03/28/2013 (12 Moons Solo Project Day 87)

12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 87

Date: 03/28/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Location: Practice Room B at South Whidbey High School.  Langley, WA (Whidbey Island)

Notes:

A friend contacted me today about a piece of music I wrote a few years ago.  The composition, entitled “For Ann” was composed after learning about the passing of a close friend’s mother, Ann Stewart, a teacher, parent, wife and wonderful person who was also an important figure in my life growing up.  This naturally brought to mind the hardship in what must be a difficult daily reality for the family she left behind.  My improvisation today was once again inspired by Ann.

This improvisation uses a single fingering with a slight, trilled gesture throughout.  The fingerings is as follows: 

(Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Low B // (Right Hand) F-E-D keys, Low C.

In the left hand, the fork F key is also trilled, being opened only about 2/3.  Since the B key in the left hand must also be constantly held down, the middle and ring fingers must close the B, A and G keys, leaving the index finger free to trill the Fork F.  This finger and trilling system creates a very consistent Concert A major chord, with the A and C# trilling in the bottom, and a static E holding in the middle.  Embouchure and air exploration created melodies in the upper register, namely one particular gesture with the pitches C#-D-E-F#-E, among others.

I was careful to maintain as very quiet level of volume overall, as the chord wouldn’t fully speak at a level above mezzo piano.  I also worked to balance tones in the chord, crossfading specific notes in and out, and in general just remaining aware of my air flow and the sounds being created to remain open to working with shapes that the horn offered to me.

-Neil

03/27/2013 (12 Moons Solo Project Day 86)

12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 86

Date: 03/27/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

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

Notes:

This morning I worked on an exercise using subdivisions with note groupings of 6, 5, and 4.  A pair of sixteenth note triplets can be subdivided within the space of two eighth notes–as can 4 sixteenth notes subdivide within the space of 2 eighth notes.  However, a 5 note grouping cannot equally subdivide within the space of two eighth notes.   When I work on exercises that use a 5 note grouping over the space of 1 beat, I practice playing this phrase in time by simply using my ears.  However, today I sat down and tried to find some broader pattern within a 5 note grouping (and other prime numbers) that would allow me to practice it more efficiently, or at best, to understand this mathematical relationship more concretely in a musical context.  I had limited results, but it did inspire me to record a piece today that uses the mystical groupings of prime numbers.  

I decided to explore groupings with a number of notes using the following prime numbers: 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19.   I created a scale with a total of nine pitches, which in ascending order were: (Db, D, E, F, Gb, G, A, Bb, B).   For pitches above the number nine nine, I simply kept going up the scale using the same order of pitches and assigning each new number accordingly.  For the prime number 3, I played the third, second, and first note of the scale in repetition.  For the number 5, I played the fifth, fourth, third, second, then first degrees.  This pattern was followed up to the 19th scale degree, which again was played down to the first.  

Since I omitted the prime number 2, I decided to find ways to incorporate this integer.  Mid way through the piece I began placing 2 groupings together, with the following pattern:  3/7 //  5/11 // 7/13 // 11/17 // 13/19.  At all other points in the piece I played the note grouping in sequence: 3, 5, 7, 11, etc.  To break up the improvisation, I used a harmonic gesture that used 2 multiphonic chords in alternation.  I would play these two chords for an indeterminate length, then pause and repeat for a total of 4 times.  I then returned at the end of the piece to play this gesture for the 2nd time.  

-Neil

The painting “Brooklyn Bridge” accompanying today’s post by Joseph Stella (1917-18)

03/26/2013 (12 Moons Solo Project Day 85)

12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 85

Date: 03/26/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Location: Performance Hall at Chief Sealth High School.  Seattle, WA

Notes:

I’m fascinated by scales and their pure, evocative power.  Today I improvised a symmetrical 12 note scale that, to my ears, seemed to have a several sombre melodies within it.  At the heart of this scale I chose to explore a series of minor gestures with a repetitive, downward motion. 

The pitches used follow a b3, 2, 1 shape which is then transposed down a half step following each third pitch.  In concert key: Gb, F, Eb, D, C#, B, Bb, A, G, Gb, F, Eb.  The first three notes are identical to the last three, which in my performance none the less still represent a distinct element of the scale, not a repetition.  The minor b3-2-1 inner melody has a total of 4 iterations within the scale.  Each of these gestures could be interpreted as their own minor melodies, but to my ears the natural chromaticism that occurs after each third note lends itself to a somewhat unstable structure.  Despite the loose tonal center of the scale, the fact that the first three pitches are repeated again at the bottom created a framework of Eb minor as I performed the piece.

-Neil

The image “Self Portrait” accompanying today’s post by George Bouzianis

03/25/2013 (12 Moons Solo Project Day 84)

12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 84

Date: 03/25/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

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

Notes:

A point of interest for me is the exploration of loosely controlled elements that borderline on what could be considered noise.  As an instrumentalist I spend hours each day refining areas of my playing, from tone production to facility and repertoire.  Screaming through my horn, overblowing the mouthpiece and many other extended techniques create amazing textures that can be practiced and prepared.  In this improvisation I explored only moderate control over the execution of the sounds that came out of my horn.  But as with any offering of sound, there is so much that can be worked with and explored.

This is a borderline area for me, as I do not consider my music to be noise.  The mere act creating sound at all on the saxophone requires some degree of control, and therefore at the root level of sound there is some order.  However, in this piece my aim was to play specific kinds of gestures in a very intentional, yet overall less precise manner.  In this improvisation I explored the extreme ends of the sound spectrum.  When playing aggressively in this way, there is an incredible calmness in my body and mind.  It seems almost as if my artistic self can feel momentarily liberated from the ego that goes along with the study of an instrument. 

There were many repeated figures and melodies throughout this piece.  I continuously referenced an altissimo Concert Bb, that pitch being a note that requires a good deal of control to accurately play in any kind of repetition.  On the opposite side of this spectrum, the melody that I open the piece with is created with a much looser level of control.  There is actually a chromatic fingering system used, a consistent amount of volume and a common pitch that I trill at in the upper register.  However, the creation of this melody has more to do with a bludgeoning of air flow versus a calm control of it.  As for the pacing of the improvisation and the musical events that took place, I left these elements as indeterminate areas to unfold of their own accord.

-Neil

03/24/2013 (12 Moons Solo Project Day 83)

12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 83

Date: 03/24/2013

Instrument: Soprano saxophone

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

Notes:

This morning I woke early feeling rested and hopeful, with that initial pulse of energy that can happen on a new day.  I decided to record immediately and capture a joyful, dance-like improvisation to welcome this feeling.  That joyful spirit in me on these days can evolve so differently from the dawn to dusk, and I decided to capture this feeling to spur it’s growth and ward off its decline.

I quickly decided on a fingering and tackled this improvisation using a familiar improvisatory technique.  If I’ve decided my ultimate compositional goal, in this case to create a dance-like improvisation, to achieve this I will often begin with longer, sustained tones to establish order and control in my mind and body.  I then feel more invested in the music and my mind becomes able to create more diversity of sound.  I used the following fingering:

(Left Hand) Fork F and C keys, Low Bb and Octave // (Right Hand) F-E-D keys.

The first half of the composition I view as precersure material–a free improvisation that allows me to learn and grow, with the second half being the ultimate improvised composition.  The fingering allowed a concert key Eb to Bb perfect fifth drone to sustain throughout the piece.  I immediately recognized that the gesture Bb–Eb–F in the upper register would become my melodic fulcrum.  As the piece evolved I began, slowly at first, to open and close the Octave and G keys, low F and Fork F keys.  I eventually entered the compositional section by creating several recurring loops of sound with specific notes trilling in repetition.  Near the two thirds point in the improvisation I began opening and closing the fork F key fully, which began forcing the upper octave Concert Bb to pulse louder than surrounding material.  

-Neil