03/16/2013 (12 Moons Solo Project Day 75)

12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 75

Date: 03/16/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

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

Notes:

The blues is on my mind tonight, and for this improvisation I decided to work with a patient, calm spirit I explored in my first month on this project.  

I chose a slow pulse in a four beat cycle, with two pitches as the foundation.  The pitches are a concert E and a concert G.  I depressed the Low C key for both notes, and when playing the concert G I would also leave the F# depressed as well.  In specific repetitions of the melody I began to quickly open and close the low D keys as well, opening the sound field to include clicks, clacks and overtones to accompany the melody.  

When the improvisation began I used little or no tongue at all, but as the volume begins to climb the tongue becomes more essential in escalating the energy of the piece.  About two thirds the way into the improvisation I began articulating harder and blowing more air while opening and closing the low D key.  This began to pull out the gritty overtones and wails that become introduced with the melody.

-Neil