Toward a cognitive analysis of creativity: Improvisation in jazz

Abstract

Background in psychology. Researchers investigating the cognitive processes underlying creativity have studied many different domains, including art, poetry, science, and invention. The phenomenon of improvisation in jazz is an ideal domain for study, because it occurs in “real time ” and is therefore one of the most demanding uses of creative thinking. Background in music theory. In a groundbreaking study of the improvisations of alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, Thomas Owens transcribed and analyzed many of Parker’s recorded solos, searching for – and finding – repeated patterns of notes, or formulas. Aims. We test several hypotheses concerning the role of formulas in jazz solos. Our main hypothesis, based on Owens, is that Parker was a formulaic improviser. Second, we hypothesize that those formulas are used in ways that are analogous to words and phrases in language. Method. We used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program (SPSS) to search for repeated patterns (or formulas) in a number of solos by Parker, Young, and Pastorius on a single tune: Donna Lee (and Indiana, on which Donna Lee is based). We also used programs to investigate relationships among the formulas within solos and to represent those relationships graphically. Results. In Parker’s six solos, almost 3400 formulas of various lengths were found, with more than 450 five-note