ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on existing studies of the behavioral and neural correlates of musical improvisation and discusses the prerequisites for being a skilled improviser. It considers jazz improvisation though many of the aspects and conclusions could perhaps be generalized to improvisation in other styles of music. The chapter discusses two related questions, central for understanding the cognitive science of music improvisation: To what extent is improvisation in music constrained by context, and can music improvisation be compared to communication or dialogue without words? Musical improvisation can be found in solo performances or in group settings where the improvised artwork takes its form in a dynamic interplay between musicians. At the heart of many musical genres is the highly valued concept of improvisation; usually understood as shorter or longer periods of time where the musicians play what comes into their minds, creating music in the moment. One of the first and most notable studies on musical improvisation highlights this inherent problem.
