TECHNIQUES FOR LEARNING COMPOSITIONAL IMPROVISATION TEMPLATES

For these templates, one motive is presented in three different scales for

every key. The performance ideal is a kind of “written improvisation”, where

the eye moves randomly around the page playing what comes to hand, and also

randomly mixing and matching material between treble and bass clefs in a

system. The templates are designed so that everything in the bass clef of a

scale may be played effectively with everything in the treble clef of the

same scale. *

Because of the lack of measures key signatures persist through a scale, but

accidentals only apply to the attached note, and the corresponding clef.

Frequent courtesy accidentals are included, without parentheses to save

horizontal space. Knowledge of the included scales–especially the octotonic

due to frequent chromatic alteration of the key–will be invaluable in

reading these templates. The listed octotonic scale always begins with a

half-step (for C: the notes c, c#,d#, etc.).

Since these templates are not meant to be read in a linear fashion, certain

customary symbols have been left off: brackets, bar lines, beams, etc.

Ultimately, they are meant to be a mix and match affair. The treble clef

outlines the basic melodic cells in red, with idealized harmonizations in the

bottom voice in black. These idealized harmonizations are also shown in a

variety of rhythmic displacements to show the different possibilities

inherent in harmonic rhythm. The octotonic version of the melody has two

harmonizations; the first one dense, the last one simpler. Since the dense

harmonizations are ultimately more useful, they have been included first.

Reminder: all chords and motives may be played in any octave.

(See score for further information)