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Friday, January 24, 2020

290. MODERN HARMONY COUNTERPOINT OF A NUMBER OF SIMULTENEOUS MELODIES

(This post has not been written completely yet)

 Generally speaking we may define in modern sense of harmony counterpoint of a number of  k melodies sounding simulteneously. We consider them acceptabke from the harmonic point of view if and only if the simulteneous intervals of all pairs of melodies from the k-melodies that are of intervals of 3rds and 5ths (or inversions) have total duration more than 50%  at a first basic  ranking and more than 80% at a more demanding  ranking , compared to those by intervals of 2nds. Here obviously the intervals of 3rds or 5ths (and inversions) are considered harmonic while those of 2nds chromatic and not much desirable.

See also the posts 102, 111, 138, 275 , 280 , 287, 102, 256, 257, 118, 128, 197, 183. 289.


In the next video of a New Orleans jazz band (Tuba Skinny) , we may observe some phenomena of  counterpoint of  least 4 parallel improvisational melodies at a ...storming level!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNcxDlbHMAQ&t=1795s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffXQ6qH3gwU&t=896s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRxfhyIO8wE&t=106s


 IMPROVISATION METHOD BASED ON  A SET OF CHORDS AND MELODIC LINES BRIDGING THE HIGHEST NOTES OF EACH OF THEM. APPLICATION WITH STRUMMING WITH CUATRO, CAVAQUINHO, UKULELE , HARMONICA VIOLIN, WINDS ETC



The application idea is that when the chord is realized with a voicing on the highest 4 (or all 4) strings , we create melodic lines on the highest string bridging the highest notes of two succesive chords. Because of a inherent phenomenon of the human sound perception , when we are strumming and chaning the chords with in-between such melodic lines, the musical perception clearaly heres a melody, which is that of the highest notes. If it was not the highest notes the melodic lines would be more often lost in listening in the strumming.
Such chord-bridging melodic lines use a last small part of the previous chord duration and a small initial part of the new chord duration. During the rest ofthe time there is strumming of the chord or a achord arpeggio or variations of small melodic themes inside the chord by intervals of 3rd or 4th/5th. Thus melodic-harmonic variaonions. While when bridging two succesive chords there may be melodic themes variations by intervals of 2nd 3rd or 4th/5th (thus chromatic-melodic-harmonic).
This technique utilizes the simplicity of the information of the set of chord and translates it it to a simple information about the partition of the types of variations of simple melodic themes with the time placement and duration of the chords.
With this technique we may create simplicial counter-melodies parallel to melody.
It applies verty easily when utilizing a chromatic harmonica (see post 274), but also a violin (especially marked at a particular diatonic scale, so that we can identify chord-triad  shapes on it after a convenient tuning) and finally also on a diatonic wind.