THE METHOD OF UNACCOMPANIED IMPROVISATION BY ALTERNATION OF CHORDS VARIATIONS WITH SHORT MELODIC THEMES VARIATIONS,
See also post 295
IMITATION ASSIMILATION, INNOVATION.
THIS METHOD BECOMES EASY, FOR 3 OR MORE STINGS INSTRUMENTS (TENOR GUITAR, UKULELE, BOUZOUKI, OUD , SAZ, MANDOLIN, VIOLIN , CELTIC DIATONIC HARP ETC) WHEN A SINGLE PRIVILEGED DIATONIC (OR CHROMATIC SCALE) IS MARKED ON THE FRETBOARD. ALSO ONOTHER DIATONIC INSTRUMENTS LIKE FLUTE, PANFLUTE, CHALUMEAU CLARINETT SAXOPHONE HARMONICA ETC. THE MELODY IS IMPROVISATIONAL GOING UP OR DOWN AND THE ALTERNATED CHORDS ARE CHORDS AS TRIADS OF MARKED NOTES THUS OF THE DIATONIC SCALE AND ON THE LOCAL 3-STRINGS THAT INCLUDE THE MELODY STRING. IF IT IS A DIATONIC WIND INSTRUMENT THEN THE CHORD IS SUBSTITUTED WITH ITS ARPEGGIO . OF COURSE IT WORKS BEST FOR DIATONIC SCALES BECAUSE EVERY SUCH TRIAD IS A USUAL CHORD MINOR MAJOR OR DIMISHED. FOR CHROMATIC SCALES LIKE HARMONIC MINOR AND DOUBLE HARMONIC MINOR THE CHORDS ARE LESS COMMON.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THERE IS NO STRICT REQUIREMENT THAT THE CHORD JUST BEFOR OR AFTER THE INTERMEDIATE MELODIC IMPROVISATION FITS HARMONICALLY AS ACCOMPANYING CHORD OF THE MELODY. BUT IT CAN OF COURSE. THUS THIS CONCEPT OF IMPROVISATION WHICH IS MAINLY FR A SINGLE INSTRUMENT IS A WIDER CONCEPT THAT THE USUAL CHORD ACCOMPANIED IMPROVISATIONS
IMITATION ASSIMILATION, INNOVATION.
THIS METHOD BECOMES EASY, FOR 3 OR MORE STINGS INSTRUMENTS (TENOR GUITAR, UKULELE, BOUZOUKI, OUD , SAZ, MANDOLIN, VIOLIN , CELTIC DIATONIC HARP ETC) WHEN A SINGLE PRIVILEGED DIATONIC (OR CHROMATIC SCALE) IS MARKED ON THE FRETBOARD. ALSO ONOTHER DIATONIC INSTRUMENTS LIKE FLUTE, PANFLUTE, CHALUMEAU CLARINETT SAXOPHONE HARMONICA ETC. THE MELODY IS IMPROVISATIONAL GOING UP OR DOWN AND THE ALTERNATED CHORDS ARE CHORDS AS TRIADS OF MARKED NOTES THUS OF THE DIATONIC SCALE AND ON THE LOCAL 3-STRINGS THAT INCLUDE THE MELODY STRING. IF IT IS A DIATONIC WIND INSTRUMENT THEN THE CHORD IS SUBSTITUTED WITH ITS ARPEGGIO . OF COURSE IT WORKS BEST FOR DIATONIC SCALES BECAUSE EVERY SUCH TRIAD IS A USUAL CHORD MINOR MAJOR OR DIMISHED. FOR CHROMATIC SCALES LIKE HARMONIC MINOR AND DOUBLE HARMONIC MINOR THE CHORDS ARE LESS COMMON.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THERE IS NO STRICT REQUIREMENT THAT THE CHORD JUST BEFOR OR AFTER THE INTERMEDIATE MELODIC IMPROVISATION FITS HARMONICALLY AS ACCOMPANYING CHORD OF THE MELODY. BUT IT CAN OF COURSE. THUS THIS CONCEPT OF IMPROVISATION WHICH IS MAINLY FR A SINGLE INSTRUMENT IS A WIDER CONCEPT THAT THE USUAL CHORD ACCOMPANIED IMPROVISATIONS
We continue the discussion of the post 82, about chord-independent and unaccompanied melodies composition and improvisation.
Studying some of the musical pieces of Bach for solo instruments (e.g.
BWV 1013 - Partita in A Minor for Solo Flute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Datoqxx-biw) we may be inspired for the next method of unaccompanied improvised soloing:
IMITATION ASSIMILATION, INNOVATION.
The melody is like a man wandering-walking in a town, who spends much time at squares and garden of the town that his is exploring. The squares and garden are the chords, played in the solo , preferably a single chord spanned in two octaves, At this time of the soloing the emphasis is on the harmony. But when continuing till the next "garden or square" then the emphasis is on the melodic themes and their affine structure dynamics (see post 97 and 101). How much time is spent in "gardens" ( chords) or "street-walking" (transition melodic themes) is a matter of choice of the improviser. If the melody is unaccompanied, then at the same time the chord progressions is improvised in this way.
When spending time within a "garden" or "square" in other words within a chord the best idea is to have the chord in 4-notes form e.g. like a with 7nth or with 6th, and in the current octave or in the next. Then start the melody at a note of the chord and end it again at a note of a chord in this or the next octave. For example we may compose the melody from 3-notes micro-themes, the first and last inside the chords and the middle possible outside the chords. Since the chord has 4-notes and the scale 7 notes the passing or transient notes are only 3, less than the 4 of the chord, therefore, any such melodic theme fits harmonically to this chord.
Here is an example :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhbGeuMWVpM
To be more specific: This simple and beautiful method of improvisation is to play in the harp or piano with the left hand a simple random melody in lower octaves , (It applies to all scales and also to the Byzantine or harmonic minor and harmonic double minor scales) and then with the right hand at higher octaves , a triad chord with always middle note the last note of the simple melody of the left hand (or root or dominant note but always the same rule during the improvisation) . For guitarist that have fingernails at the right hand and no finger nails at he lefts hand playing a simple low pitch melody and then such an alternation of chord with the right hand is easier and more convenient (See also the Colombian harpist Edmar Castandeda). Of course this improvisation can be done also with a (diatonic or harmonic simple minor or harmonic double minor) wind instrument, and instead of chord we play the arpeggio of the chord in single or in two octaves.
For example an harmonic profile difference may exist in the part of the melody that is wandering in the "Garden" of a chord (or in more technical terminology in the chord-local 7-notes scale see post 103) in which case we may have percentage of intervals by 3rds or 6ths +4ths 5ths>=66% and when it is "street walking" between the "gardens" in which case we may have percentage of intervals by 2nds >=50%
An example of this method is e.g. in the major F pentatonic scale in the harp (when it is tuned in C major) where we alternate the root chord F major with any combination of notes and then also the D minor again with any combination of notes.
This method of alternation of chord and transition melodies" becomes even more clear if we take as simplistic and extreme example MELODIES WITH 100% INTERVALS OF 2NDS:
Such melodies give the feeling of coherence in the melodic moves.
We must notice that even if we use, say 100%, intervals of 2nds in a scale, we may still create harmony. E.g. in such an extreme case of melody, the harmony is created by persisting and passing again and again from notes of an interval of the scale. E.g. if such an interval of successive notes of the scale is x(i), x(i+1), x(i+2) , or x(i), x(i+1), x(i+2), x(i+3), x(i+4) , and the time spend on each of these notes is in the average equal, then the harmony and underlying chord that is created is the x(i), x(i+2), x(i+4) because these are more than the x(i+1), x(i+3), and thus the melody spends more time in the chord x(i), x(i+2), x(i+4) among other chords for the time that is in the interval x(i), x(i+1), x(i+2), x(i+3), x(i+4).
SPENDING MORE TIME PER NOTE ON SPECIFIC NOTES:
Similarly if we take again the extreme and simplistic example of melodies with 100% intervals of 2nds, and we want for a time interval to have as harmony and underlying accompanying a chord X=(y1,y2,y3), then its about sufficient to spent about equal time per note to all other notes except in one or more of these notes y1,y2,y3, that we spent much more time per note (making theme temporary centers of the melody) creating thus the effect of this underlying chord harmony. So for the method of "chord-and-transition melodies" where all the melodies is 100% from intervals by 2nds, simply when we wander in the "garden" of a chord, we spend more time per note on the notes of the chord. While when we move as transition from one chor to another we spend equal time per note to all the non-chord notes. Of course if we did not have the restriction of 100% intervals by 2nds, another method would be instead of spending more time to the notes of the chord , spending almost no time at all to notes not to the chord.
Especially the intermediate time that the improviser needs for his next melodic theme idea, is always good to be spent harping on a chord, around the last note. Obviously the result will be much more recognizable if we move always inside a scale. e.g. a diatonic scale, therefore being at a note there are 3 primary choices of a chord around it, and the rest of the choices are more distant and secondary.
Of course the simplest transition melodic theme is the strait scale of intervals of 2nds. But for more beautiful and elaborate unaccompanied melodies , a more complicated affine structure of melody is required (see post 97, 101)
Conversely of course if one has in his mind a chord progression then this may guide him in the unaccompanied melody improvisation. But the chords duration and time is variable when improvising in an unaccompanied melody.
As a chord progression has an simplicial sub-melody (harmonic or Chromatic) or as default simplicial sub-melody we may take the roots of the chords, we may compose the chord progression after composing a simplicial sub-melody of the roots of its chords, that are also the centers of the full melody. (See post 114 about higher-order syntax of the Dolphin language as method of composition of melodies)
Thus the "squares"now of random walk are not chords but single notes, that are chose by improvisation at first and then we "walk" in waves and randomly , possibly by repeating patterns in moving till the next "square" which is the next note of the simplicial sub-melody. So both the full melody and simplicial sub-melody are improvised at the same time but the simplicial sub-melody is an easier simpler improvisation which is done at first, while the afterwards improvisation of the full melody fill the details. Like in a journey that we may chose easily the "town stations" but the in between details of walking inside around the "town stations" are decided when being there and not before.
For the structure of the bridging melodic themes we may remind what we wrote in the post 96
In an chord-progression independent melody improvisation no chord progression is determined from the beginning. Nevertheless chords are emerging in the melody as it is improvised in the current methodology of this post. Once such a chord is highlighted my the melodic movement , then of course a chord-local 7-notes scale is definable for this chord as in post 103. And melodic themes variations may occur inside this chord- local 7-notes scale as in post 96, before we move to a next chord of the independent melody. We may notice though that the melodic moves between such chords of the melody need not highlight any chord at all, so the above variations inside the chord-local 7-notes scales apply only during chord-time of the melodic improvisation. But the variations as in post 96 apply also during moves between chords.
0) An affine pattern of the melody which is independent of a realization in a mode or in a scale (see post 97)
When spending time within a "garden" or "square" in other words within a chord the best idea is to have the chord in 4-notes form e.g. like a with 7nth or with 6th, and in the current octave or in the next. Then start the melody at a note of the chord and end it again at a note of a chord in this or the next octave. For example we may compose the melody from 3-notes micro-themes, the first and last inside the chords and the middle possible outside the chords. Since the chord has 4-notes and the scale 7 notes the passing or transient notes are only 3, less than the 4 of the chord, therefore, any such melodic theme fits harmonically to this chord.
Here is an example :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhbGeuMWVpM
To be more specific: This simple and beautiful method of improvisation is to play in the harp or piano with the left hand a simple random melody in lower octaves , (It applies to all scales and also to the Byzantine or harmonic minor and harmonic double minor scales) and then with the right hand at higher octaves , a triad chord with always middle note the last note of the simple melody of the left hand (or root or dominant note but always the same rule during the improvisation) . For guitarist that have fingernails at the right hand and no finger nails at he lefts hand playing a simple low pitch melody and then such an alternation of chord with the right hand is easier and more convenient (See also the Colombian harpist Edmar Castandeda). Of course this improvisation can be done also with a (diatonic or harmonic simple minor or harmonic double minor) wind instrument, and instead of chord we play the arpeggio of the chord in single or in two octaves.
An interesting elaboration is that at the melodic theme we give rhythm that creates harmony. By this we mean that we apply a rhythm with long-short syllables in the musical word as in post 77 and 92. E.g. rhythms like 1/2, 1/4 1/4, or 1/3, 1/3 1/3. The long duration notes usually will fall on the even or odd steps of the scale thus will create more often chords.
Then also a good choice of the next alternating chord is that the chord has end-note or root note the same end-note of the previous melodic theme, and as first note or last note so that the chord spans at the side lower or higher of the least note of the melodic theme, where the melodic theme spans more notes.
Still a more elaboration in the improvisation is that when it is the turn to play the chord we play actually 2 chords that are relative chords. E.g. if the melody starts from lower pitches and ends with C, we not only play the chord Am =A-C-E , but after that the lower-relative chord F=F-A-D. If on the other wand the melody ended at C again but descending from higher pitches , then we play again the chord Am= A-C-E but then we play the upper-relative chord C=C-E-G. After the two chord we play again another transition melody , and so one.
In a keyboard or harp , at least according to my preferences, it is more beautiful, to play the melodic themes at lower pitches e.g. in the 3rd octave, and the chords at higher pitches of the 5th or 6th octave. Chords are not comprehended well by the human perception in the 1st or 2nd octave, while at the higher octaves are vivid and clear. Also ifthe alternation of melodic themes and harmony is a type of dialogue, it is more natural that the harmonic answer which is more perfect answer is given at the higher frequencies, while the wondering questions at the lower frequencies.
We must remark here also the next: We argue that any note of the diatonic scale fits harmonically with any major of minor chord of the same diatonic scale because the number of harmonic mutual intervals created (that is intervals of 3rds, 6ths, 45ths, or 4ths) is greater than the number of chromatic intervals created (that is intervals of 2nds or 7nths).
Of course this does not mean that a note fits the same well with any of the chords of the same diatonic scale. Not at all!
Still a more elaboration in the improvisation is that when it is the turn to play the chord we play actually 2 chords that are relative chords. E.g. if the melody starts from lower pitches and ends with C, we not only play the chord Am =A-C-E , but after that the lower-relative chord F=F-A-D. If on the other wand the melody ended at C again but descending from higher pitches , then we play again the chord Am= A-C-E but then we play the upper-relative chord C=C-E-G. After the two chord we play again another transition melody , and so one.
In a keyboard or harp , at least according to my preferences, it is more beautiful, to play the melodic themes at lower pitches e.g. in the 3rd octave, and the chords at higher pitches of the 5th or 6th octave. Chords are not comprehended well by the human perception in the 1st or 2nd octave, while at the higher octaves are vivid and clear. Also ifthe alternation of melodic themes and harmony is a type of dialogue, it is more natural that the harmonic answer which is more perfect answer is given at the higher frequencies, while the wondering questions at the lower frequencies.
We must remark here also the next: We argue that any note of the diatonic scale fits harmonically with any major of minor chord of the same diatonic scale because the number of harmonic mutual intervals created (that is intervals of 3rds, 6ths, 45ths, or 4ths) is greater than the number of chromatic intervals created (that is intervals of 2nds or 7nths).
Of course this does not mean that a note fits the same well with any of the chords of the same diatonic scale. Not at all!
This is mild statement to that claim of jazz that any note of the 12-notes chromatic scale fits in improvisation with any major or minor chords as long as the type and number of created intervals chromatic or harmonic dissonant or consonant is desirable as musical and expression effect.
For example an harmonic profile difference may exist in the part of the melody that is wandering in the "Garden" of a chord (or in more technical terminology in the chord-local 7-notes scale see post 103) in which case we may have percentage of intervals by 3rds or 6ths +4ths 5ths>=66% and when it is "street walking" between the "gardens" in which case we may have percentage of intervals by 2nds >=50%
An example of this method is e.g. in the major F pentatonic scale in the harp (when it is tuned in C major) where we alternate the root chord F major with any combination of notes and then also the D minor again with any combination of notes.
This method of alternation of chord and transition melodies" becomes even more clear if we take as simplistic and extreme example MELODIES WITH 100% INTERVALS OF 2NDS:
Such melodies give the feeling of coherence in the melodic moves.
We must notice that even if we use, say 100%, intervals of 2nds in a scale, we may still create harmony. E.g. in such an extreme case of melody, the harmony is created by persisting and passing again and again from notes of an interval of the scale. E.g. if such an interval of successive notes of the scale is x(i), x(i+1), x(i+2) , or x(i), x(i+1), x(i+2), x(i+3), x(i+4) , and the time spend on each of these notes is in the average equal, then the harmony and underlying chord that is created is the x(i), x(i+2), x(i+4) because these are more than the x(i+1), x(i+3), and thus the melody spends more time in the chord x(i), x(i+2), x(i+4) among other chords for the time that is in the interval x(i), x(i+1), x(i+2), x(i+3), x(i+4).
SPENDING MORE TIME PER NOTE ON SPECIFIC NOTES:
Similarly if we take again the extreme and simplistic example of melodies with 100% intervals of 2nds, and we want for a time interval to have as harmony and underlying accompanying a chord X=(y1,y2,y3), then its about sufficient to spent about equal time per note to all other notes except in one or more of these notes y1,y2,y3, that we spent much more time per note (making theme temporary centers of the melody) creating thus the effect of this underlying chord harmony. So for the method of "chord-and-transition melodies" where all the melodies is 100% from intervals by 2nds, simply when we wander in the "garden" of a chord, we spend more time per note on the notes of the chord. While when we move as transition from one chor to another we spend equal time per note to all the non-chord notes. Of course if we did not have the restriction of 100% intervals by 2nds, another method would be instead of spending more time to the notes of the chord , spending almost no time at all to notes not to the chord.
Especially the intermediate time that the improviser needs for his next melodic theme idea, is always good to be spent harping on a chord, around the last note. Obviously the result will be much more recognizable if we move always inside a scale. e.g. a diatonic scale, therefore being at a note there are 3 primary choices of a chord around it, and the rest of the choices are more distant and secondary.
Of course the simplest transition melodic theme is the strait scale of intervals of 2nds. But for more beautiful and elaborate unaccompanied melodies , a more complicated affine structure of melody is required (see post 97, 101)
Conversely of course if one has in his mind a chord progression then this may guide him in the unaccompanied melody improvisation. But the chords duration and time is variable when improvising in an unaccompanied melody.
As a chord progression has an simplicial sub-melody (harmonic or Chromatic) or as default simplicial sub-melody we may take the roots of the chords, we may compose the chord progression after composing a simplicial sub-melody of the roots of its chords, that are also the centers of the full melody. (See post 114 about higher-order syntax of the Dolphin language as method of composition of melodies)
Thus the "squares"now of random walk are not chords but single notes, that are chose by improvisation at first and then we "walk" in waves and randomly , possibly by repeating patterns in moving till the next "square" which is the next note of the simplicial sub-melody. So both the full melody and simplicial sub-melody are improvised at the same time but the simplicial sub-melody is an easier simpler improvisation which is done at first, while the afterwards improvisation of the full melody fill the details. Like in a journey that we may chose easily the "town stations" but the in between details of walking inside around the "town stations" are decided when being there and not before.
For the structure of the bridging melodic themes we may remind what we wrote in the post 96
In an chord-progression independent melody improvisation no chord progression is determined from the beginning. Nevertheless chords are emerging in the melody as it is improvised in the current methodology of this post. Once such a chord is highlighted my the melodic movement , then of course a chord-local 7-notes scale is definable for this chord as in post 103. And melodic themes variations may occur inside this chord- local 7-notes scale as in post 96, before we move to a next chord of the independent melody. We may notice though that the melodic moves between such chords of the melody need not highlight any chord at all, so the above variations inside the chord-local 7-notes scales apply only during chord-time of the melodic improvisation. But the variations as in post 96 apply also during moves between chords.
We have already mentioned types of symmetry for the melodic themes that are
0) An affine pattern of the melody which is independent of a realization in a mode or in a scale (see post 97)
1) Reflection to a horizontal axis (time)
2) Reflection to a vertical axis (pitch)
3) Point symmetry to a time point
4) Pitch translation
5) Recursive pitch waving ascending or descending.
6) Cyclic or balanced behavior in ascending-descending.
7) Dilation on the size of intervals (waved changing of the 3 melodic densities or speeds). Usually the melody starts with low melodic speeds or densities , accelerates to higher speeds or densities and then decelerates again to lower speeds or densities, as is also the motion of bodies in dancing.
8) Statistical types of symmetries.
9) Furthermore, the melodic themes may be organized at small time level by the micro-rhythm of the "melodic words" e.g. 3:1 or 2:1 time duration ratio of the long-short notes, the long inside the underlying chord and the short possibly outside the chord. The melodic word is a basic micro-theme of
the melody. The interval of the long-short notes is a basic step-interval of the melody and it is avoided to me an interval of 2nd , instead an interval of 3rd, 4ths/5th, 6th , 7th or 8th (see post 92 ). The next basic interval in the melody, is the pitch distance among two successive melodic words, which is usually zero, an interval of 3rd, 4th, 5th etc.
10) or at a larger time scale, by the relevant poetic measure (11-syllables poetry, 15-syllables poetry, 17-syllables poetry) that determine the pattern of repetitions in the melodic themes E.g. 3 repetitions at 4th measure resolution-change or 4 repetitions and at he 5th resolution-change .
11) We may determine a statistical profile of statistical frequency of intervals in the melody such that the highest statistical frequency of intervals of the melody are mainly the next intervals in the next preference order 5th, 4th, 8th, 6th, 3rd, 2nd. A happy melody tends to avoid sad and dissonant intervals and use instead happy harmonic intervals
12) As the micro-themes (melodic "words") develop over notes ascending and descending over even or odd number steps of the diatonic scale (as in such a way that chords are shaped) the total results, as intended, is to use eventually all the notes of he diatonic scale, so that the melody has high scale-completeness measure (see post 86 about chromatic music ). This principles somehow determines the preferred chord progressions (E.g. I, IV, V7) .
13) Although we may focus in such an organized symmetry of the melody during a single underlying chord, the true harmony of the fast melody may use "ghost chords" around this single chord (see post 87 about ghost chords ).
E.g. if the chord progression is I, IV, V7 used where IV and V7 are ghost chords, then substituting IV with ii or vi and V7 with vii or iii, we get at least 9 more combinations and variations for the ghost-harmony of the melody , that essentially only the chord I is sounding. E.g. (I,ii,vii), (I,ii,V), (I,vi,V), (I,iv,vii) ,(I,ii, iii) ,(I,vi,iii), (I,vi,V), (I,IV,vii), (I,IV,iii).
14) A fast melody should balance properly repetition and innovation during its development
It is obvious that a simple guitar harping is not a sufficient concept to grasp the required above high organization of the melody even during a single chord. The guitar has only 6-strings while to lay-out the previous organization structures may require many notes and the chord considered at two octaves rather than one only octave.
A video about melody writing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl-V2IsUprQ
HERE ARE MORE IDEAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl-V2IsUprQ
HERE ARE MORE IDEAS
MY PERSONAL APPROACH:
My personal approach to similar type of improvisation is as follows
HARDWARE IDEAS
1) INSTRUMENT I utilize a 4-strings instrument instead of 3-stringsm although sometimes a 3-strings too. Of course I may use a 6-string instrument.
2) STARTING SCALE I chose a basic scale, usually the natural defoult scale of the instruent which is marked on its fretboard.
3) The TUNINGS are preferably overtones cuatro tunings thus cavaco cuatro or Swedish troll fiddle tuning. But I can also use the venezuala cuatro or ukulele (guitar tuning of 4 highest strings)
4) CHROMATIC TONALITY
Although I chose a diatonic scale, that is from 7 notes I involve also some or all of the 5 blue notes that result to all 12-notes of the musical universe. This is usually done in chords by convrting major to minor and vice versa E.g. a stanard chromatic extension ofthe chords of the diatonic scale is 3M instead of 3m and 7M instead of 7d. But also the minors 6m can become 6M when resolving to 2m and also the 3m to 3M when resolving to 6m, and the 2m to 2M7 when resolving to 5M. In addition we may suround each major chord with two dimisnsihed chords an interval of 2nd away, that resolve to them, in the same way that the 7dimished resolves to 1M. I have a composed collection of more than 800 chord progressions in tonality , chromatic tonality and general multitonality in which I can resort to improvise with melodic bridges metween the chords as in 10) and 11) below.
For the next steps I will enlarge more in the subsequents paragraphs
CHORD-BASED IDEAS
5) I improvise on major-minor lternations of HARMONIC CYCLES
with bridging the chords small melodic themes too.
6) I improvise on major-minor lternations of CHROMATIC CYCLES (like Andaluzian cycle)
with bridging the chords small melodic themes too.
7) I improvise on ISOMORPHIC CYCLES OF CHORDS (X1-X2-X3etc) with (Y1-Y2-Y3 etc) Most often of chromatic sequences that are melodic or harmonic isomorphic . I bridge them with small melodic themes too.
8) 2-VOICES AMBIGUITY REVEALED
I ascend or descend a mode of the scale with 2-voices simulteneous notes intervals of 3rds. The ambiguity of them is that they can be part of a minor or dimished chord (sad feeling) or a major chord (happy feeling). So 1st I play the 2-voice interval andthen I reveal it as major ot minor chord depending on the mood and to if I am ascending or descending.
MELODIC THEMES BASE IDEAS
IMITATION ASSIMILATION, INNOVATION.
9) SMALL MELODIC THEMES VARIATIONS
The idea here is to start with short and rythmic melodic themes and apply the 3 basic variations , like translation (chromatic, melodic, harmonic) inversions and mutations. The structure of the melodic themes may mimic the chords accompanying a melody. Instead of chords here we may have an isokratic a drone or intermittently repeating melodic theme , which may be an "arpeggio" of the closure of a chord, and over this we add sequentially a higher octave melodic theme that is varied and evolves.
MIXED CHORD AND MELODIC THEMES IDEAS
10) "WALKING THROUGH PARTS OF A TOWN", FLUID-CHORD-TRIADS or 2-VOICE ACCOMPANYING OF MELODY.
This idea is very old idea in ancient folk music before the era of classical music when complicated melodies where accompanied by power chords that are essentially 2-voices chords. It is an idea also similar to the next below at 11) except that instead of alternating standard 3-voices chords with melodic themes, we are struming or arpeggiating on a single triad which is not standard major or minor and so that it is constantly changing at each note of the melodic themes so that the 2 lower notes are rather stable and are used as 2-voice chord which accomnies the 3rd note which is changing faster and is usually the higher.
11) "TRAVELING AMONG AND WITHIN TOWNS"
This is a generic type of improvisation where I improvise "randomnly" with melodic themes that are translated , inverted and mutated mainly within the diatonic scale, but at their standing notes (melodic centers) I apply arpegiation or struming of the close local major or minor/diminishd chord which fits to the melody at that time. The choices are only 2-3 at each time. Here the metaphor for the melodic themes is traveling and the metaphor for chords is "town"
My personal approach to similar type of improvisation is as follows
HARDWARE IDEAS
1) INSTRUMENT I utilize a 4-strings instrument instead of 3-stringsm although sometimes a 3-strings too. Of course I may use a 6-string instrument.
2) STARTING SCALE I chose a basic scale, usually the natural defoult scale of the instruent which is marked on its fretboard.
3) The TUNINGS are preferably overtones cuatro tunings thus cavaco cuatro or Swedish troll fiddle tuning. But I can also use the venezuala cuatro or ukulele (guitar tuning of 4 highest strings)
4) CHROMATIC TONALITY
Although I chose a diatonic scale, that is from 7 notes I involve also some or all of the 5 blue notes that result to all 12-notes of the musical universe. This is usually done in chords by convrting major to minor and vice versa E.g. a stanard chromatic extension ofthe chords of the diatonic scale is 3M instead of 3m and 7M instead of 7d. But also the minors 6m can become 6M when resolving to 2m and also the 3m to 3M when resolving to 6m, and the 2m to 2M7 when resolving to 5M. In addition we may suround each major chord with two dimisnsihed chords an interval of 2nd away, that resolve to them, in the same way that the 7dimished resolves to 1M. I have a composed collection of more than 800 chord progressions in tonality , chromatic tonality and general multitonality in which I can resort to improvise with melodic bridges metween the chords as in 10) and 11) below.
For the next steps I will enlarge more in the subsequents paragraphs
CHORD-BASED IDEAS
5) I improvise on major-minor lternations of HARMONIC CYCLES
with bridging the chords small melodic themes too.
6) I improvise on major-minor lternations of CHROMATIC CYCLES (like Andaluzian cycle)
with bridging the chords small melodic themes too.
7) I improvise on ISOMORPHIC CYCLES OF CHORDS (X1-X2-X3etc) with (Y1-Y2-Y3 etc) Most often of chromatic sequences that are melodic or harmonic isomorphic . I bridge them with small melodic themes too.
8) 2-VOICES AMBIGUITY REVEALED
I ascend or descend a mode of the scale with 2-voices simulteneous notes intervals of 3rds. The ambiguity of them is that they can be part of a minor or dimished chord (sad feeling) or a major chord (happy feeling). So 1st I play the 2-voice interval andthen I reveal it as major ot minor chord depending on the mood and to if I am ascending or descending.
MELODIC THEMES BASE IDEAS
IMITATION ASSIMILATION, INNOVATION.
9) SMALL MELODIC THEMES VARIATIONS
The idea here is to start with short and rythmic melodic themes and apply the 3 basic variations , like translation (chromatic, melodic, harmonic) inversions and mutations. The structure of the melodic themes may mimic the chords accompanying a melody. Instead of chords here we may have an isokratic a drone or intermittently repeating melodic theme , which may be an "arpeggio" of the closure of a chord, and over this we add sequentially a higher octave melodic theme that is varied and evolves.
MIXED CHORD AND MELODIC THEMES IDEAS
10) "WALKING THROUGH PARTS OF A TOWN", FLUID-CHORD-TRIADS or 2-VOICE ACCOMPANYING OF MELODY.
This idea is very old idea in ancient folk music before the era of classical music when complicated melodies where accompanied by power chords that are essentially 2-voices chords. It is an idea also similar to the next below at 11) except that instead of alternating standard 3-voices chords with melodic themes, we are struming or arpeggiating on a single triad which is not standard major or minor and so that it is constantly changing at each note of the melodic themes so that the 2 lower notes are rather stable and are used as 2-voice chord which accomnies the 3rd note which is changing faster and is usually the higher.
11) "TRAVELING AMONG AND WITHIN TOWNS"
This is a generic type of improvisation where I improvise "randomnly" with melodic themes that are translated , inverted and mutated mainly within the diatonic scale, but at their standing notes (melodic centers) I apply arpegiation or struming of the close local major or minor/diminishd chord which fits to the melody at that time. The choices are only 2-3 at each time. Here the metaphor for the melodic themes is traveling and the metaphor for chords is "town"
12) OVERTONES VERTICAL GATES
This applies especially well in overtones tunings and of course on the full 6-string 1st overtones tuning. I improvise horizontally with melodies and at the standing note a cross-over vertically at the local overtones "gate" which is of course an extended overtones arpeggio of a major or minor chord.
OF COURSE IN THE 4TH GENERATION DIGITAL MUSIC MAKING THAT KNOW IS BEEN BORN, THE ABOVE METHOD OF ALTERNATION OF CHORDS (ARPEGGIATED) AND MELODY CAN BE VERY WELL PLAYED WITH SOFTWARE THAT CREATES MUSIC CALLED ARPEGGIONOME (for iOs ) OR ARPIO (for Android) by Alexander Randon. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandernaut/) Furthermore withother less automated softare like the ThumbJam we can still make such improvisations ina very efficient ,easy and beatifull way.
This applies especially well in overtones tunings and of course on the full 6-string 1st overtones tuning. I improvise horizontally with melodies and at the standing note a cross-over vertically at the local overtones "gate" which is of course an extended overtones arpeggio of a major or minor chord.
OF COURSE IN THE 4TH GENERATION DIGITAL MUSIC MAKING THAT KNOW IS BEEN BORN, THE ABOVE METHOD OF ALTERNATION OF CHORDS (ARPEGGIATED) AND MELODY CAN BE VERY WELL PLAYED WITH SOFTWARE THAT CREATES MUSIC CALLED ARPEGGIONOME (for iOs ) OR ARPIO (for Android) by Alexander Randon. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandernaut/) Furthermore withother less automated softare like the ThumbJam we can still make such improvisations ina very efficient ,easy and beatifull way.
No comments:
New comments are not allowed.