Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

DMA

College

College of Creative Arts

Department

School of Music

Committee Chair

Kelly Burke

Committee Member

Lucy Mauro

Committee Member

Katelyn Best

Committee Member

General Hambrick

Committee Member

Aaron Goldberg

Abstract

This study examines the pedagogical value of a constraint-based approach in helping students develop improvisational fluency and coherence by facilitating audiation. Although there are pedagogical texts on jazz improvisation that incorporate exercises shaped by constraint-based thinking, there is neither a systematic framework for their application with students of varying levels and musical backgrounds, nor a clear explanation of their pedagogical purpose. This research investigates how constraint-based pedagogy, through the lens of rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic parameters, can be applied independently or collectively to support the development of improvisational fluency in intermediate level jazz piano improvisers. It argues that musical constraints do not inhibit creativity but instead serve as generative tools that foster improvisational freedom, guide audiated improvisation, reduce cognitive overload, and support the cultivation of an individual’s personal voice. The research is informed by applied bibliographic research, including scholarly literature, secondary sources, and selected pedagogical material on both jazz improvisation and constraint-based learning theory. It is further shaped by my own teaching and learning experiences, which are influenced by an educational approach centered on the development of aural awareness and the performance of audiated material. Ultimately, the study proposes a theoretical basis for understanding how musical constraints support the development of melodic improvisatory lines and suggests a pedagogical model for their application in the classroom.

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