This book is for learning music composition and improvisation , based on more abstract mathematics of the music, the rhythm and the musical instrument and with new musical practice. It is a new awareness and method to link mental perception-images, the creation of feelings and finger actions. The true goal of composition and improvisation is the existential process of creating and listening it. It is both individually healing and socially celebrating.
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Thursday, February 3, 2022
405. THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSPOSITIONS AND MODULATIONS. ADOPTIONS AND RE-HARMONIZATION OF BLUES AND OTHER SONGS BY MODULATIONS
See also post 222 where the 7 modes are identified as 7 harmonic triads of chords and post 356, 402 and 205 , 215, 216 for compositions and improvisations based on harmonic triads of chords
Saturday, December 25, 2021
404. Improvisation on the fado guitar, tuned by overtones.
I have a fado guitar
(scale length 44 cm, thus a type of mandola-guitar) with 6 courses of strings.
I eliminated the double strings to be single thus it has 6 strings tuned by
overtones tuning to
G2-D3-G3-B3-D4-G4.
(and in degrees of a diatonic scale 1-5-1-3-5-1).
Therefore it is an open
tuning to G major scale. I have put white marks on the notes of the G-major
default scale across the fingerboard and for every string.
Because the fretbaord is at most 44 cm the improvisation is easy, and because the fado guitar has very bif sound box the sound is both sweet and strong.
The chords of the
scale appear as vertical simple patterns across the 6 strings. This is very
convenient and simple as we have all the scale and chords of the scale across
the fretboard in the right sequence of their roots in the scale. One octave is
of course the full 12-frets of the fretboard.
When improvising with
melodically (sequence of single notes) or harmonically (sequence of 3rds or
3-note chords) we follow the next geometrically and harmonically convenient
patterns
1) We go up and down a
single string with oscillations around notes for a purely melodic
improvisation, which is dictated purely from our emotional center over
the melody note by note. We utilize repetition of a pitch-order and rhythmic pattern that would bethe first melodic theme.
2) We do the same but with
double consecutive strings which make a major or minor interval of 3rds ,
pressing the fingers always upon the white marks,
3) We do the same but with
3 consecutive strings which make a 3-notes major , minor or diminished chord ,
by pressing the fingers always upon the white marks that define also the shape of the chord on these 3
consecutive strings,
4) We play 3-notes chords
triads, on 3 consecutive strings where the dominating relation among the
consecutive chords is being relative chords (minor-major with 2 common notes.
It is odd or even order of chords
5) We do the same but with
harmonic relations of the chords
6) We bridge two
consecutive chords with notes upon the white marks making leaks and leads
7) We pair 2 or 3
chords that are consecutive in the order of their roots in the scale (chromatic
relation of the chords) and bridge them with the melodic leads that interlink
them. There is at least one bridge for each of the 6 strings that link the 2 chords, as each chords spans with a simple a patterns among the 6 strings due to the tuning.
8) We interpolate very
often the open strings root chord
9) When we move in a melody
up and down we try moving horizontally (chromatic melodies ) and
vertically (harmonic melodies) with a proportion 1/3=33%, 2/3=66% respectively
10) We use blue notes of
the scale in the melodic improvisation , e.g. 7b, 5# , 2#, 5b , 1# etc.
11) We utilize the
diminished 3-notes chord , among 3 consecutive strings (the pattern is visible
at the 7 degree of the scale) and resolve to1 semitone or 1 tone up or down
nearest scale chord.
12) We utilize drone
melodies where one note that of the open string interpolated among any two notes
of the rest of the melody, in any string with the same order and rhythm pattern
and because of the tuning this a modulation of the melody on the 1,3,5 modes (Ionian,
Phrygian, Myxolydian) of the diatonic scale.
13) We may at the same time
as in 12) to play isocratically the root open chord or only the 6th 5th strings
that are 5th 1-5 while practicing the 12)
14) We start at the triad
of minor chords of the scale 2m, 3m , 6m and we gardually with bridging melodic
themes we shift to the triad of majors 1M, 4M 5M.
15) We play a chord of the
scale (usually the 1M, 4M 5M) which is across the 6 strings and simplest
pattern, but only partially each time 3 consecutive strings and the 3
other higher or lower on the same chord but asit changes octave and timbre
of the strings are heard as...different chords or at least radically different
voicings of the chords.
16) We play the andaluzian cadenza (6m, 5M 4M 3M) with melodic themes bridging the chords, (6 strings 6 bridges) we reverse to andaluzian ascenza etc.
17) Similarly we improvise over the triad of main chords 1M 4M 5M ) as in the 12 bars blues with links (6 strings 6 links or bridges) for each chord transition.
Thursday, November 25, 2021
403. THE SEVEN SYMMETRY TYPES OF RHYTHMS WITH TWO TYPES OF BEATS
Every such 2-types of beats rhythm can e represented geometrically when writingit as frieze pattern
Now there exactly 7 different symmetry groups of frieze patterns, thus also 7 symmetry groups of such rhythms
Saturday, November 20, 2021
402. REVIEW OF SIMPLE RULES TO COMPOSE A NICE MELODY WITH A CHORD PROGRESSION.
We
summarize here some simple rules to compose a nice melody after a chord
progression.
1) The rule to fit the melody to an underlying chord is that at least
50% of the time the notes of the melody that sound during the underlying
chord must be notes belonging to the chord.
2) The chord progression must be so that each melodic theme, has as
underlying chords 1, or 2 or 3, and this is the same time duration though out
the song Thus the chord progressions may be partitioned in to pairs or triads
of chords which are called melodic phrase chords. Each such pair or triad of chords is the local
"scale" on which the melody is running. Usually it is a good quality relation of chords e.g. harmonic, melodic or harmonic chromatic. The number 3 for the melodic theme cords is a critcal value as it defines also a mode (see post 222) and a diatonic scale, so that translations of the theme may be considered modulations (see post 405 ) in other words changes of the mode. After all , all 12-bars blues utlize for their melodic themes 3 chords which is neither poor harmony neither too complicated harmony .
3) It is good that each chord has duration of time unit or half or
double this time unit throughout the song. In other words the time duration of the
chords is a simple and not complicated numeric pattern.
4) The span-range of the melody with its highest note and lowest note is
a good simple chart for the emotions that go parallel to the height of the
notes of the melody.
5) It is good to create the melodic themes first from its centers , one per chord, so that the centers make the simplicial submelody, and then enhance it to the full melodic theme.
6) The main 4 variations here from melody theme to melody theme are of
course the translation-modulation over the chord, or pair or
triad of chords with which it is accompanied, the pitch or time
inversions, and the mutations, The expansions
contractions are much more rare. As the transaltion is the more often variation, this applies also to the melodic phrase chords. Therefore the relation of the melodic phrase chords amomg themselvs is important too and preferably they are also good quality like harmonic.
7) Topological concepts of the dynamics of the variations of the melodic
themes and the melodic themes themselves (Dolphin words) like cycle, up
move, down move etc are useful for creating corresponding
psychological feelings.
8) Morphology of the parts of the melody like "couple"=first verse
, "refrain"=resolving chorus are also useful in integrating the final
melody of the song.
After the above rules the creation of melodies after their harmony or chord progression is as easy as writing a text. We may call this method "Bach's method" . The reason it becomes easy is because we proceed from the simplicity to the complexity,and here the simplicity both in harmony and melody is the a) melodic phrase b) melodic phrase chords.
The above rules lead to the next 6 steps in composing a nice melody
1) CHOSE THE TYPE OF CHROMATIC-TONALITY HARMONY
2) COMPOSE THE CHORD PROGRESSION AFTER THE CHOSEN CHROMATIC TONALITY
3) PARTITION THE CHORD PROGRESSION TO SINGLETS, PAIRS, TRIPLETS ETC OF CHORDS THAT WOULD SUPPORT BRIDGING MELODIC THEMES
4) COMPOSE THE SIMPLICIAL SUBMELODY (A DEFAULT IS THE MIDLLE NOTES OF THE CHORDS) . For each partition segment of chords, the last note of the simplicial melody ofthe last chord is the main note of the simplicial submelody for this segment.
5) COMPOSE THE MOVE OF THE BRIDGING MELODIC THEMES BY THE TRIAD UP-DOWN-STATIONARY BY FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES OF BALANCE AND THE EMOTIONS OF THE UNDERLYING PARTITIONED SEGMENT OF CHORDS. ONE POLARITY FOR EACH PARTITIONED SEGMENT OF CHORDS. E.g. partition segments ending in minor chord may be down-moves and those ending in major chord an up-move. If we assume the x-axis the time and the y-axis the pitch (the simplicial submelody set as basic pitch zero level) we may symbolize a rhythmic melodic bridge with a flag. Glag symmetric to a vertical axis are melodic bridges with inverse rhythmic pattrn. So such arrangments of the melody are like geometric frieze patterns and their 7 types of symmetry (see link below) . Of course most melodies are asymmetric. Furthermore we may utilize the rule of melodic-cromatic scale alternation of melodic themes as described in post 421. In short we play a melodiv theme within the chord and in the melodic version of the scale (steps by alternating minor-major 3rds) and the chromatic version ofthe scale as bridge to the next chord.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieze_group
6) COMPOSE THE RHYTHMIC PATTERN OF THE BRIDGING MELODIC THEMES AND THEMSELVES TOO.
Here is an example of a paritioned chord progression with chords from 3 tonalities related harmonically (this is common inthe harmony of brazilian songs) e.g. C-F-G.
I have improvised at first these chords inthe ukulele,soI that i like them and make the necesary corections
The melodic phrase chords are 3 , and I write the chord progression so that each line is a traid of melodic phrase chords.
For simplicity all chords have the same duration
1st verse minor feeling, the translation of t he melodic theme is upwards. It is inthe tonalitis C and F (with harmonic minors)
Dm E7 Am
Gm A7 Dm
1st chorus resolution to a major triad, which is alower shift ofthe melodic theme
Bb C7 F
Here the next verse moves to the tonality G
E7 Am Am
B7 E7 Am
Again a chorus resolution to major triads of the toanlity G
C B7 G
Am D7 G
Chromatic shift to the 7nth degree of the toanlity G as a new verse
F#7 Bm Bm
B7 Em Em
And a resolution to tonal of G tonality
D7 G G
Now we add the simplicial submelody notes of the melody , one note per chord
We try it in a convenient instrument . I did so in the ukulelel and also on the digital ukulele (Geoshred) in the tablet. I try to whistle also threr simplicial submelody
1st verse minor feeling, the translation of t he melodic theme is upwards. It is inthe tonalitis C and F (with harmonic minors)
Dm (f5) E7 (g#4) Am (c5)
Gm (Bb5) A7 (c#5) Dm (f5)
1st chorus resolution to a major triad, which is alower shift ofthe melodic theme
Bb (d5) C7 (e5) F (a4)
Here the next verse moves to the tonality G
E7 (e5) Am (a5) Am (a4)
B7 (f#5) E7 (g#5) Am (e6)
Again a chorus resolution to major triads of the toanlity G
C (e5) B7 (d#5) G (b4)
Am (c5) D7 (f#5) G (g5)
Chromatic shift to the 7nth degree of the toanlity G as a new verse
F#7 (F#5) Bm (b4) Bm (b4)
B7 (f#5) Em (b5) Em (B5)
And a resolution to tonal of G tonality
D7 (d5) G (g4) G (g4)
Finally we write all these in a midi editor and and we enhance the simplicial submelody to an actually rhythmic melody with transition notes also outside the chords.
In this way it is as if we write a text first fromthe verbs then the subject and obkect ofthe verb and then the relations of the phrases.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Thursday, November 4, 2021
400. SIMPLICIAL SUB-CHORD-PROGRESSION BESIDES SIMPLICIAL SUB-MELODY IN IMPROVISATION
The simplistic invariant in our emotional subconsious is not only creating the simplicial sub-melody by the melody centers, but also the simplicial sub-chord-progression
E.g. when in diatonic scale we play a chord progression involving 1M , 2m, 3m, 4M 5M 6m , we may
realize that the 3 minors 2m , 3m, 6m, are lower relative chords ofthe 4M, 5M, 1M and so we actually may havea salternative well fitting also chord progression one that has only the 3 majors 1M, 4M, 5M. which can of course be called the simplicial sub-chord-progression.
An example is to try to improvise melodically on the next quite long piece of gypsu jazz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy9LiSeDQiU&t=412s&ab_channel=LewisLuongRelaxationCafe
It becomes after some time easy, because it is as if improvising over a simple chord progression involving only the 1M, 4M, 5M.