About the Book: Expertise in Jazz Guitar Improvisation

Posted on: July 22, 2020

Expertise in Jazz Guitar Improvisation, 1st Edition
A Cognitive Approach

By Stein Helge Solstad

Impact

Expertise in Jazz Guitar Improvisation, A Cognitive Approach is important for everyone who wants to know more about expertise in improvisation - not only "the how" dimension, but also the psychological "why" it works. It fills a gap in the literature, linking musical analysis to cognition. It shows a type of expertise which is still unrecognized by many academic institutions and will appeal to both academics and performers.

Highlights

1. Expertise in Jazz Guitar Improvisation illuminates the underlying cognitive and musical elements that enable fluent improvisation

2. Theory is built by illuminating concepts from cognition alongside insights from professional guitarists

3. Analyzing expertise in jazz at multiple analytical parameters, including the comparison with chess

Research

When writing my book, I was curious about what kind of expertise enables spontaneous and artistic achievements at a high level? To answer, I have used an insider perspective when working with professional jazz guitarists in New York. I have analyzed interplay and conversations, and supplemented them with theories on expertise. One of the most surprising results when transcribing the music was how my own playing changed according to player and context. The same tune became very different from playing with five different players.

Development

As a musician, I have relied on my experience, creativity, and collaborative understanding. As a researcher, I have been an explorer and often with a need to create new tools for understanding. It is only in this way I have been able to analyze the multiplicity of potential emerging in the process.