IMPROVISATION AS SPEAKING IN AN ORAL LANGUAGE . A BALANCE OF 3 ACTIVE FACTORS MIND-HEART-FINGERS OR MUSICAL-THEORETICAL CONCEPTS , FEELINGS AND SKILLS ON THE INSTRUMENT (OR VOICE)
As we have mentioned in posts 40 and 97 , the music resembles the grammar , syntax and use of an oral language. The next table establishes correspondences at the various layers of complexity.
MUSICAL LANGUAGE
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SPEAKING LANGUAGE
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Note
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Letter of the alphabet
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Interval (3 elementary melodic moves)
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Syllables
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Melodic moves or themes (5 basic melodic patterns and Dolphin words as in post 101). Chords
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Words that make a simple proposition (subject verb object)
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Full melody (propositions) . Chords progressions at a duration that may contain many melodic themes (Phrase).
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Propositions . Phrases or sentences from a point to a next point , that may contain many simple propositions
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Composition of music with software:
MELODIC MATHS BY MAX MARTIN AND GERM-PATTERN SYSTEMS OF CREATING MELODIC THEMES AND MUTATIONS OF MELODIC THEMES AND RHYTHMS
In the next videos one can see how melodic themes of notes (but also of chords) and mutations of them plus repetitive combinations of them, can be created by keeping invariant an initial germ-pattern or melodic-seed of interval shifts and pause (GERM PATTERN) of a note (or chord) or of initial pattern of sequence of melodic themes of notes or chords after seeminly random pauses (omittings) of the parts of the fixed pattern.
Melodic themes of notes can be considered and created also as repettitive combinations of a small set of interval-steps (pitch transformations) in a scale plus a pause wchich may be called MELODIC GERM . A melodic germ as basic invariant can give many melodic themes with an internal affinity which can be considered a system of muttations of melodic themes
Comparing the melody with a speaking language suggests the next correspondence
Let us correspond to each vowel a number of steps inteval shift insidea scale
E.g.
empty space=pause
A=0 step
E= 1 steps
I= 2 steps
O=3 steps
OU=4 steps
Then the content of vowels of any phrase can be translated as a GERM-PATTERN for creating melodic themes as muttaions of this germ-pattern (and latter also repettitive combinations of them)
See also post 106 about melodic seeds
See also post 106 about melodic seeds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HPkTMYoJnI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb3e4Mq6y3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0-Ljf5gm4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc16Y1gKUDc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0-Ljf5gm4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc16Y1gKUDc
Dolphin words (=melodies abstract order patterns) are beatifully composed with the arpeggiator
Dot Melody of https://www.olympianoiseco.com/
https://www.olympianoiseco.com/apps/dot-melody/
The improvisation on any instrument , harmonic or melodic, must be as speaking an an oral language.
It must be created at first internally as a will to express a sequence of meanings , then be able to sing or whistle it as far as the melodic part is concerned and then be able toplay it on an instrument
And this also explains why some times many good and skilled instrument players fail to improvise.
They hold their instrument and either they expect that magically their fingers will start to move on a marvelous melodic theme. But speaking is not a mediumship and channeling of a spirit. The speaker must use his mind and know the story that he/she wants to tel before telling it. So the instrument player must use also his mind and have a CONCEPT and know, more or less in advance the "MUSICAL MEANING" that he/she wants to express. He may not know exactly which notes and chords he will use, and in what order, but he must know the overall melodic and harmonic meaning that he wants to express in his mind. MIND-HEART-MOVES must combine so as to have a good improvisation. Not only one only of them. The habit only of the moves on the instrument will not give the best of improvisations that someone can perform. It is needed also feelings and a musical-theoretical concept The feelingsof the heart alone are not sufficient to lead to the best of improvisations that someone can perform. It is necessary also to use finger-skills and also musical theoretical concepts of the mind. The mind only and the musical theoretical concepts alone are not sufficient to lead to the best of improvisations that someone can perform. It si necessary to use the momentum ofthe feelingsof the heart and skills of the fingers.
FOR EXAMPLE HERE IS HOW I APPLY THIS PRINCIPLE e,g. ON SINGLE UNACCOMPANIED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
1) MIND: I start with a diatoninc instrument with a particular scale , or chromatic e.g. a guitar with marked a default diatonic scale on it. This is my vocabulary. Then I decide which chord progressions of the 7-chords I willmainly use,and inpartcular what chromatic chords outside the scale,with "blue" or chromaticnotes outside the scale that will create an extension of the diatonic scale towards the full chromatic 12-notes scale. E.g. modify the natural minor mode to harmonic minor or double harmonic minor. Or change some major chords ofthe scale to minors with the same root and vice-versa. I prepare myself for types of repetitions, and chose one or more rhythms.
2) FINGER-SKILLS: I make sure that I am sufficiently familiar with the particular instrument and have this diatonic scale obviously on it (marked if necesary if its a chromatic instrument with fretboard. If itsi a wind that it is awind ofthsi scale. If its a celtic harp that it is tuned to this scale etc) By insisting playing all chords on the same inversion (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 3 or 4 consecutive strings only across all the fretboard.
3) FEELINGS OF THE HEART: I srart seemingly randomply on the notes of the scale, and let the feelings shape a rather short and rhythmic melodic theme of 3-4 notes, that express as a word my feelings at that time and environment. Then I start variations of it mainly following the feelings of the heart but also letting the seemingly random moves of the fingers in the scale to add surprising innovations. I repeat, invert and innovate (mutate). I alternate chord pogressions with melodic themes variations (translations from string to string or across one string, inversions and mutations). I realize the chromatic-chords and notes extensions that I have decided but at random times and in unexpected order. I repeat and innovate. I create intervalsof long silence to review my playing and comeback with new ideas and momentum of feelings. In all the process the center of feelings (heart) watches carefully the moves of the fingers and does not let it act before somehow "knows" in advance which sound will be made. In other words we do not let the center of moves of the fingers to go faster that the flow of emotions in the heart and before the heart approves in advance whta the figers will play.
HERE ARE MORE SPECIFIC IDEAS
HERE ARE MORE SPECIFIC 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
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
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.
