The general rhythmic harmonic pattern of 12 bars blues denoted by 12BB CONTAINS THE NEXT 8-BARS BLUES PATTERN
They are in improvisational monotonicity and simplicity between the 1-chord improvisation for meditation and the 12 bars blues improvisations.
Let X1 X2 X3 be an harmonic triad of chords , in other words consecutive in the wheel by 4ths. They may be major or minor chords then the general 12 bars blues rhythmic-harmonic pattern is the next
| X2 | X2 | X2 | X2 |
| X3 | X3 | X2 | X2 |
| X1 | X1 | X2 | X2 |
THE 8-BARS BLUES PATTERN IS ONLY THE NEXT WITH 2 CHORD OR 3 CHORDS
| X2 | X2 | X2 | X2 |
| X1 | X1 | X2 | X2 |
Or the
| X2 | X2 | X3 | X3 |
| X1 | X1 | X2 | X2 |
In the general scheme we might allow for any arrangement of X1 ,X2 X3 on he above squares
If the Xi X1 X2, X3 AS 3 CHORDS are major denoted by M or minors then we have 8 types of such general 12 bars blues rhythmic-harmonic patterns
MMM
MMm
mMM
MmM
mmm
mmM
MmM
mMm
If the Xi , X1 X2 AS TWO ONLY CHORDS are major denoted by M or minors denoted by m then we have 4 types of such general 8 bars blues rhythmic-harmonic patterns.
MM
Mm
mM
mm
Here we do not restrict that X2 has to be in harmonic relation with X1, but it can be also in melodic relation or chromatic relation.
A usual rhythm is 120 bpm and 2,3, or 4 beats per bar.
This gives that one such 8BB has duration at most about 8 seconds thus about 6-8 repetitions of this 8BB pattern will give a song a little less or more than 3 minutes duration.
Now the general concept of composing sings based on the 12bB patterns is based on the next
a) We start with a 8BB as unit block and we modulate it or transpose it about 6-9 times
b) We alter the 8BB pattern substituting any of the instances of each of the Xi chords i=1,2 with relative minor or major chords if the X1 X2 is an harmonic pair. And in general with any other diatonic chord if not.
In the guitar such an improvisation is mostly easy if the guitar is tuned in one of the open overtones tuning. E.g. Open D tuning.
Also at the meso (=medium) and micro layer, the main 4 factors are
1) Up, Down or flat vector-waving and is meaning (including which octave)
2) Density of notes per time unit (many notes theme, very few notes theme)
3) Percentage of harmonic or melodic intervals (acceleration) to the chromatic intervals (deceleration).
4) The poetic micro-meter and poetic macro-meter in the melodic theme.
In order to create the melody we may proceed as follows.
1)We compose 2 or 3 simplicial sub-melodies one for each part of the song , with one note per chord and bar , over the cycle of chords preferably at a chromatic sequence ascending and descending . In this way we may have more than one note of the simplicial sub-melody per chord but only one per chord and bar.
If we use keyboards (and this may also be e.g. digital harp in the tablet as in ThumbJam) , the way to create the melody is the next. For each lines in the 16 Bar Blocks which is usually a pair of chords , we layout the chords in the keyboard to see their mutual topology and overlapping. Then we compose 5-6 versions of the melody, by one up or down wave within each chord, which are usually one vector-wave for half or full the chord (123 , or 1234565 or 543 for 3-notes chords or 7654321 for chords with 7nth etc in trochaic poetic meter) . We use balancing structure e.g. if the first is up the next is down and vice verse. But two ups or two downs are for emphasis too. We may split the vector-wave to arpeggio and tail or only arpeggio. We choose the version that we like best and expresses best the emotions we want. We use not one only octave necessarily but 2 or even 3. Starting from high, in high octaves and descending down 1 or 2 octaves is a bird-like melodic approach. If we use harmonica the themes waves for each chord or pair of chords are quite more free. If we use guitar , violin , flute, it is more or less as with the keyboard but again a little more free to follow the constraints and conveniences of the instrument.
2) We create moves or waves or cycles for each note of the simplicial sub-melody by sequencing during the chord with two types of notes a fast (usually outside the chord) and a slow of double duration on the notes of the chord again ascending or descending with smaller waves. I this way more than 50% of the time of the duration of the melody will be notes of the chord. We may apply the pattern of 4 waves-cycles. Initial idea- variational continuation-contrasting mutation-closure. E.g. Down cycle-down cycle modulated-up cycle-wave shrinking and ending to middle note. Or vice versa Up cycle-Up cycle modulated-Down cycle-wave shrinking and ending to middle note. It is important to realize that such a wave or cycle need not be 100% over a chord but it can be over a pair of chords as chord-transition theme (x% over one chord y% over the next x%+y%=100%) and sometimes as themes over three chords. Thus each melodic theme of the 4 phases of it may correspond to 4 bars and the 4 melodic themes may rhythmically correspond to the 4 times the 4 bars (2 cycles of 8BB)
3) We arrange a continuous sound instrument to play the simplicial sub-melody only and a discrete sound (guitar mandolin etc) to play the full waves melody.
Thus
| X2 | X2 | X2 | X2 |
=1st theme
| X3 | X3 | X2 | X2 |
| X1 | X1 | X2 | X2 |
We may summarize in short
1) We compose the simplicial sub-melody per bar and chord, which defines the orientation of the waves within a chord.
2) We compose the poetic measure of the melodic themes (long short notes combinations)
3) We compose the bridging transition to the next chord
4) We arrange for continuous sound (simplicial sub-melody and bass) and discrete sound instruments.
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.
An example of such a way of composition is the song of Edith Piaf , la vie en rose.
Examples is music by the trombonist Cesar B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U0bQipcsg0&ab_channel=T%C3%A9l%C3%A9Confinement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gPttpNcn_g&ab_channel=WorldStreetMusic
The difference in easiness and familiarity when composing songs based on this method compared to no method, is as the difference of walking by feet compared to moving by a car (the car=8BB pattern)
(see also post 364 , 225 and 325 )
We add here a simple technique to improvise over such 8BB chords patterns too with the tenor trombone which emphasizes the glissando ability of the trombone..
We must notice that from any note we are in the diatonic scale during a chord there is always a note of the chord at most an interval of 3rd away!
1) So the method is tho start with an arbitrary note and correct it with the slide by at moist an interval of 3rd to a note that fits the chord
2) When we want to a much higher or lower note during the chord or because the chord changed we just blow harder or softer for a higher or lower overtone (partia) at the same position and then we correct it if necessary with the slide!
3) The whole process becomes easier if we are on the 3rd octave of overtones where the overtones form the major tonal chord (with a 7nth) . And for thsi the best idea is to utilize a french-horn mouthpiece for the tenor trombone!
If we are capturing the diatonic mode with a pair of chords in chromatic relation (in harmonicas it would be an hexatonic harmonica) then the 8BB pattern will give if we have a theme for a single type of chord.
Ionian-Ionian
Myxolydian-Ionian
or
Ionian-Lydian
Myxolydian-Ionian
If we want a diatonic model per pair of chords then X2 X3 is a Lydian mode and X1 X2 is an Ionian mode, thus
Lydian
Ionian
And for hexatonic harmonicas with a chromatic pair of chords it would be the chords
(3m 4M)= Lydian
(7d 1M)=Ionian
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