Improv July 22, 2005

[quantum]

I just got some new recording gear, and I was doing some testing.  This was only supposed to be a short test for the bass range of the piano, but I liked it so much I decided to go on and develop the material. 

To me it sounds like something out of a horror movie.

Unfortunatley my USB interface wasn't working right, there is a noticible amount of hiss in the recording and the hiss was still present with the mics completely unplugged.  The channels also didn't have equal amount of signal and in order to get equal signal the left gain had to be on 5 while the right on 10.  I suspected some problem with the interface unit itself, so I returned it and got a different model (recordings will be posted in the near future).

Anybody else in here using a Tascam US-122?

Comments on music, as well as the recording also welcome.

Mic: (2x) Studio Projects B1
Interface: Tascam US-122
Piano: Yamaha C3

Enjoy!

[Derek]

Yamaha C3? Cool! That's one of the models of piano we were considering purchasing. Its a very nice piano.

This does indeed sound like something out of a horror movie, in the final climactic scene where blood starts squirting out of everything and bursting through huge panes of glass in a sea of blood and stuff.

You sure like your coffee strong, don't you? Well, I generally prefer improvised atonality to composed atonality, I find it much more musical in general. I really like Jarrett's atonal passages; some of your playing reminds me of these.  And I suppose its not really strict atonality is it? There's just a lot of really "wicked" sounds in it. around 3:37 starts a really awesome passage...I like it a lot.

So I'm wondering, do you actually improvise on tone rows or have you simply built an intuition for really wicked improv sounds?

BTW this recording quality is really great. Once I get my Petrof Model III we'll see how this Edirol R-1 sounds.

[quantum]

Thanks for listening.  I'm not a coffee drinker but I guess my playing is sometimes caffine infused.  I see where you're comming from with improvised atonality, as it is usually not pure atonality but rather mixed with tonality to give greater harmonic language. 

I should really get myself to listen to some Jarrett, as I think in one of my previous posted improvs you also indicated a likeness to Jarrett. 

At times, yes I do improvise on tone rows, but this isn't one of them.  One thing that I always do when improvising is listening for themes or ideas that sound good, and when I find one I try to develop it.  I'm always on the lookout for new ideas, sometimes they come when practcing or just doodling on the keys.  Sometimes I hear something on recordings or movies that I like and try to imitate it on piano.  I also use the feel of the keyboard to inspire new ideas that would be unique to the piano. 

The particular technique I used in this piece, I think I picked up from scary or intense scenes in various films.  I like to call it "organized chaos".   The hands are constantly alternating, with only one note playing at a time.  I select a particular range on the keyboard - every range has it's own characteristics and different ranges can have very different overall sounds.  The hands constantly alternante but fall on random keys within the set range. 

The section you speak of at 3:37 is a borrowed minimalist technique.  I play around with hemiolas.  I play 4 in the RH and 3 in LH, it cycles and it repeats and after a number of cycles the pattern repeants again.  You can then add or subtract the number of notes independently for each hand

Eg:
RH 4, LH 3
RH 5, LH 3
RH 5, LH 4
RH 6, LH 4
RH 6, LH 5, etc.

By using this technique in addition to alternating between hands, you have the independent melodic lines of the RH, LH and resultant melodic line from combining RH and LH. 

I'm always on the lookout for wicked improv sounds, and when I find one I examine and develop it to it's fullest extent. 

Derek, looking forward to hearing your new Petrof.  Unfortunately I didn't have opportunity to try one in my search for a grand. 

[Derek]

Yes, in particular late on the first part of Jarrett's Vienna concert is a good example of the sort of playing of his that I am reminded of.

question: when you do this alternating hand technique for atonal improvisation, do you keep the pattern after you establish one or does it continue to be random? Interestingly I have employed this hand alternating technique when improvising my own atonal stuff. I haven't recorded too much of it but maybe I'll post some after I get this Petrof.

[quantum]

In this particular case most of it was random.  Here I was going for the overall sound, and I usually recact to the music I just played by constructing newer sections based on what was just played.  In several spots I decided to change the sound by altering the range where the random alternating pattern occurs.  There is however the exception at 3:37 where the randomness turned into an established pattern.

In other places I added another degree of polyphony by the short rhythimic motives higher in the RH.  There were instances of parallel chords based on 2 stacked Perfect 4ths, and a series of parallel Major/minor 2nds.