Music is a language. As a language it can be used to relate stories, called 'pieces of music'. In order to invent such a story, or, in other words, to create a piece of music, you should have some knowledge of the language's grammar. Most creative musicians, called 'composers', write their stories, or pieces of music, down on paper. Other musicians relate these stories by reading them from note sheets, simultaneously interpreting them with their instruments. They can do so without necessarily having any knowledge of the grammar that rules the language of music. Some creative musicians, called 'improvisers', relate their stories without reading them from note sheets, in a free, personal, spontaneous way. Surprisingly, they often do not seem to have much knowledge about the language's grammar either, or else do not seem to be able to use it in the same free, spontaneous way, which is apparently the reason why the vast majority of the listeners of music do not listen to them. This book has been written with the intention to contribute to changing this situation and to explore in greater depth the grammar that rules the language of music.
About the Author: E. U. Deuker kam erstmalig mit Improvisation in Berührung, als er, 15-jährig, bereits Bassist in seiner ersten Rockformation, in der Badewanne lag und darüber nachgrübelte, wie wohl sein berühmter Kollege Jack Bruce auf die Töne kam, die er in den wilden musikalischen Ausflügen seiner Band Cream in schneller Folge in die Welt setzte. Das Thema ließ ihn seither nicht mehr los. Es war in seiner täglichen musikalischen Praxis präsent; selbst in der Musik seiner späteren Band 'Ideal', vordergründig kaum von Improvisation geprägt - von den wenigen bissigen, prägnanten Gitarrensoli seines Bandkollegen Eff Jott Krüger abgesehen -, spielte es eine Rolle: das Erfinden von Bassriffs inklusive spontaner Variationen und Überleitungen gelingt umso besser, je profunder das Wissen um das Tonmaterial ist, das in der jeweiligen Situation 'cool' klingt. Im weiteren Verlauf der Jahre verlagerte sich sein Hauptinteresse langsam vom E-Bass auf die Kontrabass-Klarinette. Seit nunmehr 8 Jahren leitet er in Schwerin im Rahmen eines Improvisationskurses an der Musik- und Kunstschule 'Ataraxia' das Ensemble 'Sessionnoisses' . Während dieser Lehrtätigkeit ist das vorliegende Buch entstanden. Deuker veranstaltete Workshops zum Thema im Baltikum, weitere werden folgen. 'My own musical education, though for long years I was a rock musician, always included the experience of listening intently to musicians improvising freely. It was mainly Coltrane's music which opened my ears to free improvisation. Unfortunately, I never heard him play live. When he died, I was only 13 and had not even discovered rock music yet. However, in the 70s I studied some of his records and they inspired me to visit free jazz concerts. I had ample opportunity to do so, living in Berlin. Clubs like the Quartier Latin, the Flöz, and the foyer of the Akademie der Künste regularly featured free improvisers.' (E. U. Deuker)