12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 283
Date: 10/10/2013
Instrument: Tenor saxophone
Location: Home studio in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island)
Notes:
Today’s improvisation used a repetitive cycle with 3 fingering actions. The overall sound concept was derived from exploring the extreme elements inherent in only of those 3 actions. These fingerings were as follows:
Fingering 1 (Left Hand) Fork F, 2, Low C# (Right Hand) 1-2-3, Side Bb, Low C
Fingering 2 (Left Hand) Fork F, 2, Low C# (Right Hand) 1-2-3, Low C
Fingering 3 (Left Hand) Fork F, Low C# (Right Hand) 1-2-3, Low C
Fingering 1 (Left Hand) Fork F, 2, Low C# (Right Hand) 1-2-3, Side Bb, Low C
The sound shape that opens the piece uses the above three fingerings in the following order:
Fingering 1 (Left Hand) Fork F, 2, Low C# (Right Hand) 1-2-3, Side Bb, Low C
Fingering 2 (Left Hand) Fork F, 2, Low C# (Right Hand) 1-2-3, Low C
Fingering 3 (Left Hand) Fork F, Low C# (Right Hand) 1-2-3, Low C
Fingering 1 (Left Hand) Fork F, 2, Low C# (Right Hand) 1-2-3, Side Bb, Low C
Despite the heavy, quick movement of fingerings in this improvisation, the overall sound concept was taken from Fingering 2: Fingering 2 (Left Hand) Fork F, 2, Low C# (Right Hand) 1-2-3, Low C. This multiphonic has three distinct sound ares which became my point of departure for the entirety of the improvisation. I thought of the three sound areas as Low, Medium and High. The Low area included a split-tone chord between a Concert Db and D. The Medium area breaks into the upper-mid register with more brittle, colorful tones that included the lower Db and D. Finally, the High area created a variety of split-tones and overtones.
During this improvisation I kept these sound areas in my head at all times, but by cycling Fingerings 1-3, new chords and shapes were possible as well. My aim was to balance the 3 “pure” multiphonic sound areas from Fingering 2 along with the more interactive sound environment created by cycling all 3 of the fingerings. As the improvisation progressed, during more rapid passages I also began incorporating the Side C, and trill the G key in the left hand.
-Neil
The image “Huile sur toile” accompanying today’s post by Vladimir Velickovic (1974).