Improvising solos was mentioned. I can hear chord changes readily and can play decent acoustic bass and acoustic rhythm guitar for a couple of genres. I cannot solo nor do I sing. And I don’t think I could’ve ever learned to solo or sing other than in a very rote manner, i.e., note for note. I sincerely believe that we are “hard wired” for this...or not. I can put together chord a progression give it to Janice and she can very quickly come up with multiple melodies for it. She’s a good rhythm guitar player and had she devoted time to learning to learning technique and practiced I’m convinced she could play the melodies she makes up to sing on an instrument. And since she can “scat sing” sing I’m sure she could play improvisational solos on whatever instrument she spent sufficient time with. She hears melodies everywhere, in nature, even machinery smile

FWIW, I base this not just on her but from having had the privilege over the last 45 years to play with immensely talented musicians. I guess it’s a pessimistic view but I think that there is an interplay of nature and nature necessary to improvise and w/o the nature element all the nature in the world will not create it.

Interestingly Bela Fleck, who does not read music, creates layered compositions by singing the part he wants different musicians to play.

Bud

PS I realize I may be completely full of it and overly influenced by my psychology background. smile