#1368: “On the fly”: A collaborative game for musical improvisation

“On the Fly” is a game designed to support musicians in practicing collaborative improvisation. This game provides generative constraints for musicians to enact, which pushes musicians to shape and structure their improvisations in real time without tying them to a particular genre or musical tradition. The primary game mechanic is a deck of cards that display simple line graphs or contours. Musicians pick a card and improvise a performance together that enacts the contour depicted. To increase the challenge of the game, musicians roll a die to determine what aspect of the music is described by the contour card. By providing a structure for musicians to explore and develop their improvising, “On the Fly” functions simultaneously as a format for musical performance, a pedagogical tool, and a research instrument. Through these overlapping functions, this game helps to advance our understanding of improvisation and theorize how it is learned and cultivated.