12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 125

Date: 05/05/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

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

Notes:

I recorded just after dawn this morning, on a clear, bright morning. I decided to work with complimentary multiphonics mixed with tempered pitches to create a chord progression and melody. I recorded several interpretations of this improvisation before finding the correct interpretation that met my mood on this bright new day. The improvisation centers on 3 primary sounds (in the tenor key) : a low F#, F#/C# multiphonic, and a D/E multiphonic. I used the bottom most F# tone as a springboard for action, and the two multiphonics above it as the harmonic accompaniment.

There was an intuitive central pulse to the piece, which was the rhythm 1–e(&)–a, however I viewed the first beat as being extremely malleable in time and phrasing and would bend it throughout the improvisation. I would articulate this low F# at will, often following the model of slow to fast articulation. The minor 3–2–1 melodic phrase with the pitches A–G#–F# was added more as an ornamentation to the overall gesture.

The fingerings in the tenor key were:

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

Notes: F#

(Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave, Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys

Notes: F#, C# (Quarter step sharp)

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

Notes: D (Quarter step sharp) E

The pitches A-G#-F# were fingered with traditional fingerings.

-Neil