... of this century, improvisation inexplicably disappeared from Classical performances, and Classical music as a whole has been totally dominated (and in my opinion, restricted) by the written score. Good improvisation skills rely on a thorough understanding and knowledge of chords, chord progressions and chord - scale relationships. The written score on the other hand can be (and often is) played without such knowledge. One simply reads and regurgitates input, with little (if any) interpretation of the music. Despite the prevalent lack of constant improvisation in music throughout history, a few types of European music have been affected by the general trend, and have continued uninterrupted with their traditions of improvisation. Examples of this can include: a) Irish folk music b) Hungarian Gypsy music c) Organ improvisation in churches (as discussed previously) d) Spanish Flamenco music. I would define improvisation as being the instant creation of a new melody. Improvisation ...

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