12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 102
Date: 04/12/2013
Instrument: Tenor saxophone
Location: Home studio in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island)
Notes:
My practice session today centered around cyclic patters with a consistent rhythm and fingering system that broke off into different sound-scapes. In this improvisation the rhythmic cycle is 1 2 3 4 5 (rest). It could also be interpreted by a listener as 1 e & a 2 (rest), though in the moment I thought of it as the former. My goal was to freely explore different rhythmic, harmonic and melodic cycles that would emerge by changing my embouchure and air flow rather than changing fingering systems. I tried to maintain a steady tempo, but there is a gradual slowing from start to finish in the piece that was unintentional.
The fingering cycle was as follows:
1. (Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave, Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys, High F#
2. (Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave, Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys (take away the High F#)
3. (Left Hand) B-G keys, Octave, Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys
4. (Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave, Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys (add back the A key)
5. (Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave, Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys, High F#
I focused on creating a variety of color at different levels of volume and mouth pressure. It’s also of note to say that I tried to free my mind of the rhythm cycle I was playing in. Since it was static, I instead tried to focus on the polyrhythms and melodic counterpoint within the sound-scapes.
-Neil