12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 136
Date: 05/16/2013
Instrument: Tenor saxophone
Location: Choir Room at South Whidbey High School. Langley, WA (Whidbey Island)
Notes:
I found myself with an hour of open time during my teaching schedule today, and spent it practicing in the choir room at South Whidbey High School. I eventually came to a melodic/harmonic gesture that I decided to record as my improvisation today, but every time the tape was rolling a loud-speaker office announcement was made. After a couple of frustrating attempts, I decided to embrace the fact that my desire to record was in conflict with the reality of being in a school during the lunch hour. I made a decision that I would use the jarring interruption to my benefit, and decided that if it came on again I would abruptly abandon my pre-planed gesture and play freely for the full length of the announcement and then return to what I was focusing on. With this decision I almost welcomed the chance to try it.
This improvisation centers on a repetitive fingering system with five motions, the last of which dips down in pitch. By virtue of the fingerings there are many sonic possibilities easily explorable in the chosen cycle. Just as I accepted the inevitability of a loudspeaker announcement and worked with it, I also chose to accept the indeterminate sounds that would come out of my horn and build off of them.
The fingerings (with a root “focus” pitch)
1. D (quarter step sharp)
(Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys, Low C, Side F
2. G (quarter step flat)
(Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave, Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys, Low C
3. A (quarter step sharp)
(Left Hand) B-G keys, Octave, Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys, Low C
4. G (quarter step flat) Same as second fingering
(Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave, Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys, Low C
5. D (quarter step sharp) Same as first fingering. Dig down the pitch with embouchure movement.
(Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave Low B // (Right Hand) E-D keys, Low C, Side F
-Neil
The image “Portrait of Francis Bacon” by Lucian Freud (1956-57).