Every time you see a lead guitarist or a blues harmonica player taking a solo, you're watching improvisation in action. The soloist steps forward and begins to play with no road map to guide her, allowing herself to be swept along by the rhythm and the chord progression until, in a stream of consciousness, a flurry of inspired notes emerges from her instrument. Even her band isn't sure what she might play next — this is the unpredictable beauty of improvisation. In this chapter, you will learn the basics of improvising without a net.