324 IMPROVISATION ON FRETLESS STRINGS WITH THE 3 GENDRES OF ANCIENT GREEK TETRACHORDS

To make this improvisation one needs a fretless strings isntrument like a ud, cello, viola, violin etc
The one must kow the 3 basic ancient greek music 4-chords

1) The diatonic gendre 4-chord which is in semitone intervals the pattern 2-2-1 (and all  permutaions of it)
It is suposed to reflect balanced feelingsof joy or sorrow

2) The enharmonic  gendre 4-chord which is in semitone intervals the pattern 4-1/2-1/2 (and all  permutaions of it)
It is suposed to reflect feelings of joy. The 1/2 semitone in the cello fingerboard is about one mail finger width

3) The chromatic  gendre 4-chord which is in semitone intervals the pattern 1-3-1 (and all  permutaions of it)
It is suposed to reflect feelings of sorrow.

When we improvise we just  put consecutivlly a repetitive combination  of  the previous 3 patterns
(2-2-1), (1-3-1), (4-1/2-1/2) in which ever combination and permutation our feelings indicate.
Each 4-chord  can be played with our 4 fingers of the left hand.

Of course we may improvise as well with chord-terrachords, in other words 4 notes having totla sum in intervals a pure 5th (7 semitones) and including 3 notes of minor , major  chord. See post 325

E.g. the next 10 4-chords:
major: 2-2-3
minor: 3-2-2 ,
major 4-1-2 ,
major 4-2-1 ,
minor 3-3-1 ,
 minor 3-1-3
major 3-1-3 ,
major 1-3-3 ,
minor 2-1-4 ,
minor 1-2-4 

323. THE BEST WAY TO LEARN THE FRETBOARD OF ANY OPEN (OVERTONES) TUNING.

See alo post 13 for learning the fretboard ofthe guitar

When having many string instruments it is more wise to have different tunings too. Especially if we utilize a digital (midi controller) fretbaord that supports practically any tuning, it is a need to have a unified and efficient way to learn fast the fretboards of any tuning and in particular open (overtone) tunings that sound better and have an umderlying unity in their pattern.

THE BEST WAY TO LEARN THE FRETBOARD IN ANY OPEN TUNING (E.G, OVERTONES TUNINGS OR E.G. THE  TUNING IN THE POST   ) IS BY CONCEIVING THE FRETBOARD AS OF A DIATONIC INSTRUMENT, MARK THE DEFAULT PREFERED DIATONIC SCALE ON THE FRETBOARD, AND LEARN THE 3-NOTE CHORDS NORMAL FORMS (ON 3 CONSECUTIVE STRINGS) IN THIS SCALE AND TUNING.

THEN FIGURE OUT THE BASIC 3 INVERSIONS OF A TRIAD CHORD (EQUIVALENT TO THE DEA-SYSTEM) AND CORRESPOND TO EACH INVERSION D, OR E OR A,  THE MODE OF THE DIATONIC SCALE THAT IT GIVES. 

THEN LEARN THE MINOR CHORDS HARMONIC TRIPLET OF CHORDS AND MAJOR CHORDS HARMONIC TRIPLET OF CHORDS OF THE DIATONIC SCALE WITH ANY CONVENIENT INVERSION ON THE FREBOARD.

I use this method to play all over the fretboard on the next tunings. Because an open tuning is a chord, all the tuning below have almost isomorphic placements of harmonic triads of minor or major chords of the diatonic scale with their 3 inversions around each normal form triad chord of the diatonic scale on the fretboard. We will enlarge with diagrams on it.

I have usually the next tuning on my string instruments

1) Standard guitar tuning and ukulele (Venezolano cuatro) tuning 4-3M-4

2) Cavaco (Brazilian  cuatro)  tuning 4-3M-3m

3) 1st overtones tuning 5-4-3M-3m-4 (as in post 191 and 301) for 6 strings, or less

4) Troll or Black mountain or Calico open tuning 5-4-3M on 4 (courses) strings instruments (see post 301)

5) Inverted  ukulele tuning   5-6m-5 on 4 (courses) strings instruments as in post 308

6) 5th overtones open tuning 4-3M-3m-4-5 as in post 301, for 6 strings or less
For less than 6 strings we keep the higher part of the tuning so as to have the interval of 5th at the two highest notes E.g. for 4 strings it would be 3m-4-5

7) 6th overtones tuning 5-4-3M-4-5 as in post 301, for 6 strings or less. It is a balanced tuning  as far as major-minor triads is concerned and it has also the very interesting inverse  4-5-6m-5-4 . 

8) The alternating minor-major 3rds of harmonic guitra tuning 3m-3M-3m as in post 164 for 6 strings or less and in particularthe panduri tuning 3M-3m for 3-course string instruments 

We enlrage more on this.

322. THE BASIC CHROMATIC TRIPLET OF CHORDS OF ANY MODE OF THE DIATONIC SCALE

We cannot stress much the importance of triads of chords (but also of notes intervals and scales) in improvisation.

A good application is to realize that as a diatonic scale is characterized as chords on the wheel by 4ths by its 3 chords on the steps 1M, 4M , 5M  (harmonic triplet of chords) ,  OR 7d 1M 2m (chromatic tripler of chords) the same can apply for the modes of the diatonic scale.

Besides the basic harmonic triplets (in other words a sequence of 3 chords X1,X2,X3 so that X1-X2 , X2-X3 are harmonic relations od chords, in other words chords that their roots differ by an interval of 4th (5th)) , there are also the chromatic triplets (in other words a sequence of 3 chords X1,X2,X3 so that X1-X2 , X2-X3 are chromatic relations od chords, in other words chords that their roots differ by an interval of 2nd). BOTH  ARE BASIC TYPES OF TRIPLETS. In other words with the 3 CHORDS OF THE TRIPLET WE CAN ACCOMPANY ANY MELODY IN THE DIATONIC SCALE. WE CANNOT HAVE THIS PROPERTY OF BEING HARMONICALLY A BASE OF 3 CHORDS FOR MELODIC TRIPLETs (in other words a sequence of 3 chords X1,X2,X3 so that X1-X2 , X2-X3 are melodic relations of chords, in other words chords that their roots differ by an interval of 3rd) 

The chords of a mode of a diatonic scale at the steps 1,4,5 (or 7,1, 2) of it characterize its mood.

For example for the mixolydian mode of the diatonic scale from C ,(G, A, B , C, D, E, F, G) the chords at the steps 1,4 ,5 are the G, C, Dm) thus the 1, 2, 5 or I, ii, V of the original ionian and are the base of blues jazz.


Based on this perception, the 7 modes of the diatonic scale have the following chord triads:

(that is chords on their 1st 4th and 5th step, and we symbolize by m=minor M=major d=diminsihed.

1. IONIAN  :  CHROMATIC TRIPLET (7d, 1M, 2m)
2. DORIAN  :  CHROMATIC TRIPLET (1M, 2m, 3m )
3. PHRYGIAN : CHROMATIC TRIPLET(2m,3m, 4M)
4. LYDIAN:  CHROMATIC TRIPLET(3m, 4M, 5M)
5. MIXOLYDIAN: CHROMATIC TRIPLET (4M, 5M, 6m)
6. AEOLIAN:  CHROMATIC TRIPLET (5M, 6m, 7d)
7. LOCRIAN:  CHROMATIC TRIPLET (6m, 7d, 1M)

We may compare the basic chromatic triplets with the basic harmonic triplets (see also post 222)

1. IONIAN  :  HARMONIC TRIPLET (1M, 4M, 5M)
2. DORIAN  : HARMONIC TRIPLET (2m, 5M, 6m)
3. PHRYGIAN : HARMONIC TRIPLET (3m, 6m, 7d)
4. LYDIAN: HARMONIC TRIPLET  (4M, 7d,1M)
5. MIXOLYDIAN: HARMONIC TRIPLET  (5M, 1M,2m)
6. AEOLIAN: HARMONIC TRIPLET (6m, 2m, 3m)
7. LOCRIAN: HARMONIC TRIPLET  (7d, 3m, 4M)


Besides these 2 types of basic triplets we have also a 3rd type X1 X2 X3 , where X1-X2 is a chromatic relation and the X2-X3 is an harmonic relation or vice versa. We may call them the mixed
basic chromatic-harmonic triplets. E.g.  the basic triplet that is used sometimes in blues 1M 2m, 5M , is such as 1M-2m have chromatic relation while 1M-5M harmonic relation.

To convert a basic harmonic triplet to another chromatic or mixed basi triplet we utilize correspondences where we correspond each of the 3 main major chords of the diatonic scale with their lower minor relative and the 5M7 with the 7d. Therefore

2m<->4M
3m<->5M
6m<->1M
7d<-> 5M7

The same arguments may apply for the chromatic tonality where some of the mnor chords become major and some of the major chords minor. E.g. We have the harmonic triplet (3M7, 6m ,2m ) of the frygian mode and the harmonic triplet (7M7-3M7-6m) of the Locrian mode which are combined with the more standard harmonic triplets of the diatonic tonality of the dorian mode (2m-5M7-1M) or the myxolydian mode (5M7-1M7-4M) .

For  alternative basic chromatic triplets of the chromatic tonality (that corresponds to the harmonic minor and double harmonic minor) we have the triplets (we notice that thsi type of chromatic tonality gives for the basic chromatic triplets, cases of 2 major chords and one minor, thus the major chords are dominating!)


IONIAN MODE: 7M-1M-2m
DORIAN MODE: 1M-2m-3M
FRYGIAN MODE: 2m-3M7-4M
LYDIAN MODE: 3M-4M-5M
AEOLIAN MODE: 5M-6m-7M
LOCRIAN MODE: 6m-7M-1M

321. THE TECHNIQUE OF GHOST CHORDS IN CREATING MELODIC LINES ACCOMPANIED BY A CHORD AND THE NOTES OF A SECOND OR 3RD GHOST CHORD AT AN INTERVAL OF 2ND , 3RD OR 4TH CLOSE TO IT

THE TECHNIQUE OF GHOST CHORD IN CREATING MELODIC LINES ACCOMPANIED  BY A CHORD BY UTILIZING THE NOTES OF THAT CHORD AND THE NOTES OF A SECOND GHOST CHORD AT AN INTERVAL OF 2ND OR 3RD OR 4TH CLOSE TO IT (CHROMATICALLY OR MELODICALLY  OR HARMONICALLY RELATED  CHORD)

We have discussed in other posts (see e.g. post 92 ,103 ,104, 183 and 364) the concept of chromatic or diatonic closure of a 3-notes chord  or vector chord and how we can create melodic lines accompanyed by this chord with notes also from the other notes of the closure oft he chord.

Here we modify a little this technique and instead of utlizing the closure of a chord (e.g. instead of utilizing the [CM]=c-d-e-f-g, which is the closure of the chord CM=c-e-g in the C major diatonic scale) we utilize  the neigbor chord  Dm=d-f-a or Bdim =b-d-f.  We may call it ghost-chord. But very often this  chord is the next or the previous in the chord-progression of the song. We may also use 2 ghost chords the first a 2nd away and the second a 3rd away in t he same direction. In this way at each note ofthe initial chord is shapeb a threechord (3notes subscale). 

It may even better be a relative chord (roots a third apart) in other words in a melodic relation to the basic chord, or a chord that the root is a 4th or 5th away, in other words in harmonic relation with the original.  Obviously if the ghost chord is in melodic relation with the original, we utilize melodic themes inside three-chords over the notes ofthe original chord. If the ghost chord is in harmonic relation with the original, we utilize melodic themes inside tetrachords over the notes of the original chord. It is instructive of course to notice which tetrachords appear between the current chord and the ghost chord (see post 364).

The most obvioys choice of the ghost chord is  the previous or next chord from the current in the chord progression. and the 2nd ghost chord thr relative chord a 3rd away in the same direction. 

Each order of notes in normal position of  the two chords (1st, 2ns, 3rd etc) define corresponding intervals (di-chords) , three-chords and tetrachords , where the melodic  themes take place. (See also  post 364). 

It is quite obvious that when the ghost chord has a melodic relation (roots at a distance of interval of 3rd) the melodic themes are easier harmonized with the current chord because the 2 of the three notes ofthe three-chord are most often already inside the current chord.

In order to have that the final melodic theme will be still harmonizable by the initial chord (in the example the C major) it is required a timing and rhythm that gives at least 50% of the time of the melodic line to be of the notes of  the initial chord.

This technique sounds even better if in the chord progression of the song, the previous or the next chord of the Cmajor is the  Dm or the Bdim. But this is not necessary in general.

It is obvious that this technique can be used when we want the melodic line to be accompanied by 2 or 3 chords as in post 313 , we just apply it for each part of it that it is accomapnied by one of t he 2 or 3 chords.

We should remark that for hexatonic-scales harmonicas, that the blow row gives one chord and the draw raw another chord thiw techniques occurs naturally as we improvise in the harmonica, but we stay longer in the blow row or longer in the draw row.

We may create such nice loops, of 2  chords and parallel melodic themes with arpeggiator application in ipad like chordion, dot melody, arpeggist , fugue machine, ioniarics polyrhitmic arpeggiator etc (see post  12 )

320. THE UBIQUITOUS MIDI CONTROLLER MOGEES TRIGGERED FROM SOUNDS BY ANY EVERYDAY SUROUNDING OBJECT

An astonishing and brilliant idea to create a completly  any-hardware midi controller is the idea of MOGEES.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGbyFxw3-pY

The astonishing part of the experience in playng with the Mogees is that the human subconsious is tricked to think that the sounds listened are created by the hiting of simple surounding everyday objects (which of course would be a very nice bautification of our material world). 

This is not really the case. The microphone is not filtering the physical sound recorded by the little microphon neither it transforms it . It simply corresponds to it  ,arbitrarily and by user preset method ,other stored musical digital sounds or sample musical sounds.
It corresponds natural hitting sounds mainly to digital (mainly hitng ) sound. 
herefore because of the nature of natural surrounding objects sound as mainly hitting sound and the corresponding digital sound mainly of drums , percursions or metalophones , or string plucked instruments, the character of this midi controller is closer to percursion instrument or at best plucked string instrument.

Neverthless the idea is brilliant. The four free software applications that come in ipad and iphone with the mogees microphone (mogees play , mogees pulse , mogees keys , mogees maestro) are also very nice and creative, and can be used as an excellent method to practice musical improvisation and composition.

In the next video, we see how by combining the Mogees keys, with garageband we can improovise and compose music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc0P8KcVFhU


The improvisational composition here utilizes

1) A loop with drums
2) An improvised and recorded loop with bass
3) An improvised and recorded arpeggio loop (of 3 notes and translated in two places) with a melodic instrument
4) An improvised and recorded chord progression loop (here 2 chords only)
5) A finishing improvised and recorded arpeggio of  6 notes.













https://www.mogees.co.uk/

319. THE DIGITAL WHISTLE AND MIDI CONTROLLER WARBL

A peculiar and very intersrting digital wind instrument oriented to theIrish wistles and bag-pipes music is  the WARBL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCUeQ2b5Lzk&t=260s

I assess the new digital music instruments and software fromthe degrees of freedmon the allow to the player.

The warbl does not allow yet for any possible tuning of any note on any of its virtual holes=buttons, but the designer has written that he will consider it  in the future.

What I like in warble is that it is based on the simple fingering system ofthe irish whsitle of 6-front +1 thump hole which is also the universal smartest fingering system of all folk direct flutes among any continent.

Unfortunatly some digital wind instrumenst are based on the fingering system of the saxophone, or recorder , or clarinet, or Bohm flute which are not the smartest and most ergonomic possible for a wind instrument. But not the warbl. The Warbl is  based on the smartest posssible fingering system the irish whistle. Of course it supports other fingering systemsl ike that of recorder and native american flutes etc as well.

An interesting feature of the warbl is that the bending of the notes and partial holing is not supported by any sliding special button as in other digital wind instruments but by optical sensor by the distance of  the finger from the hole.

The current design state of the warbl (2020)  supports only 2 octaves with the tumb hole and 3 by utilizingthe right thumb and an additional button. But the designer has written that it will give it 3 octaves inthe future only with the left hand thumo button.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Azof-JJxLk

317. THE DIGITAL HARMONICA DM48

As far as I know till 2020 there is only one digital harmonica in the market and thsi si the

Swedish digital DM48 harmonica


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwgIAFOnJVs&t=16s


I assess the new digital music instruments and software fromthe degrees of freedmon the allow to the player.

And on this the DM48 is an ecxellent score as it is the only digital wind instrument and midi controller that I know which allows for any possible tuning  on the holes a s blow and draw, plus slider shift.


I have configured it to my sensitivity and it is even more sensitive compared to the usual hardware harmonicas , with less impedance and plow pressure.

Because the DM48 is a midi controller triggering notes by the breath pressure , it is still an excellent tool for excercising the breath and having high emotional involvment while playing because of the breath.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZpAqeLyiIs