METHOD OF IMPROVISATION BY AN UNACOMPANIED SINGLE DIATONIC INSTRUMENT NOT SUPPORTING CHORDS OR STRING INSTRUMENT THAT DOES NOT SUPPORT WELL CHORDS WITH A SCALE MARKED ON THE FRETBOARD , BY SMALL MUSICAL THEMES AND PERPETUAL VARIATIONS BY TRANSLATION FROM S TRING TO STRING , INVERSION AND MUTATION.
The melocic part of the improvisation shoud have symmetries or in other words a structure of simple melodic theme, with its variations.
THE KEY-WORD HERE IN THE 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 IS VARIATED INTERACTIVELY BY THE USER IN A MELODIC SEQUENCER.
THERE MANY GOOD SOFTWARE PROGRAMS FOR THIS COMPOSITION AND IMPROVISATION LIKE FUGUE MACHINE, YAMAHA MOBILE SEQUENCER, THUMPJAM ETC. ALSO ARPIO AND ARPEGGIONOME FOR GENERAL ARPEGGIOS ALTERNATED WITH MELODIC IMPROVISATIONS
For example when we improvise over a wind like a direct flute , or clariphone, or panflute, or with a violin or lyra, which does not support very well chords.
In the case string instruments with fingerboard or fretboard , it helps if the default diatonic scale of the instrument is marked on the fingerboard.
HERE THE IMPORTANCE OFTHE CHORD IS SUBSTITUTED WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF A SMALL MELODIC THEME (E.G. OF 3-4 NOTES)
THIS SMALLMELODIC THEME IS PERPETUALLY VARIED. IF THE TUNING OF THE STRING INSTRUMENTS IS A GOOD ONE LIKE THE OVERTONES TUNING (SEE POST 301 AND 191), THE VARIATIONSCAN BE FROM STRINGT O STRING MORE-OFTEN THAN JUST TRANSLATING IT OVER A SINGLE STRING. WE APPLY ALSO INVERSIONS AN WE MUTATE THE THEME, SO THAT THERE IS NOT EXCESSIVE REPETITION.
The melocic part of the improvisation shoud have symmetries or in other words a structure of simple melodic theme, with its variations.
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.
HERE ARE MORE IDEAS IF THE INSTRUMENT SUPPORTS CHORDS
HERE ARE MORE IDEAS IF THE INSTRUMENT SUPPORTS CHORDS
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)
CHORD-BASED IDEAS
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 mau 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
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
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)
CHORD-BASED IDEAS
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 mau 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
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
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.
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.
