(See also post 203 , 201)
This is an ancient Greek method and technique of improvisation and composition of music, which is relevant with the 2 large ancient Greek poems of Homer, Iliad and Odyssey (see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer ).
In modern times there is a survival of this method of Rapsody in the Greek island of Crete, called at the lyrics mandinades and at the music condylies, with music which is still created improvisationally. Some how it resembles the improvisational composition of a huge and never ending song and poem, with poetic lines usually n 15-syllables poetic measure, called maninades and music which is always very familiar but always hanging by improvisation.
It is supposed that the poems of Homer Iliad and Odyssey were created in this way , in the fiestas and celebrations by many people of various places n Greece, and Homer what just did is to collect the various poetic verses (lyrics) , called in anacient Greek languade songs=odes in plural , ody in single and sew them together (=rapso) to a long poem which is the Rapso-ody.
Other cultures with similar practice is the Irish and Celtic reels, the fado music and tradition of Blues.
VECTORS, WAVES AND SPIKES
The identification and method of composition of them is based on the next concepts
1) As melody it has 3 layers (Simplicial submelody of the harmony, melodic arpeggio , diatonic chromatic arpeggio or ostinado)
2) Within each chord, it has
2.0) A single note from the simplicial submelody
2.1) A projected and simplified melodic arpeggio
2.2) The full diatonic chromatic ostinado, which consists from
a) Diatonic chromatic maxima VECTORS
b) Diatonic chromatic RIPPLES or waves or cycles or oscillations
c) SPIKES (jumps with intervals higher than 2nd)
THE ANCIENT MUSICAL THEORY SIMPLE DESCRIPTION OF RAPSODY MUSIC STIL LIVING IN THE AEGEAN ISLANDS LIKE THAN OF CRETE IN GREECE :
Such music was created in ancient times it is mesmerizing with complicated melodic lines but in reality very simple musical description.
For example for Aegean islands (Greece) improvisational folk melodies (mandinades) condylies) with violin or Lyra, the next factors prevail.
1) "Poetic meters" over the same note sometimes notes up to 8 notes. The density of the notes is high. E.g. with 4 notes per measure-bar and a beat of 80-100 bars per minute gives a tempo of 320-400 beats-notes per minute.
3) Straight vectors ascending or descending usually of 4 or 5 notes so as to reach a new chord neighborhood.
2) Mainly waves by intervals of 2nds (chromatic) inside intervals of 3rds (melodic, either standing or ascending descending, and usually inside a chord so as to reach the neighborhood of a new chord. The simplistic sub-melody of such a waving melody is essentially an arpeggio of the underlying chord.
A) THE UNDERLYNG CHORD OF THE SONG IS ONLY ONE AND IS A POWER CHORD AT ROOT POSITION OF SAY A DIATONIC SCALE (ALTHOUGH IN ANCIENT TIMES THEY DID NOT HAVE THE CONCEPT OF A 7-NOTES SCALE BUT ONLY OF A 4-NOTES SCALE THE TETRACHORD WHICH WAS A SCALE SPANING ONLY AN INTERVAL OF 4TH INSTEAD OF AN INTERVAL OF 8TH, THUS POWER CHORD WOULD BE THE ROOT POSITION ON THE TETRACHORD).
SINGLE CHORD IMPROVISATION: We may as well alternate the root chord of a scale as power chord (only an interval of 5th) with melodic themes (of 3 or 4 notes and inside a three-chord or tetrachord ) based on each of the the 3 notes of the root 3-notes or 4 notes chord and translated or inverted melodically by intevals of 3rd across the 3 or 4 notes of the roor chord.
E.g. in the Dorian mode of the C diatonic sacle and with an harp, here
B) THE SOLOING IS ANY REPEATING PROGRESSION OF SHORT RYTHMIC MELODIC THEMES WITHIN A TETRACHORD WHICH IS USUALLY THE 1-2-2 IN SEMITONES THUS THE FRYGIAN TETRACHORD AT THE 3RD POSITION OF A DIATONIC SCALE WITH UNDERLYING POWER CHORD AT THE ROOT POSITION OF THE TETRACHORD OR THE 3RD POSITIONOF A MODERN 7-NOTES DIATONIC SCALE. (SOMETIMES ALTERNATING WITH ANOTHER TETRACHORD E.G. THE IONIAN TETARCHORD AT ROOT POSITION OF THE 7-NOTES DIATONIC SCALE , AND IN ANY CASE THE ACCOMPANYING CAN BE ALSO BY THE POWER CHORD AT THE ROOT POSITION OF THE 7-NOTES DIATONIC SCALE IN INSTEAD OF THE 3RD POSITION OF THE DIATONIC SCALE)
THE MORE COMPLICATED BUT NOT ALWAYS MORE ENLIGHTENING DESCRIPTION WITH MODERN SCALES AND CHORDS:
What is the improvisational advantages of the Rapsody method?
We can list the advantages and characteristscs as follows
1) THE CHORDS CYCLE:THE SIMPLICITY OF HARMONY. The harmony must be very simple, usually 1, 2 or at most 3 chords, that are repeating in a cycle, but after the time of a couple of songs they may change to different such pairs or triads (see post 287, and 222 , the 7 modes as triads of chords) E.g. 5M7-1M , or 3M7-6m , or 1M-4M-5M, etc.
In
flamenco improvisations they use some times the 4-chords pattern of
Andalusian cadenza 6m->5M->4M->3M (and also the full cadenza-ascenza cycle
6m->5M->4M->3M->4M->5M->1M) . In the
Blues it is the triad M, 4Μ,5M7 or 1M,2m_5M7.
By insisting playing all chords on the same inversion in string instruments with fretboard (at best in normal forms which is easy in overtone tunings) the chords of diatonic scale are spread across the fretboard. This may require larger moves of the hand, but it offers voices of the chords at different pitch ranges which is more rich at the final musical result. This is amore pianno-like or harp-like positioning of the chords on the fretboard as the relative pirches of their roots are easily and intuitively visible. Thus instead of playing the chords only as open at the first few frets we play them as only 3 or 4 consecutive strings shapes across all the fretboard.
SINGLE CHORD IMPROVISATION: We may as well alternate the root chord of a scale as power chord (only an interval of 5th) with melodic themes (of 3 or 4 notes etc ) based on each of the the 3 notes of the root 3-notes or 4 notes chord and translated melodically by intevals of 3rd across the 3 or 4 notes of the roor chord.
E.g. in the Dorian mode of the C diatonic sacle and with an harp, here
MANY CHORDS IMPROVISATION: We do the same as with the one chord for each chord of the chord-cycle. with melodic themes (of 3 or 4 notes and inside a three-chord or tetrachord ) based on each of the the 3 notes of the underlying 3-notes or 4 notes chord and translated or inverted melodically by intevals of 3rd across the 3 or 4 notes of the roor chord. At the chord transition one of the previous three-chords or tetrachords of the melodic theme becomes the bridge between the 2 consecutive chords and we constinue as before.
2)
THE STARTING SIMPLICITY, RHYTHM AND HARMONY: THE POETIC MEASURE RHYTHM OF THE CHORD PROGRESSION
Musical porphology:
The chord-progression.
THE KEY-WORD HERE INTHE 4TH GENERATION DIGITAL MUSIC FOR THE MUSICAL-THEORETIC IDEAS OF THIS POST (AS FAR AS MORDEN SOFTWARE FOR MUSIC MAKING IS ) IS CHORD-SEQUENCERS AND BACKING-TRACK BUILDERS.
THE TERM SEQUENCER MEANS HERE A LOOP OR RHYTHMIC CYCLE OF ACHORD PROGRESSION (LIKE AMELODIC THEME THAT VARIES IN A MELODIC SEQUENCER).
THERE MANY GOOD SOFTWARE PROGRAMS FOR THIS LIKE CHORDBOT, NAVICHORD , ETC
In the rhythm from 15-syllables poetry a possible distributon of the chords is
(1M )
10010100
(5M7)1M
1001010
(combination of anapestik 100 with trochaic 10 )
Or if A=1M the first chord and B=5M7 the second it is a pattern of
4 bars (and also musical score measures)
AABA where each step A or B is of 50-60 bps.
The patternof chord-distribution in measures that comes from the poetical measure (it suggest 3 repetitions A and one resolving devation B) ismet not only Greek Cretan Rapsody improvisation music, but also in Irish music and
Swedish and Scandinavian folk music with fiddle.
As it is of 2 only chords it is perfect for hexatonic harmonicas that have exactly 2 only chords. A blow-chord B=draw chord (see post 291 )
OR
In the blues (that may be somehow considered a type of rapsody concept collective composition and improvisation) the rhythm is also standardized to e.g.
12-bars blues, which corelated the rhyrhmic measures with the sequence and duration of the 3 chords 1M, 4M 5M or 1M 2m 5M.
| 1M | 1M | 1M | 1M |
| 4M | 4M | 1M | 1M |
| 5M | 5M | 1M | 1M |
OR
| 1M | 1M | 1M | 1M |
| 2m | 2m | 1M | 1M |
| 5M | 5M | 1M | 1M |
|
|
Inother cultures we find the
"Couple" part of the chord progression which may have different lyrics when repeating and the
"Refrain" part of the chord progression (which is the peak of the song) which has always the same lyrics. The refrain part is what one usually remembers from the song, and usually inspires the title ofthe song.
Other patterns of distrubution of 1,2,3,or 4 chords over musical measures can be used,
but the idea is that they must be simple , and played repetitively in cycle so that those that improvise the melody can rely on it and create complexity over this simplicity with the
layered structure of a melody (
simplicial submelody and full melody)
3)
THE POETIC MEASURE LYRICS CYCLE: THE SIMPLICITY OF POETIC MEASURE IN THE LYRICS. The lyrics are usually
pairs of poetic lines in the 15-syllables poetry 8-syllables+7-syllables. In general we may have also other types of
poetic measure, but the same thought the rapsody. In modern times we may abandon altogether any type of poetic measure. The couples of poetic lines may be discovered and created new each time there is singing. But also they sing alraedy created and known lyrics. In Crete they are called
mantinades.
THE KEY-WORD HERE INTHE 4TH GENERATION DIGITAL MUSIC FOR THE MUSICAL-THEORETIC IDEAS OF THIS POST (AS FAR AS MORDEN SOFTWARE FOR MUSIC MAKING IS ) IS MELODY-SEQUENCERS
THE TERM SEQUENCER MEANS HERE A LOOP OR RHYTHMIC CYCLE OF A MELODIC THEME THAT VARIES IN A MELODIC SEQUENCER.
THERE MANY GOOD SOFTWARE PROGRAMS FOR THIS COMPOSITION AND IMPROVISATION LIKE FUGUE MACHINE, YAMAHA MOBILE SEQUENCER, THUMPJAM ETC
4)
THE POETIC MEASURE MELODIC CYCLE:
THE CYCLIC SIMPLICITY OF SINGING MELODY The human singing melody: As the harmony is very simple (1-3 chords rarely 4 ) and very familiar to the singer , he is improvissing a human voice melody depending on his emotional state, or he is reating a known such melody,with new lyrics or known lyrics.
This slow singing melody is by no means following in syllables the exact pattern of the 15-syllables poetry in modern times . Maybe it was in ancient times. But in modern times, is may vary significaly depending on the emotional state ofthe singer.
It supposed that the singing melody might have 15 notes in the 2 poetic lines, but by extending syllables, very often it may have less notes. Neverthless the emotion is mainly created by the simplicial submelody of the singing melody which is only 2 notes per poetic line thus in total 4 notes (and measures in the musical score) whch make the macro-melodic theme. And in folk music the most common pattern of simplicial submelody is a descending tetrachord , in semitones it is 2-2-1. An example the andalusian cadenza that in ordinal numbers of the diatonic scale it is 6-5-4-3.
In the Sweedish folk music there is very often the upper cyclic pattern of (simplicial submelody) notes and macro-scale melodic theme of middle-scale melodic themes (see below) parallel to the chord rhythmic pattern A A B A, notes a1 a2 a3 a1 , with pitch order a1<a2<a3>a1.
5)
THE POETIC MEASURE DANCING CYCLE: THE CYCLIC SIMPLICITY OF DANCING MELODY The
instrumental embelishments counter melody. In Crete it is called kondilies, a term originating in winds (direct flutes) from cane, that were used for embelishment counter-melodies and the natural joints ofthe pieces of the cane are called kondili(=
condyle). Again as the chords are very few 1-3, the instrumental embelishment counter melodies are easy to improvise, as kinds of chord or chord-closure harpisms (see post 183, 103) together with micro-oscillations around the notes of the chord,and small waves by intervals of 3rd, 4th/5th.
Most often the instrumental embelishment counter melody has simply 2 parts 8+7 , as the pair of poetic lines , an upward-waving or rotating (or downward-waving) part of 8 steps (or 4 steps) and an inversely downward waving or rotating (or upward waving) part of 7 steps (or 3.5 steps) , thus following the poetic measure .
But we can conceive it as
4 parts , 3+1 too: If we divide the 15 steps into parts by 4 steps, it is 3 parts of 4 steps (that can also be 3 repetions of a melodic pattern ) and one concluding part of 3 steps. This can be also a patern on the steps of the correlated dancing. The correlation of the harmony with the poetic measure may vary but a very usual way is E.g. for the pair of chords 1M-5M7 (or 6m-3M7) that the first chord is at the 1st 2nd and last 4th parts from the 4 and the 2nd 7nth chord at the 3rd part. So it is
1M-1M-5M7-1M (or 6m-6m-3M7-6m ). Or it can be
1M-1M-1M-(5M7/1M) (or 6m-6m-6m-(3M7/6m) )This is a common pattern both for Celtic folk songs but for Greek , Cretan mantinades. This correlation is different of course for the 12-bars blues where the chords is a different triad and the poetic measure different.
It is supposed that it is the wordless but poetic musical speaking of the feelings. This instrumental embelishment counter melodies is dense in the number of notes
more complicated than the human singing voice, and is in between and
during the silent time intervals of the human voice singing melody. The fact that it is more complicated is because it corresponds usually to the
dancing steps of the dancers, which is
double, or 4 times (or even 8 times) faster that the tempo of the syllables of the lyrics.
If in the performed improvisation is only instrumental, then this will lead to an alternation of
two speeds of improvisational melodies within the same chord-cycle and poetic measure a) The
"singling" improvisatinal melody and b) the
"dancing" improvisational melody which is 2 or 4 times faster than the "singing". They should be played preferably by different musical instruments e,g. a wind and a string instruments respectivlly or a bowed instrument and a plucked string instruent respectively.
Most often each half-line of the poetic line is with 8 notes and is one musical score measure (and one simplicial submelody note) thus in total 32 notes. Especially when it is played by an instrument like violin, Lyra mandolin, or cuatro, where the neck of the instruments is short and the 8 notes is not a problem. The acoustic effect is an almost continouns musical sound of melody with fast embelishments (Similar to the jazz improvisations with violin of Stephan Grappelli ). But if the instrument is of along neck like a bouzouki, or saz ot tambouras, then each poetic half-line and measure of the score is usally of only 4 notes, which makes the total of pair of poetic lines (and 15 syllables) of 16 notes. This is always the dancing fast instrumental melody. When it is used 8 notes er measure for the middle-scale melodic theme the micro-scale melodic themes are chromatic oscillations around single notes (Violin, mandolin, cuatro etc). But when the middle-scale melodic theme is of 4 notes then the micro-scale melodic themes are usally spaning a 3rd and are translated by intervals of 2nds acris the scale. (Bouzouki, tambouras, saz etc)
The rhythm-frequency of each poetic-half line and musical score measure is about 50-60 beats per minute (the beats of a calm heart) . Thus the beats per minute of each poetic sylalble is supposed to be 4-times so thus 200-240 bpm. While the fast dancing melody where each measure and half line has 8-notes would be 400-480 bpm
The half-poetic line is the
middle melodic theme, and also one measure, that follows the pattern of the above rhythm most of the time, and is translated up or down , and also changing shape. The trasnlations are melodic (intervals of 3rd) harmonic (intervals of 4th or 5th) or more rarely (less than 30% of the cases) chromatic (intervals of 2nd).
But inside each measure and middle melodic theme, there are the
micro-melodic-themes that are oscilaltions around one note, most often by intervals of 2nds.
(see also post 296 about modes-
longitudinal chords)
The micro-scale melodic themes , when they are inside a chord (rotations) are mainly of 4 types
micro or macro-chromatic and melodic , harmonic.
1) oscillations around a note of the chord. (micro-chromatic) E.g. if 1 is the note and 0note not inthe chord , then patterns like 1-1-0 (70% in the chord) or 1-0-1-0 (50% in the chord)
2) Up-down wavings-arpeggios within the scale-chromatic closure of the chord
(macro-chromatic) (or vector-chord) E.g if c-e-g is the chord then c-d-e-f-g-f-e-d-c (60% in the chord). The chromatic closure of the chord is within the diatonic scale, but it may be with blue or chromatic notes so instead of natural mnor it may have harmonic or double harmonic minors. Sometimes with still different blue notes like 5#, or 1# or 4# or 7b.
Pure-chord arpeggios (melodic or harmonic) . e.g. if if c-e-g is the chord then e.g. c-e-g-e-c etc (100% in the chord)
The pure-chord arpeggios are mainl of two types
3)the melodic from intervals of 3rds (e.g. c-e-g-e-c)
4) The harmonic that are arpeggios of the included power chord e.g. c-g-c'-g-c
Of course after the basic 4 types there are
mixed types e.g.
pure arpegio with micro-chromatic (which is very often in Irish folk music) etc
The middle-scale melodic theme is part of an "arpeggio" of the (chromatic) closure of the chord (or vector-chord), as contrasted to the (simplicial) macro-melodic theme , which is usually more or less an exact arpeggio of the accompanying chord.
In the Sweedish folk music there is very often the upper cyclic pattern of (simplicial submelody) notes and macro-scale melodic theme of middle-scale melodic themes (see below) parallel to the chord rhythmic pattern A A B A, notes a1 a2 a3 a1 , with pitch order a1<a2<a3>a1.
The micro-melodic themes are mainly chromatic (intervals of 2nd) , but in Irish folk reels they may be also from intervals of 3rds, 4ths/5ths. The middle-melodic themes mainly melodic (intervalss of 3rds) , and the macro-melodic theme of the simplicial submelody mainly harmonic (intervals of 4th , 5th or octave). Theya re conceived as themes of the simplicial submelody .
THE EMOTIONAL AFFECTION CENTER THAT TRADITIONALLY IS AT THE ACCOMPANYING CHORD, CORRESPONDS ALSO AT THE MODE-LONGITUDINAL CHORD (SEE PSOT 296) AND THEREFORE ALSO AT EACH NOTE OF THE MACRO-SCALE MELODIC THEME (WHICH AS WE SEE CORRESPONDS AND EXPANDS ALSO TO THE MIDDLE-SCALE MELODIC THEME). THUS USUSALLY AT 60 bpm WHICH IS USUALLY THE RHYTHM OF A CALM HEART.
THE DANCING-KINETIC AFFECTION IS FOUND AT THE MIDDLE-SCALE AND MICRO-SCALE MELODIC THEMES. THEREFORE AT 240-480 bpm
6)
THE SIMPLICITY OF THE RHYTHM.
The rhythm. The rhythm very often is a
dancing rhythm (in Crete dance of syrtos) , and similarly for Irish reels. But it is known that e.g. the jigs, are slow and usually non-dancing rhythm.
So the rhythm can be also slow, matching the emotional state.
The rhythm-frequency of each poetic-half line and musical score measure is about 50-60 beats per minute. Thus the beats per minute of each poetic sylalble is supposed to be 4-times so thus 200-240 bpm. While the fast dancing melody where each measure and half line has 8-notes would be 400-480
Possible thythms are
1001010
(combination of anapestik 100 with trochaic 10 )
Or
100111010 or a more extreme that spans 3 powers of 2 , 10000011100100
(e.g. in Vagelis Bardakis castrines condilies) .
7) ONE HUGE NEVER ENDING FAMILAR SONG COLLECTIVELY CREATED. Probably the most important feature of the rapsody method of improvization is the next: The main improvisational advantage of the rapsody method is that it is easy and standard how the improvization is made. Still there is pleanty of freedhom. The improvisation is based on known and very simple harmony (1-3 or 4 chords) , and somehow known melodic lines that are varied consinuously , with intermitent embelishment counter melodies , that make the whole musical environment as if of one known and never ending long song , thus very familiar but never closed in the details and variations. Because such a long and never ending song is the collective creation of many people at different times, there is also the nice and encouraging feeling of participation in the emotions of a collective of people.
8) THE VAST MODERN COMPOSITIONAL VALUES OF THE ABILIY OF RAPSODY IMPROVISATION:
Once someone has mastered the ability in a fluent way to improvise easily over a chord cycle of 2 or 3 or 4 chords, then he gradually can extend the ability toimprovise over larger cycles of chords and chord progressions,which means a rich ability of composing songs starting with improvasations.
For example for Aegean islands (Greece) improvisational folk melodies (mandinades) condylies) with violin or Lyra, the next factors prevail.
1) "Poetic meters" over the same note sometimes notes up to 8 notes. The density of the notes is high. E.g. with 4 notes per measure-bar and a beat of 80-100 bars per minute gives a tempo of 320-400 beats-notes per minute.
3) Straight vectors ascending or descending usually of 4 or 5 notes so as to reach a new chord neighborhood.
2) Mainly waves by intervals of 2nds (chromatic) inside intervals of 3rds (melodic, either standing or ascending descending, and usually inside a chord so as to reach the neighborhood of a new chord. The simplistic sub-melody of such a waving melody is essentially an arpeggio of the underlying chord.
