Improvising using methods/scheme's or 'inner-music' ?

[liszt-essence]

Lot's of improvisers use certain knowledge to improvise.

For example;
'Eminor scale with FdiminishedMajor is a good combination for a groovy sound'

They play chords in certain sequences.. They use combinations to create their music and probably combine this with some personal influences and 'free choises'

This is, I believe, the most common form of improvising.

Some will emphasize more on the 'knowledge' side of it, others probably more on their 'personal choise' or the things they simply hear inside.

That brings me to another kind of improvisiton, namely; improvision according inner music.

Free of any rational scheme's, knowledge or sequences. None of that.

Perhaps a sequence may occure, but that is only due the music that one hears inside.

This kind of improvisation asks of the player to truely listen inside, and play what they hear there. This can be anything. This player must rely heavily on his or her skill to accurately play the keys that correspond with their music inside. That is the only skill that one needs, and ofcourse the ability to play the music that one hears (which could be very demanding)

Now the intresting part is more esoteric I believe. Because there are many levels the player can tune into. Their 'personal' level; or their mind, memory. Now you will probably recognize lots of tunes you hear as segments of other pieces that you heard before. This makes for nice combination and other kind of creative puzzling, combined with some 'original, self created' music.

But what about the unpersonal level, a more universal level. I believe that if one attunes to this level they will be able to play much more beautifull music. I believe the more selfish or self attuned one is, the less beautifull their art becomes. But how 'higher' one goes, (expressing more of god and less of their own ego) the more beautifull their art become.

So perhaps you can see creating this kind of music somehow as 'channeling' the music from above and expressing it through your body, mind and soul. This also explains why great composers like rachmaninov said 'the prelude just came to me, I had to write it down'

Perhaps this gives you some to consider and pounder, and gives you hope to become a great composer yourself because I believe we all have it inside of us.. if we can only bring it out and be willing to develop our skills to be open, to believe in this, and to truely listen and be self-transcendent.