In modal jazz, the performers may take turns leading and responding while sharing a changing set of notes. For instance, in Hindustani classical music, the performer plays spontaneously while following a partially defined structure and using characteristic motifs. In some musical contexts, a performance or composition may be to some extent improvised.
Music may be performed or improvised using a vast range of instruments, including the human voice. The creation of music is commonly divided into musical composition, musical improvisation, and musical performance, though the topic itself extends into academic disciplines, criticism, philosophy, psychology, and therapeutic contexts. While scholars agree that music is defined by a few specific elements, there is no consensus on their precise definitions. Definitions of music vary depending on culture, though it is an aspect of all human societies and a cultural universal. Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content.
