09/15/2015 Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation


Neil Welch Continuous Resonance Solo Project

Date: 09/15/2015
Instrument: Tenor saxophone
Location: Thornton Creek House. Seattle, WA

Notes:

I was inspired to record this improvisation after hearing a beautiful drone created from my downstairs neighborâs bathroom fan. In this improvisation the drone acts as more of a passive harmonic platform for me while I played pointillist pitches and multiphonic chords above it. The drone acts passively in the sense that it is so quiet by comparison to my own playing that its audible influence is only apparent to me during brief lulls in my playing.

The image My neck is thinner than a (1996-2001) accompanying today’s post by Walid Raad.

09/10/2015 Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation


Neil Welch Continuous Resonance Solo Project

Date: 09/10/2015
Location: Practice Room B at South Whidbey High School. Langley, WA (Whidbey Island)
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

I used my “walking trill” technique during this piece, where I rapidly alternate trilling a key open and closed with my index and middle fingers, in this case on the G# key in the right hand. During this piece I explored the disparity between static, held pitches and fluttering tones above the static pitch. I then began incorporating key clacking into the landscape by essentially using an overly aggressive technique in my fingering patterns and striking the keys much harder than necessary. At various points during the improvisation I also explored the tones created by the key clacking alone, and moved my right and left hands at different tempos to achieve various polyrhythms.

The image September (2005) accompanying today’s post by Gerhard Richter.

09/07/2015 Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation


Neil Welch Continuous Resonance Solo Project

Date: 09/07/2015
Location: Childhood home in Edmonds, WA
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

Todayâs improvisation focused on alternating multiphonic/split tone fingerings at various tempos and exploring combinations of tone color, rhythm and timbre. I would occasionally isolate melodic voices within the chords to play monophonic lines before returning back to a harmonic landscape.

The image “La remission des chutes (2012)” accompanying today’s post by Alain Huck.