See also posts 65, 72, 92, 103, 104 (concepts of chord-local 7-notes scale and chord-courtyard)
The chord-middle note simplicial sub-melody (CMNSS) this is one of the most simple tupes and most characteristic sub-melodies for the chord progression. The reason is that the middle note characterises a chord of it is major or minor, and thus this sub-melody involves notes that sometimes are the critical notes of modulations e.g. from the natural minor o the harmonic minor or double harmonic minor
In post 104 we have described more types of simplicial sub-melodies.
Here we describe a basic technique of the composition method that starts first from the chord progression and then the melody introduced in post 9 (as in jazz improvisation).
A simplicial (or simplistic) sub-melody is a bit more varying than a drone (isocratic) melody, and is also the source of the bass lines.
1) Chromatic simplicial sub-melody (CSS , minimum distance notes) . The simplicial submelody is defined by the next rules.
When two successive chords of the chord progression have notes that are one semitone distance only, we chose these two notes as notes of the simplicial sub-melody. For reasons of flexibility we allow two notes per chord if necessary. This happens for all cases that the two consecutive chords in a diatonic scale that are at roots distance of an interval of pure 4th (5 semitones) or pure 5th (7 semitones) or if they are mutually complementary chords (with roots of one step of the scale apart). In general it is a good idea to chose as notes of the simplicial submelody for two successive chords in the chord progression, two notes, one from each chord with the minimum distance in semitones from the notes of the two chords. E.g. if the chords are , the first chord is the C major=(c4,e4,g4) and the 2nd chord is the F major=(f4,a4,c5), then the notes are e4-f4 that is 3rd-1st. If the chords are the first chord is the C major=(c4,e4,g4) and the 2nd chord is the D minor=(d4,f4,a4), then the notes are e4-f3 that is 3rd-3rd.
If the two consecutive chords are mutually relative with two common notes, the notes of the simplicial submelody for each chord are either a common note or the note that the other chord does not contain! That is the 1st-5th order notes. E.g. If the first chord is the C major=(c4,e4,g4) and the 2nd chord is the E minor=(e4,g4,b4) then the notes are b4-c5, that is 5th, and higher 1st. But if the chords are C major=(c4,e4,g4) and the 2nd chord is the A minor=(a3,c4,e4), then the notes are a4-g4 , that is the higher 1st. and the 5th. If the chords are major-minor relatives : C major=(c4,e4,g4) and the 2nd chord is the C minor=(c4,eb4,g4), then the notes are eb4-e4 , that is 3rd-3rd.
1.3) Chromatic links simplicial submelody (also bass lines) In general we may have the next rule. If X1, X2 are two succesive chords of the chord progression, and we are at X1, a chromatic link or chromatic bridge is defined by finding two notes a1 in X1, a2 in X2, so that a1-a2 is at the minimum interval distance among all other chord notes of X1 , X2. Then the chromatic link starts with a1, b1,b2....,bn,a2 , and ends with a2 and all the intermediate steps are one semitone distance.
1.3) Minimal chromatic drone sub-melody (MCD sub-melody).
This simplicial sub-melody is like the chromatic sub-melody, except that we utilize preferably the common notes of the chords, and we require it
1.3.1) of as few notes as possible and
1..3.2) of as little distance as possible.
The rules are the next
Rule 1: We start from the chord and we find a common note with its next chord. If there are two common notes, we look at the next 3rd chord and chose this that is also either a note of the 3rd--next chord or minimal distance of a note of it. We proceed in this way till the last chord of the underlying chord progression.
It can be proved that if the chord progression are chords of a diatonic scale, then the minimal chromatic drone melody, can have only some or all of the first 3 notes of the scale (e.g. in a C major mode diatonic scale the c, d, e)
This is very useful in double flutes or whistles or double reed-winds playing where in the first it is played a minimal chromatic drone sub-melody, and in the 2nd a full melody.
A minimal chromatic drone sub-melody need not be a kind of bass-line! It very well be a kind of very high register or octave simple melodic line. Personally I prefer the latter.
1.3) Minimal chromatic drone sub-melody (MCD sub-melody).
This simplicial sub-melody is like the chromatic sub-melody, except that we utilize preferably the common notes of the chords, and we require it
1.3.1) of as few notes as possible and
1..3.2) of as little distance as possible.
The rules are the next
Rule 1: We start from the chord and we find a common note with its next chord. If there are two common notes, we look at the next 3rd chord and chose this that is also either a note of the 3rd--next chord or minimal distance of a note of it. We proceed in this way till the last chord of the underlying chord progression.
It can be proved that if the chord progression are chords of a diatonic scale, then the minimal chromatic drone melody, can have only some or all of the first 3 notes of the scale (e.g. in a C major mode diatonic scale the c, d, e)
This is very useful in double flutes or whistles or double reed-winds playing where in the first it is played a minimal chromatic drone sub-melody, and in the 2nd a full melody.
A minimal chromatic drone sub-melody need not be a kind of bass-line! It very well be a kind of very high register or octave simple melodic line. Personally I prefer the latter.
2) Harmonic simplicial sub-melody (HSS, maximum distance notes) . Probably the best method of creating the simplicial sub-melody which is based on preferring intervals distances of the notes of the simplicial sub-melody (opposite to the previous method) that are large intervals ,namely intervals of 5ths , 4th 6th or 8th. . The simplicial sub-melody is somehow the centers or oscilaltion boundaries of the final melody and most often it is one note per chord of the chord progression . They may be also the start and end of the melodic themes. Or they can be just centers that the melodic theme must pass from them. It can also be considered as a very simple bass line parallel to the melody. So the rule to choose the simplicial sub-melody is the next
2.1) If we have two successive chords X(1) -> X(2) in the chord progression, and a is the note of the simplicial sub-melody belonging to chord X(1) , and b is the note of the simplicial sub-melody belonging to the chord X(2), then a->b is an interval of maximum distance and the preference in intervals is in the following order of preference 5th, 4th, 8th, 6th.
For the notes of maximum distance between successive chords we have the next choices :
For the notes of maximum distance between successive chords we have the next choices :
If the X(1) -> X(2) are in the relation of resolution (succesive in the wheel by 4ths) e.g. G->C then we have 3 choices for a->b, the g->c, or b->e, or d->g. If the X(1) -> X(2) are in the relation of relative chords (two common notes) e.g. C->Em then we have 2 choices for a->b,
c->g, or e->b. And if the X(1) -> X(2) are in the chromatic or complementary relation of chords (roots that differ by one step of the scale) e.g. C->Dm, then we have one only best choice of a->b, here the c-> f, and a 2nd best choice the c-> which is an interval of 6th.
The notes of maximum distance would be two notes per chord. The 1st would be the maximum distance from the previous chord and the 2nd the maximum distance from the next chord. We prefer usually to simplify it it in to one only note but either two or one only note if necessary we shift to the next octave so as to have the rule that two successive notes of two successive chords of the harmonic simplicial sub-melody have always distance large intervals of 5th, 4th, 8th, 6th.
2.2) After we have defined the simplicial harmonic and the chromatic sub-melody then we may create bridges between its notes by smaller intervals e.g. 3rds or 2nds for a full melody. The best ways is to start from the first note of the Chromatic Simplicial submelody (CSS) of the chord relevant to the previous chord, pass from the unique note of the Harmonic simplicial submelody (HSS) of the chord and end at the 2nd note of the chromatic simplicial submelody (CSS) of the chord relevant to the next chord. (See post 109).
The notes of the harmonic submelody of a chord progression may be used to be somehow the centers or oscilaltion boundaries of a final melody and most often. They may be also be the start and end of the melodic themes. It depends if we create melodic themes inside the chord and around of a note of it which serves as it center or melodic themes linking two of them and their successive chords. For the first way , the melodic themes inside the chord and around the note of the harmonic simplicial submelody can be created as in the post 103 using the chord-local 7-notes scale for each one note of the harmonic simplicial submelody.
There are also the
3) CHORD-PROGRESSION SIMPLICIAL SUB-MELODIES (CPSS)
This is defined in the most easy way as consisting from one note per chord of the chord progression and always at the same degree (1st or 3rd or 5th, or 6th, or 7nth or 9nth or 2nd etc)
Here is relevant video that by extrapolating this simplicial sub-melody , we get an improvisational melody, an idea of Jerry Bergonzy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X-WsnWCAaA&t=21s
4) The chord-middle note simplicial sub-melody (CMNSS) this is one of the most simple tupes and most characteristic sub-melodies for the chord progression. The reason is that the middle note characterises a chord of it is major or minor, and thus this sub-melody involves notes that sometimes are the critical notes of modulations e.g. from the natural minor o the harmonic minor or double harmonic minor
IN THE NEXT WE DESCRIBE HOW TO CALCULATE THE SIMPLICIAL SUB-MELODY OF THE MELODIC CENTERS OF A MELODY
The notes of maximum distance would be two notes per chord. The 1st would be the maximum distance from the previous chord and the 2nd the maximum distance from the next chord. We prefer usually to simplify it it in to one only note but either two or one only note if necessary we shift to the next octave so as to have the rule that two successive notes of two successive chords of the harmonic simplicial sub-melody have always distance large intervals of 5th, 4th, 8th, 6th.
2.2) After we have defined the simplicial harmonic and the chromatic sub-melody then we may create bridges between its notes by smaller intervals e.g. 3rds or 2nds for a full melody. The best ways is to start from the first note of the Chromatic Simplicial submelody (CSS) of the chord relevant to the previous chord, pass from the unique note of the Harmonic simplicial submelody (HSS) of the chord and end at the 2nd note of the chromatic simplicial submelody (CSS) of the chord relevant to the next chord. (See post 109).
The notes of the harmonic submelody of a chord progression may be used to be somehow the centers or oscilaltion boundaries of a final melody and most often. They may be also be the start and end of the melodic themes. It depends if we create melodic themes inside the chord and around of a note of it which serves as it center or melodic themes linking two of them and their successive chords. For the first way , the melodic themes inside the chord and around the note of the harmonic simplicial submelody can be created as in the post 103 using the chord-local 7-notes scale for each one note of the harmonic simplicial submelody.
There are also the
3) CHORD-PROGRESSION SIMPLICIAL SUB-MELODIES (CPSS)
This is defined in the most easy way as consisting from one note per chord of the chord progression and always at the same degree (1st or 3rd or 5th, or 6th, or 7nth or 9nth or 2nd etc)
Here is relevant video that by extrapolating this simplicial sub-melody , we get an improvisational melody, an idea of Jerry Bergonzy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X-WsnWCAaA&t=21s
4) The chord-middle note simplicial sub-melody (CMNSS) this is one of the most simple tupes and most characteristic sub-melodies for the chord progression. The reason is that the middle note characterises a chord of it is major or minor, and thus this sub-melody involves notes that sometimes are the critical notes of modulations e.g. from the natural minor o the harmonic minor or double harmonic minor
IN THE NEXT WE DESCRIBE HOW TO CALCULATE THE SIMPLICIAL SUB-MELODY OF THE MELODIC CENTERS OF A MELODY
For improvisation in general over a known or unknown a tune we need two types of concepts
1) Simplifying to the melody concepts like chord-progression, simplicial sub-melody , bas etc
2) Enhancing to the melody concepts like counter-melody on the vector-chord underlying at that time the melody etc From the chord the middle (3rd note together with the root 1st note) is considered tobe the most characteristic from the chord as it differentiates it from major and minor.
Because 5 notes are played statistically almost equally in time and 3 are inside the chord while 2 only outside the overall result is harmonic with the chord. taking the middle note (3rd) ofthe chord as it its geometric center rather than its root, we have that this soloings is a kind of almost random "dancing" around the geometric center of the chordand inside the underlying scale. Since for each chord there is usually one note of a simplicial submelod, and we may take as note of the simplicial sub melody the geometric center (3rd in1-3-5) we may alsos say that this way of improvising is a "dancing" around the notes of this (middle note) simplicial submelody
The chord-closure or vector-chord as defined in post 159 is only for the normal position of a chord.
The random playing of the notes at an equal time each, or "rotations" or permutations of a vector-chord (or chromatic and diatonic neighborhood of a chord) , leads to a melody that the chord that fits to it harmonically to accompany it, is the chord of the vector-chord. In this way, a pre-defined chord progression visualized as a progression of vector chords, defines almost completely an improvisational melody.
2ND LAYER FASTS HARMONIZATIONS OF VECTOR-CHORDS IMPROVISATIONS
Furthermore, when improvising by "waving" or "rotating" inside the vector chord, we may also add some harmony by playing the improvisational solo as 1st-2nd voice or doubles by intervals of 3 and of course changing them to major minor 3rds so that it belongs to the scale if the roots are in the scale or keeping it the same to the closest such that is in the scale. It can be with doubles or even triads (3-notes chords) which of course will create a fast-changing harmony which is reasonable to accompany with only stable power chord of 5 (interval of 5). Usually, the fast changing of the chords is of the chords I, IV, V (or substituting any one of them with its lower relative minor chord. see also post 159)
E.g. here is a good example of such melodic wavings in the next midi file. It can be considered as chromatic or diatonic waving around each note of the chord but in addition, harmonized with doubles by intervals of 3rds http://www.greeksongs.gr/midis/arampasperna.mid
Because 5 notes are played statistically almost equally in time and 3 are inside the chord while 2 only outside the overall result is harmonic with the chord. taking the middle note (3rd) ofthe chord as it its geometric center rather than its root, we have that this soloings is a kind of almost random "dancing" around the geometric center of the chordand inside the underlying scale.
Because 5 notes are played statistically almost equally in time and 3 are inside the chord while 2 only outside the overall result is harmonic with the chord. taking the middle note (3rd) ofthe chord as it its geometric center rather than its root, we have that this soloings is a kind of almost random "dancing" around the geometric center of the chordand inside the underlying scale.
We should notice that besides such "chromatic waving" or "rotating" within the closure of a triad chord in the normal position, we may have also waving ascending and waving descending or translating, if we expand the chord in two or 3 octaves. And this may be done again with fast-changing harmonization (I, IV, V) with doubles or triads , as long as the duration of the notes outside the chords (the initial and maybe two more within the pattern I, IV, V) are less than the duration of the notes inside the chords or as long as the intervals created by the notes of the melody and the notes of the chords have more 3rds 4ths and 5ths compared to intervals of 2nds.
We must remark here that if there is a melody in the song which is say using the chords X1, X2 X3,...Xn , the melodic improvisational fillings parallel and in between the parts of the melody with instruments like Bouzouki or mandolin or violin or lyre etc , need not keep the same chord-progression X1,...Xn but a permutation of it as well ,although in general, it will use the same chords and rarely more chords but of the same notes-scale or same scale of chords (chord-scale).
In all cases, a variational chord progression X(a1), ..., X(ak) will determine as above after determining the vector-chord wavings an improvisational solo.
If we are composing e.g. in a midi editor the above perceptions are adequate for easy composition of melodies. But if we are playing an instrument and we want to improvise, then instead of having as center the arpeggio of a chord to improvise diatonically or chromatically around it it ir ending at it it is easier to think of waving around or ending at centers that are not chords but notes that are away by intervals of 3rd, 4th, 5th 8th (e.g. the notes of a simplistic sub-melody).
See also post 159
