04/08/2013 (12 Moons Solo Project Day 98)

12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 98

Date: 04/08/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Location: Home studio in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island)

Notes:

I spent a portion of the day reviewing my notations on small intervals chord clusters.  I’m in the process of committing to memory the fingering systems to all the split tone chords I’ve discovered so far.   This inspired my improvisation today, which covered a total interval span of less than a minor third, in ascending order from a middle octave concert Bb. 

There are 6 fingerings used in this improvisation.  In the tenor key, the root of each two-note chord is as follows: C, C#, D quarter step flat, D, D quarter step sharp, Eb.  The interval distance in each chord does not exceed a half step, and in a few cases each chord has tones that are only slightly larger than a quarter step.  My aim during this improvisation was to create small pockets of energy that lasted no longer than a single breath would allow.  Each chord was therefore only played once, and I punctuated space between the chords with a short amount of silence.  

Because of the nature of playing these chords, there’s a great variety of waves created even within a single two note pair.  Each chord is therefore naturally unsteady, and I explored this unsteadiness and the silent punctuations between them to create the illusion that the chords had not changed at all, just evolved in sound a bit.  Even when played directly against one another the change in pitch is so slight and gradual from chord to chord it’s difficult to hear the ascending shape at all, and particularly so when silence is used between them. 

-Neil 

The image “America (Burnt/Unburnt)” by artist Claire Fontaine (2011).

04/07/2013 (12 Moons Solo Project Day 97)

12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 97

Date: 04/07/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Location: A hallway inside the Comcast Arena.  Everett, WA

Notes:

This afternoon I found myself in a very peculiar setting.  These days my artistic energy is devoted to my own work and those closely associated to me.  I had a performance tonight playing Duke Ellington music with the Everett Philharmonic Orchestra.  In between the afternoon rehearsal and evening performance, I had a free hour that I dedicated to my improvisation recording.  The event was held in the Comcast Arena, which looked as though the space itself was the exact personification of that company.  The walls were painted a gravely color, with paneled ceilings and muted industrial carpet.  The entire complex was sparkling clean with not an unnecessary object in sight.  In fact, in the long, silent hallways I couldn’t find even a chair or moveable garbage can to set my microphone on.  This sterol, controlled environment was so different that anything I experience on a daily basis, I became greatly inspired to record a response piece to the space itself.  

During this improvisation I worked with pliable false-fingerings and double tonging.  The particular style of double tonging in this piece usually creates sores on the tip of my tongue the next day, and because of the discomfort I generally reserve it for the right moments.  While double tonging with the tip, I cup the middle section of my tongue and move side to side, back and forth across the tip of the reed.  My level of volume was medium to loud overall, and I tried to create a center of harmonic action that had a climbing chromatic affect as the improvisation took shape.  I went in between moments of controlled fingering cycles to pockets of energy on a few different pitches, to screaming into my horn.  I maintained the double-tonging from start to finish.  

-Neil

12 Moons Day 97 and 98 postponed until Tuesday night

12 Moons Day 97 and 98 will be postponed until Tuesday night because of technical difficulties.

I should be up and running then. And look at the bright side, you’ll have 3 to listen to in one day! Now off to record…

04/06/2013 (12 Moons Solo Project Day 96)

12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 96

Date: 04/06/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Location: A private residence in Everett, WA

Today is the first day of the project that I’m recording and uploading while away from home for the weekend.  I’ve had small amounts of time to practice spread throughout the day, and the inception for this piece grew out of a brief but productive bit of time on the horn.  In this improvisation I aimed for a joyful quality, with centers of tonality that lay within two multiphonic chords.  I set out during this piece expecting to explore these two chords with more a stable, unwavering quality.  Quickly after beginning the piece I mistakenly trilled one of the chord shapes, which then became my center of interest.

The two multi phonics are major chords and complementary in tonality.  The fingerings are as follows:

Multiphonic 1.  (Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave // (Right Hand) E-D keys.  The Low B, and/or octave key is trilled at will.

Multiphonic 2.  (Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave // (Right Hand) F-D keys, Low C.  The alternate F# is trilled at will.

While trilling and holding out the multiphonic chords there is melodic movement that takes place.  In the tenor key, Multiphonic 1 moves between a high D and high C#, low A and G, and an F# is maintained as a drone.  In Multiphonic 2, the high octave F moves to an F#, and the middle octave C# moves to a D.  I approached these two chords as the main, consonant base of action.  As the piece evolved I began to fracture out from the two chords to begin trilling shapes that stepped outside the established key centers.

-Neil