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. ALAO ARPIO AND ARPEGGIONOME FOR GENERAL ARPEGGIOS ALTERNATED WITH MELODIC IMPROVISATIONS
When creating improvisational variations, we must start from the simple and proceed to the more complicated.
And the simple in a song is the chord progression. The corresponding simplicity in the melody is the simplicial sub-melody as defined in various types of it (melodic harmonic , chromatic etc) in previous posts.
The next level of simplicity is of course the progression of simplicial melodic moves or melodic themes as defined in post 282, which is also called the "Dolphin words".
Once these levels of simplicity are defined and remain invariant, the rest of the variation is creating connecting and transient notes, between them (the notes of the simplicial sub-melody and the notes of the simplicial move-themes) which can be quite arbitrary, without spoiling the compatibility of the melody with the chord progression and which will create an improvisational variation of the melody.
An excellent example is the well known song Petite Fleur by Sidney Bechet in G major scale.
We will utilize only the simplicial submelody not the simplicial melodic moves in this song .
The chord progression (simplified) is the next
C->B7->Em->F#->B7
C->B7->G->Am->G->Am->Em->F#->B7
C->B7->Em->F#->Em->E7->Am->D7->G
C->B7->Em->F#->Em->E7->Am->D7->G
A less simplified chord progression would be the next
C->B7->Em->F#->B7
C->B7->(D7)->G->Am->(D7)->G->(B7->Em)->Am->(B7)->Em->(C)->F#->B7
C->B7->Em->F#->(B7)->Em->E7->Am->D7->G
C->B7->Em->F#->(B7)->Em->E7->Am->D7->G
And with the simplicial sub-melody notes in parenthesis (one note per chord of the simplified chord progression) it becomes
C(c)->B7(b)->Em(g)->F#(f#)->B7(b)
C(c)->B7(b)->G(d)->Am(c)->G(b)->Am(a)->Em(g)->F#(f#)->B7(f#)
C(c)->B7(b)->Em(g)->F#(f#)->Em(e)->E7(d)->Am(c)->D7(c)->G(b)
C(c)->B7(b)->Em(g)->F#(f#)->Em(e)->E7(d)->Am(c)->D7(c)->G(b)
Now any convenient linking notes between those of the simplicial sub-melody that we feel we like to play within the rhythm will create an improvisational variation of the melody.
Other examples are in Cretan mandinodies (kondilies) . In such cases because the chord progressions is very short of two only chords, the successful layer of simplicity that will remain invariant is the simplicial melodic moves.
Other examples are in Cretan mandinodies (kondilies) . In such cases because the chord progressions is very short of two only chords, the successful layer of simplicity that will remain invariant is the simplicial melodic moves.
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 , HARMONICA VIOLIN, WINDS 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 rest 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 partition of the types 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.
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 rest 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 partition of the types 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), but also a violin (especially marked at a particular diatonic scale, so that we can identify chord-triad shapes on it after a convenient tuning) and finally also on a diatonic wind.
