation, modulation, stylistic variation, and more. By practicing simple tasks the pianist escapes the mental pressure of performing on the spot and develops the ease and freedom of improvising in classical styles. This book also includes 7 variations on a theme by Beethoven illustrating the improvisational concept and technique. Includes CD.

In The Bible as Improv, author Ron Martoia helps you move beyond maxims and read the Bible so that its story shapes your own stories. In this new light, you will deepen your spiritual life and avoid the confusion about what is true for you today and what is "outdated." Come take a look at the big picture of the Bible. The view is incredible.

Presents exercises and discussion on polyrhythms, extensive syncopatied rhythmic figures (via the use of rests, dotted notes and ties), mixed rhythmic figures and partial subdivision.