This is the most fundamental of all the improvised forms that I use. When I teach this form to my younger age students, I like to use diatonically tuned wooden xylophones, because they are simple to use, and since they are all tuned to the key of C Major, the students can hit pretty much any note, and it will sound pleasing when accompanied by the other xylophones. When working with my more advanced students, I like to allow them to choose which instruments they want to use.
Here’s how it works:
Form a group of typically three to four players. Sometimes you can add a fifth or even a sixth, but it really works best to do with a group no larger than four, but no smaller than three. A duet completely changes the dynamics of this form. Before beginning, I ask the players to decide who will begin the improvisation. Once they have decided, that person begins. They are to play around on their instrument totally freely until they stumble onto a melody that they simply like. Remember that every melody begins with one Authentic Sound. If your student asks you, “How do I create a melody?” just remind them to make one authentic sound, and then another, and another. Then they repeat that melody, thus creating a “hook”, or repeating pattern. This is the “Infinity Loop”. They are to keep playing this pattern while the rest of the improvisation develops. As each member of the group joins, they will each also play their own “Infinity Loop”. It is important to note that while they are doing this, the other students are waiting, not playing anything. They are listening carefully to the music that is being created. This listening is incredibly important because it sends a supportive signal to the soloist, and it also provides the listeners the chance to get some important information about what they will be able to play once they join the improvisation.
Once this first player has found a melody and is repeating it, they nonverbally signal the next player. As this next player joins the improvisation, they have two choices. They may imitate what the first player is doing, or they may add something new. I try to keep this direction as simple as possible. If they choose to imitate, it does not necessarily mean that they are to play exactly what the first player is playing. This might be very difficult to do, especially if they are just learning their instrument, or, as if often the case, they are improvising on an instrument they have little to no experience playing at all! Imitation simply means that they recreate something of what the previous player is playing. They might recreate the rhythm of the original melody, or they may recreate a few notes of it. Advanced players like to imitate exactly what they hear, but this requires fluency on an instrument. If they choose to add something new, this simply means that they may add to the original melody. They might want to add something that acts as counterpoint, either harmonically or rhythmically, or they might want to add a new melody that can intertwine with the original. The point here is that they can add whatever they want. It’s important not to bog the players down in too much direction about what “add something new” means.
Once every player has joined the improvisation, things start to get really interesting. Now it is time for the solos to begin! Each player gets to take a turn soloing over the groove that they have all created. A solo simply means that they are saying something new in this musical conversation. They might play a little louder or faster, or they might add a new melody. While each player is soloing, the other players in the ensemble must act as support. This means two things. Most importantly, it means that they are providing rhythmic support. Their playing, even when not played on drums, must be rhythmically predictable to follow, otherwise the soloist will have no foundation on which to build, and will also have great difficulty knowing when to end their solo. The other role of the support players is to provide dynamic support, so that the soloist can be heard and highlighted appropriately. This might mean that they play more softly. On the other hand, it might mean that, as the soloist gets more intense, their playing might intensify as well. In this way, they are showing the soloist that they are listening to what they are playing and that they are one hundred percent with them. In this way, each player gets to practice the role of soloist and support player.