260. WHY THE DIATONIC (CELTIC) HARP IS THE BEST INSTRUMENT TO COMBINE MELODIC IMPROVISATION WITH CHORDS IMPROVISATION IN A SINGLE (USUALLY DIATONIC )SCALE. TUNING THE HARP IN SET OF CHORDS AND NOT IN A SCALE.

WHY THE DIATONIC (CELTIC) HARP IS THE BEST INSTRUMENT TO COMBINE MELODIC IMPROVISATION WITH CHORDS IMPROVISATION IN A SINGLE (USUALLY DIATONIC) SCALE
Different instruments are best for different types of improvisation.

1) For example the few strings instruments with a fretboard like the guitar, the ukulele, the panduri, the charango etc are best for improvising chords that keep their shape in chromatic changes of the pitch, thus in a rather scale independent large range of scales.That is why they are used to accompany melodies in a large range of different scales. On the other hand solo-instruments like Bouzouki or mandolino as the fretboard is chromatic and it does not suggest a diatonic scale soloing on fretboards are the most convenient for a diatonic scale. E.g. "scale-shapes" must be learned on such chromatic fretboards. 

2)  Instruments like winds , flutes, clarinet, oboe, saxophone trumpet  etc are best for playing melodic solos and improvise melodies without chords.

3) String instruments like the violin and the mandolin  are best for soloing too as the tuning or the small size of the fingerboard is not very favorable for chords. But they are not the most convenient for improvising simultaneously melody and chords in  single diatonic scale.

4) The piano seemingly is an instrument that combines both chords and melodies improvisation. The disadvantage though is that it has a privileged  diatonic scale and mode the C major. You cannot change (easily each time you want to play a new song) the tuning of the white keys to another diatonic scale. Improvisation in other diatonic scales than C major, loses it intuitive convenience of using the white keys.

5) On the other hand the diatonic (not chromatic) Celtic harp either with pedals or only with levers is the best and most convenient instrument to improvise both melodically and with chord progressions in single diatonic scale. The main reason is that the sequence of strings is exactly the notes of the scale. If the celtic harp has only levers to tune diatonic scales all diatonic scales with sharps are directly tunable. The diatonic scales with flats are converted to sharps as follows. It requires tuning the strings one semitone lower and then all flats become naturals and all non-flats become sharps set by the levers. 

The advantages include: 

5.1) Very simple and same pattern of triad chords (1-3-5) for all types of chords major, minor, diminished , augmented.

5.2) Very simple intuitive grasping of intervals of 2nds 3rds 4ths 5ths etc. The names are as if created for the geometry of the harp

5.3) Very simple intuitive grasping of overlapping of melodies with accompanying triad chords and "vector-chords" (see post 183 CLOSURE OF A CHORD OR VECTOR-CHORD VERSUS ARPEGGIO OF A CHORD FOR IMPROVISING OVER A CHORD)

For not exactly the same but quite similar reasons, a pan flute tuned in a particular (diatonic usually ) scale allows by far easier Jazz improvisation that a single tube ordinary flute or whistle.

A METHOD T O CREATE THEORETICALLY BUT ALSO PRACTICALLY SIMPLICIAL COUNTER-MELODIES:

IMPROVISATION METHOD BASED ON  A SET OF CHORDS AND MELODIC LINES BRIDGING THE HIGHEST NOTES OF EACH OF THEM. APPLICATION WITH STRUMMING WITH CUATRO, CAVAQUINHO, UKULELE ETC

The application idea is that when the chord is realized with a voicing on the highest 4 (or all 4) strings , we create melodic lines on the highest string bridging the highest notes of two succesive chords. Because of a inherent phenomenon of the human sound perception , when we are strumming and chaning the chords with in-between such melodic lines, the musical perception clearaly heres a melody, which is that of the highest notes. If it was not the highest notes the melodic lines would be more often lost in listening in the strumming.
Such chord-bridging melodic lines use a last small part of the previous chord duration and a small initial part of the new chord duration. During the rset ofthe time there is strumming of the chord or a achord arpeggio or variations of small melodic themes inside the chord by intervals of 3rd or 4th/5th. Thus melodic-harmonic variaonions. While when bridging two succesive chords there may be melodic themes variations by intervals of 2nd 3rd or 4th/5th (thus chromatic-melodic-harmonic).
This technique utilizes the simplicity of the information of the set of chord and translates it it to a simple information about the type of variations of simple melodic themes with the time placement and duration of the chords.

With this technique we may create simplicial counter-melodies parallel to melody.

It applies verty easily when utilizing a chromatic harmonica (see post 274), ans harp, but also a violin (especially marked at a particular diatonic scale, so that we can identify chord-triad  shapes on it aftera convenient tuning) and finally also on a diatonic wind.

HOW TO PLAY THE HARP WHEN YOU ARE A GUITAR PLAYER

When you are a guitar player and also you play the harp (e.g.like Edmar Castaneda) , then you have finger nails only at the right hand , not at the left hand, and also the right hand is faster and more skilled in playing melodies compared to the left hand. It is not like a piano player who he may have trained both hands to play almost at the same complexity level. Then in such a situation , the harp player starts in playing with the right hand the melodic improvisation and with the lelft hand the simplicial submelody at lower octaves, which are so that there is one note per underlying chord , thus slow in changing, like the chords in a chord progression. In fact we just play at first one note almsot randomnly with the left hand when we feel that the chord changes or when we finish with the melodic theme with the right hand, and if the note that almost randomnly we play is not the right feeling we create a chromatic bass line up ot down till we end to a note that feels well and is in the underlying chord. Then as the skill is evolved instead of one only note per chord of the simplicial submelody we may start playing the whole chord or a bass-line over the chord.

TUNING THE HARP IN SET OF CHORDS AND NOT IN A SCALE.

This is a very efficient and flexible method in harp improvisation.Not only we can tune the harp say in 3 different scales in different octaves, but also we can tune the harp to play a set of chords that do not belong to a single scale! E.g. We can tune the harp to play the chords A7, Dm  , D, Gm, C , F . No single diatonic scale contains these chords. The easiest way to tune the Dm, and also the D is to be tuned on different octaves. Then we may apply the technique of chromatic closure of a  chord so as to improvise melodically on each chord.

By utilizing a sliding glass as in a havaia guitar, at the index or another finger,we may add fast sharps , even if we already have set sharp by the lever, and play flexibly on a preset tuning plus create nice glissanti. By sliding the finger-glass from top to the middle of any string played we create a nice glissanti of the note to its next octave note. 

In general the sliding glass may add the chromatic aspect on selected notes and strings in a nice way, which maybe missing in diatonic harp.  

The harmonics on strings are played easily in the harp by muting the middle of each string creating thus an harmonic of the same pitch with the open string but one octave higher.

In such an harp we may implement the intuitive way to improvise a melody fitting to a chords which can be implemented directly and visibly in such an harp , as described below (see also post 262) 

FOR THOSE HARPLAYERS THAT ARE ALSO GUITAR PLAYERS AND MUST HAVE THE LEFT HAND WITHOUT FINGER NAILS, I HIGHLY RECOMENT THE PRORTUGUESE  GUITAR ARTIFICIAL NAILS LIKE THESE HERE

https://www.folkreps.com/product-category/artificial-nails/

Or the similar Alaska artificial finger nails

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2hlhMQI8fg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz-U1Zda1zI

Also one can make his own such convenient finger nails

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hbujx2fR4Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMCW1DUJvhs&t=1s


Similar the Celtic harp is the Celtic or Gauloise Lyra

The word Lyra is an ancient Greek word for a similar musical instrument, which nowadays has been lost in modern Greece, but the word survived for another small bowed instrument like viola or violin played on the knees as a cello

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02pg9V1ENL8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga_cpL9pRsA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmExqfKa1Uc

The Lyra can be chromatic also not only diatonic as the harp as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCgjKaLKZLc


Similar to the harp is the bandura

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or_Wp0tVHqU

It is quite strange how the harp makers have not added a a surface of wood at the upper part of the harp till the middle of the string that can serve as fretboard for each string , so that by taping the strings on the frets by the left hand (as in the guitar) and playing the string with the right hand (as in the guitar) add a chromatic dimension to the diatonic harp. 

Like some European zithers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg36K4VM3vY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxm2QK-ut_s

Or like e.g. the Chinese Guqin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlsev6ZepqE

There are a number of important arp players that play jazz and improvise with the harp that include Dorothy Ashby and Gunhild Carling and Edmar Castaneda


Dorothy Ashby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJjPBes9l50&t=97s

Gunhild Carling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8L4PJFW2iY


Edmar Castaneda (Colombia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi2K7qU85wI


The traditional folk music of canun (Greek word canon canonaki meaning rule or little rule) has techniques for playing that apply equally well essentially to the harp with levers. With the left hand are played the more bass notes and with the right the higher as in piano and as in Colombian and Paraguayan harp. In canun or canonaki music are changed also the little "levers"all the time.


Turkey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS3LafxrMIs

Greece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z1hzcT_HLY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APZBpStvKms

Similar instruments are the Finnish  Kantele

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDGlMLUKaEA

Or the Russian Gusli

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo8vDU3G12M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oeqo80UqShk


Chinese harp Kongou

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqT7nfXTp5c

Greek sanduri

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAevTODirfI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QPLPtjmYTk

Chinese zither : The Guzheng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujzMHLac404

AS IS THE CASE WITH ORGANIZATION STRUCTURES OF VARIOUS ORDERS OF DEPTH LIKE MUSIC AND ITS ORGANIZATION, THE IMPROVISATION CAN BE AT

 THE LOWEST LEVEL: 1) MELODIC ONLY 

AT A LOW LEVEL : 2) 2-VOICES OR PAIRS OF SIMULTANEOUS NOTES IMPROVISATION , 

AT A MIDDLE LEVEL: 3) CHORDS AND MELODY IMPROVISATION 

AND AT A HIGH LEVEL : 4) MORPHOLOGICAL REPETITIONS PATTERNS OF PARTS OF THE PIECE  IMPROVISATION



THE 5-NOTES CHORD-NEIGHBOURHOOD (5-chord) METHOD OF IMPROVISING OVER A TRIAD CHORD.  (see post 262) 



As we have mentioned before too, a criterion if a piece of melody is fitting to an underlying or accompanying chord is if at least 50% of the time of  the melody the notes of the chord are sounding. This is not the only criterion. Let us call it the 1st criterion. Actually this is a rather strict criterion. Another more loose criterion that we call here the 2nd criterion is that the intervals created by the notes oft he melody and the chord are more than 50% intervals of 3rds 4ths, 5thsor 8ths and larger rather than intervals of 2nds.

1) GENERAL METHOD Now if we utilize only 5 notes of the full chromatic 12-notes scale 3 of which are the notes of the triad chord X, then if we improvise a melody M which in the average stays about equal time to these 5 notes then according to the 1st criterion this melodic improvisation M fits the chord X. We call this the 5-notes methods of improvising over a triad chord.

2) THE CHROMATIC INSTANCE In particular, these 5 notes maybe the closure of the chord (see post 183 CLOSURE OF A CHORD OR VECTOR-CHORD VERSUS ARPEGGIO OF A CHORD FOR IMPROVISING OVER A CHORD) or vector-chord of the chord. This is a rather chromatic method of improvising over the chord it is best when the improvisation over a chromatic minor scale. As we mentioned if we improvise a melody M which in the average stays about equal time to these 5 notes then according to the 1st criterion this melodic improvisation M fits the chord X.

3) THE MELODIC INSTANCE Another method is the melodic method of  extending the chord X by a3rd lower of the root note and a 3rd higher of the highest note.  We make sure that the extended 3rds together with the inner 3rds of the chord are laternating major-minor 3rds E.g. if the triad chord is the major C-E-G, then we extend to the A-C-E-G-B, If the triad chord is the minor A-C-E we extend to the F-A-C-E-G. As we mentioned if we improvise a melody M which in the average stays about equal time to these 5 notes then according to the 1st criterion this melodic improvisation M fits the chord X.

SIMULTANEOUSLY OR CONSECUTIVELY IN TIME  MULTI-SCALE IMPROVISATION IN THE HARP 

When applying the improvisation method as in post 266, the change of the scale is done  gradually by altering some notes which in the harp means moving the levers to raise or lower by a semitone some notes of the scale.

If the harp has 3 or 4 or more octaves we may tune each or some of the octaves in different scales.

Because of the ordering of the strings it is impressive in the audio outcome to realize large intervals of notes with playing insequence and fast all intermediate notes of the scale in the interval , either up or down.

THE ANCIENT 1ST CIVILIZATIONAL GENERATION MELODIC TYPE OF  IMPROVISATION (see posts 265, 266) 

Here is about how improvisation was carried out in ancient times and is still carried out by the lovers of the 1st civilizational generation music (see post 265).

1) THE RHYTHMIC THEME  (A PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT) 

2) THE 5 OR 6 OR 7 NOTES SCALES

3) THE NOTES THAT THE MELODY STAYS MUCH LONGER (CENTERS THAT MAKE THE SIMPLICIAL SUB-MELODY)

IF THE CENTRAL  ENTITY IN HARMONY IS THE TRIAD CHORD THE CENTRAL ENTITY IN MELODY IS THE MELODIC THEME AND IN PARTICULAR THE OVERSIMPLIFIED VERSION OF SIMPLE MELODIC MOVE BY AN INTERVAL AS  TRACED IN SIMPLIFIED WAY BY THE SIMPLICIAL SUBMELODY. 

  The concept of centers of the melody (simplicial submelody) where the sound much longer than the other notes is essential.

In addition for every such chord or chord transition we may have a morphological rhythmic pattern E.g. A1 B1 B2 B3 or A1 A2 A3 B1 , which shows how the melodic theme is repeated or varied by translation inversion contraction/expansion and rotation-mutation.

Based on the above, the themes in the simplicial sub-melody as simple moves are of two polarities up (+) or down (-) and of three sizes Chromatic (symbol C) by intervals of 2nds, Melodic (symbol M) by intervals of 3rd and Harmonic (symbol H) by intervals of 4th, 5th, 8th or higher. Then the progression of the simplicial melodic themes in the song will have a symbolic form like E.g.

H(+)M(-)H(-)M(+)C(-)M(+)H(+).......etc

The translation/transposition  of a simplicial melodic theme retains its cahracter as chromatic , melodic or harmonic.
The inversion of a simplicial melodic theme inverses the + to - andthe - to +
The expansion/contraction of a simplicial melodic theme e.g. an expansion changes a chromatic to a melodic or harmonic and a melodic to an harmonic. A contraction changes an harmonic to a melodic or chromatic and a melodic to a chromatic.

4) ALTERING THE SCALE (by the levers) TO CREATE SCALES PROGRESSION (see e.g. posts 212, 213)

5) REPETITION PATTERNS IN THE  SCALES PROGRESSION

6) ISOCRATIC NOTES OR PAIRS OF STRINGS

7) NO UNDERLYING CHORDS AND NO  INSTRUMENT PLAYING ANY ACCOMPANYING CHORD.

THE GOLDEN LEVEL OF HARMONIC COMPLEXITY IN THE HARP : TWO STRINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY PLAYED IN INTERVAL OF 3RD.

For improvisations of the 1st generation of music as  in post 266, we may use pairs of strings an interval of  3rd away that in diatonic scales are always melodic intervals.We keep one bass pair with the left hand sounding alternating to the one of the right hand and always the same while with the right hand we move up and down not only steps  of 2nds but also of 3rds of such pairs. It is a simplistic harmony in between the single note melodies and the chord progressions. (see also post 257 and post 229) 


It seems that the golden level of complexity of harmony in the harp for scales more chromatic than the diatonic is the two simultaneous strings rather that the triad chord. In diatonic scale it is the triad chord.  The two simultaneous strings are by leaving a middle not played, creating thus most often in scales an interval of 3rd (major or minor).  We may play two such string with each hand , usually the one isocratic in other words constant repeating while the other chaning and create nice harmonic improvisation with string melodic character.

We may consider each double-voice pair of simultaneous notes as accompanying the lower note (happier accompanying) or as accompanying the higher note (less happy or a bit sad accompanying)

Pairs of simultaneous notes may be of interval of 2nds (chromatic) or of 3rd (melodic) or of 4th, 5th, 8th or higher (harmonic)

The expansion/contraction of a pair of simultaneous notes  e.g. an expansion changes a chromatic to a melodic or harmonic and a melodic to an harmonic. A contraction changes an harmonic to a melodic or chromatic and a melodic to a chromatic.


IMPROVISATION BASED ON CHORDS

Of course other methods of improvisation over diatonic scales that are based on chords are possible like

1) IMPROVISATION BASED ON THE MAIN TRIAD OF CHORDS 1-4-5 IN A DIATONIC MODE

2) CHROMATIC TONALITY BY INTRODUCING BLUE NOTED BY THE LEVERS OR THE GLISSANDO GLASS.

3) IMPROVISATION BASED ON A TRIAD OF HARMONIC PAIRS OF CHORDS (e.g. see post 215 )




For improvisation based on harmonic pairs of hords

See also post 203 and post 215

This is harmonic improvisation and parallel melodic improvisation much like the jazz Blues that are using 3 only chords I IV V, or improvisations as in Irish reels with 2 only chords or  improvisations as in Cretan condillies with 2 only chords. Also some folk songs of the Cape Verde with only 2 chords.

Here we have similarly the general rule of a scale of chords of 2 only chords . There 3 types of such pairs of chords HARMONIC PAIR (roots an interval of 5th or 4th away) , MELODIC PAIR (roots an interval of 3rd away) CHROMATIC PAIR (roots an interval of 2nd  away) . E.G. I it is X7 Y where the one is a 7nth chord and the second has a root which is an interval of 4th away from the root of the first chord it is an harmonic pair. .In other words the two chords are in the harmonic relation (see post  30 )   are successive in the wheel of 4ths.   The reason for this is so as to have in the subconscious a simple pattern in harmony (although with random variations from random sequences of these 2 chords)
Also another important reason is that the 2 chords define usually at least one diatonic or other scale which simplifies the melodic improvisation.

In a diatonic scale some choices for such a pair of chords could be

V7  I   (5M7  1M)   HARMONIC PAIR

I7 IV  (1M7  4M)   HARMONIC PAIR

vii  iii   (7dim  3m)  HARMONIC PAIR

iii7  vi  (3m7  6m)  HARMONIC PAIR

vi7  ii   (6m7 2m)  HARMONIC PAIR

ii7  V   (2m7 5M)  HARMONIC PAIR.

About the symbols: In a C major scale the symbols denote the next chords

I=1M=C

ii=2m=Dm

iii=3m=Em

IV=4M=F

V=5M=G

vi=6m=Am

vii=7d=Bdim

Such triads of harmonic pairs may be already in the 3 main relations Harmonic relation , Melodic relation and chromatic relation defined from the interval of the roots of the first chord of each pair.  

E.g. the triad of harmonic pairs vii  iii   (7dim  3m) ,  (3M7  6m), (6m7 2m) are in harmonic-harmonic-harmonic relations . While the triad of harmonic pairs

(6m7 2m) , (3M7  6m), (5M7  1M)  are in harmonic-melodic-chromatic relation.

All  6   combinations (the inverses not included) of such triads of harmonic pairs on the first pair are


HARMONIC-HARMONIC
HARMONIC-MELODIC
MELODIC-MELODIC
HARMONIC-CHROMATIC
CHROMATIC-CHROMATIC
CHROMATIC-MELODIC

ETC


By fixing particular pattern of permutations and repetitions of these 2 chords (as in variations of the rhythm and chord progressions in 12-bars blues) e.g.

X7 X7 X7 X7
Y Y X7 X7
X7 X7 Y Y

etc

we have the backtrack of an easy harmony to define with melodic improvisations.

The improvisation is spending most of the time between the elements of each harmonic pair by oscillating or alternating them and then after repetition is sufficient it moves to another harmonic pair staying again there sufficient ime. This is very common in early New Orleans Jazz songs.

Also the simplicial submelody of such improvisations will be fixed following the chord progression pattern.