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Factors and Abilities Influencing Achievement in Instrumental Jazz Improvisation

The primary purposes of this study were to identify factors underlying instrumental jazz improvisation achievement and to examine the extent to which knowledge of jazz theory, aural skills, aural imitation, and selected background variables predict achievement in instrumental jazz improvisation. Subjects were 73 undergraduate wind players enrolled in college jazz ensembles at five midwestern universities in the United States. Results indicated that objective measurement of instrumental jazz improvisation is possible on expressive as well as technical dimensions. Factor analysis revealed only one factor, suggesting that instrumental jazz improvisation is a single construct. Stepwise multiple regression revealed self evaluation of improvisation as the single best predictor of achievement in instrumental jazz improvisation with aural imitation ability as the second best predictor.