Call & Response:[1]

A common jazz device; originally derived from Lining the practice of a choir
leader, priest or cantor singing a line of a hymn that was repeated by the
largely illiterate congregation.
One person plays a bar of music (call),
All others reproduce the same bar of music (response) as closely as possible
(include articulation and dynamics).
A call can be as simple as one pitch with rhythmic variation
For beginners, specify the first pitch. Begin each new call with either the
first or last note of the previous call.
As players gain confidence, increase the complexity and then the length of
each call.
The goal is to develop rapid, automatic reaction to what is heard.
If mistakes are made in the response, repeat the call, simplifying or
fragmenting it into smaller components if necessary. One effective rule for
ensuring this is: any call is valid as long as it can be repeated by the caller.
Variations:
Call and Answer: each call is an incomplete phrase; respond by completing
the phrase.
Pass the Phrase: Each response is a continuation of the previous call. The
call can be a predetermined length from one to many notes or varied ad lib.
Move from one to the next either in a predetermined order or by cuing.
Improvise Emotions:

Pick a specific emotion before beginning.

Play melodies that express this emotion.

Listen to others and attempt to interact with their melodies (unless

the emotion picked implies you should not, ex: frustration)

Some examples of emotions:

Anger

Happy

Frustration

Joy

Fear

Variations:

Pick two (or more) moods and after developing one, transform the
emotion to another.

Approximate times for each emotion can be predefined or arrived at

by consensus while playing.

Have everyone pick their own mood to express and players then
attempt to interact musically. Have them guess each others mood
once finished.

Improvise Scenes or Pictures:

Instead of emotions choose other brief descriptors for starting points in
improvisation:

City street

Winter snowfall

Summer evening

Sunset at a beach

Whales singing

Cats fighting

Looking to cause trouble

This follows from the concept of Programme Music, the depiction of images
or pictures with music.

Free Improvisation:

All players perform what they choose:

The only rules listen to each other and you dont have to play all of the
time.

Variations:

After you play a phrase, repeat it mentally before playing again.

[2] This will lighten and vary the texture so that there is a greater
variety in the overall result. It also serves to momentarily distract the
student from the surrounding activity so that when they resume
playing they tend to react to their surroundings rather than playing
personal clichs or finger tricks.

Specify a specific scale (or a few to work through either ad lib or on

cue) to limit choices or timid improvisers or to create a sense of
tonality or consonance. The scale can be major, minor, pentatonic, or a
few notes. With more than a single scale specified, develop cues to
move from one to the next, or cues to indicate which to move on to
next.

Specify a set of tones to begin with. The choice of pitches can

gradually increase or suddenly change to a new set of pitches, either
ad lib or on cue.

Notes per Breath:

Begin playing with only one pitch for a whole breath.

Then play two different pitches for the second, three for the third.

Keep playing until you lose track of the number of pitches to be

played, or the number that you have played.

Swirl:

All players pick a note and play it, breathing and restarting the note
when necessary.

One at a time, players change to a new note gradually changing the

sound of the overall chord.

The order can be specified, cued or improvised.

Variations:

Instead of one note, each player plays a brief phrase and holds the
last note while the next takes a turn.

Instead of only holding a note, the same note can be repeated as

desired adding a rhythmic element to the texture.

Specify the number of notes per breath. For example, add one more
note for each new breath. This creates a gradually accelerating
texture with the number of notes increasing as the improvisation
progresses.

With a conductor:

All (or some musicians) change on cue, several cues can be specified
or the conductor can cue individuals by pointing at them.
Vary the speed of each change for dramatic effect

Specify different chords (a selection of notes for each player to

choose from can be as simple as C7 concert tuning), for different
cues. For example, define three chords to be cued with one, two or
three fingers.

Specify a chord, with a cue for either hit the chord (tonic) or hit
something other than the chord (non-tonic). With a cue for counting
down to the final chord, progressions can be improvised. For example:
the countdown can be cued with the number of fingers of the left
hand, while the right hand indicates tonic with a closed fist and nontonic with an open hand. Within an amorphous texture a conductor
can now signal simultaneous attacks from all instrumentalists and
exert some controlover the consonance of the resulting sounds.

Intervallic Improvisation:[3]

Pick an interval.
Begin a melody, after the first note the next must be the given
interval in the chosen direction above or below the first note.

The third note can be any one that continues the melody but the
subsequent pitch must be the given interval above or below.

Every second note must be the chosen interval away from its
previous.

Intervals have different characteristic sounds so a texture of predominantly

minor thirds is dissimilar from one created from major thirds or perfect
fifths. Pick other intervals to experiment with, explore all possibilities.
Variation: Choose only the size of the interval, disregarding the interval
quality until facility with the exercise is achieved. For example, use third
rather than a major or minor third.
Remember that the primary goal is to create interesting and musical
phrases. Vary the rhythms, accents and dynamics to develop effective
melodies.
Motivic Improvisation (Cellular Improvisation):
Inspired by the thematic improvisation of Sonny Rollins and the early atonal
compositions of Arnold Schoenberg, the improviser uses a motif or musical
cell to guide the improvisation.
A motive (or musical cell) is a short musical idea which can be defined by
pitches, intervals or rhythms. They can be used to create larger melodies as
the basis of entire works. Beethovens Fifth Symphony is based on a four
note motive and its accompanying rhythm.
Decide on a motive to start with and begin improvising with it. For example,
a pitch motive might begin as B, C, A before it is subjected to transposition
and transformation. A specific rhythm could be short, long, short, short,
long with no initial tempo or beat designated. A motive could be as vague as
move up, then down then up.
Some parameters to explore include:

Rhythm

Accents

Articulation

Dynamics

Transposition

Transformation of the cell,

each repetition should relate to the previous incarnation

size of internal intervals can be changed

Inversion, cell can be played upside down

Retrograde, cell can be played backwards

Retrograde Inversion, cell can be played backwards and upside down

Emotional content.

Variations:
Specify which of the above parameters to be used, either singularly or in
combination.
Twisting Themes:
Improvise from a written theme or melody, its form or structure can be
varied as you wish. Some possibilities can be specified, such as:

Repeat sections, phrases or parts of phrases as desired, especially

with difficult passages.

Vary the way you play short excerpts, repeating it differently each
time.

Transpose sections and repeat as desired. Play the same sections in

different registers or with different dynamics and accents.

Explore motives in various parts of the melody by repeating and

transforming them.

Reorder notes

Some parameters can be left undefined, such as:

Rhythm, all notes are written as the same length, usually whole
notes for slow passages and eighth notes for faster ones, but this can
vary.
Relative lengths of notes, but not exact rhythms.

Chords or note clusters can be written, with the improviser selecting

melodies from these notes.

Pitch, play anything between specified pitches yielding a register to

play within.

Beat It Apart:
Chose or improvise a short phrase. With this as a point of departure,
gradually transform and modify the phrase. Each repetition should be
related to the previous version but try to continue creating new and
interesting phrases. Change the rhythm, articulation, dynamic, tempo and
emotional expression while modifying the initial materials.
Notes per Breath:
Begin playing with only one pitch for a whole breath.
Then play two different pitches for the second, three for the third. Keep
playing until you lose track of the number of pitches to be played, or the
number that you have played.