Central to Jazz improvisation has been the initial statement of the melody or harmony and its extended development.

In general free-jazz finds this process unpalatable, yet the great innovator of free jazz - Albert Ayler nearly always used this process, it was the likes of Pharoah Sanders who led free jazz in to the battle of honking.

Another weakness of free jazz is its inability to accommodate a wide volume level - critical for expression in any music - hence in general free jazz .