improvise
/ˈɪmprəvʌɪz
/verb [with object]
1Create and perform (music, drama, or verse) spontaneously or without preparation: he invited actors to improvise dialogue [no object]: he was improvising to a backing of guitar chords...
- At many of these events, advanced students spontaneously improvise solos or duets based on a theme given by audience members.
- Clark says audiences are more open to improvised music than people think.
- Sometimes improvised music seems like a selfish display of skills.
Synonyms
extemporize, ad lib, speak impromptu, make it up as one goes along, think on one's feet, take it as it comes
informal speak off the cuff, speak off the top of one's head, play it by ear, busk it, wing it
impromptu, improvisational, improvisatory, unrehearsed, unprepared, unscripted, extempore, extemporized, spontaneous, unstudied, unpremeditated, unarranged, unplanned, on the spot, ad lib;
Latin ad libitum
informal off-the-cuff, spur of the moment
rare improvisatorial
1.1Produce or make (something) from whatever is available: I improvised a costume for myself out of an old blue dress...
- Their son, who is five, is able to improvise a whole range of superheroes from whatever is lying around the house.
- Overtaken by the darkness, he had thrown his force into some of the houses and improvised a sort of fort.
- So Bob improvised his meals based off whatever he could find being cooked on the line, or stored in the icebox.
Synonyms
contrive, devise, throw together, cobble together, concoct, rig, jury-rig, put together
British informal knock up
informal whip up, fix up, rustle up
makeshift, thrown together, cobbled together, devised, rigged, jury-rigged, rough and ready, make-do, emergency, stopgap, temporary, short-term, pro tem;
Latin ad hoc, pro tempore, ad interim
Derivatives
improvisatorial
improvisatory
- His performances were often freely given late at night, off-the-cuff, with an improvisatory air.
- When she is ready to begin, it begins; the process is spontaneous and improvisatory.
- There is scarcely a single field in music that has remained unaffected by improvisation, scarcely a single musical technique or form of composition that did not originate in improvisatory practice.
improviser
/ noun ...- From 1974 until about 1990, a large part of my compositional time was spent devising music for improvisers, what I now call ‘game pieces.’
- San Francisco's Mimi Fox will discuss and demonstrate her guitar style while Chicago's Wheatbread Johnson will invite beginners and improvisers to play around with Chicago blues.
- The improvisers must be quick of thought, but also high in energy; they must remain on high alert for hours, allowing them to react with some confidence and, hopefully, some humour.
Origin
Early 19th century (earlier (late 18th century) as improvisation): from French improviser or its source, Italian improvvisare, from improvviso 'extempore', from Latin improvisus 'unforeseen', based on provisus, past participle of providere 'make preparation for'.