(no subject)
Kaare Albert Lie (kalie@sn.no)
Sun, 20 Oct 1996 14:32:48 +0200
>I am talking not just about changing the values of the notes or the
>accents but rather whole new melodies played over the basic chord
>structures. The notes are in the scale of the original tune but they
>are scrambled to produce something like a counter melody, not written
>down, but just made up on the spot. In other words, I play the "head"
>twice, then I make up new melodies based on the same scale and keep
>doing this until I think I have played out all that I feel I have in me
>at that time and then I head back to the basic "head" and play it out
>one more time. I know I can do this and create musically interesting
>stuff, but did people like Bach and Turlough O'Carolan do similar sort
>of things when they played in non-formal settings? In public
>performances, too? Or have such public performances been restricted to
>the "notes on the page?" (I am putting it in quotes because obviously
>O'Carolan did not read printed music.)
I am sure they did. Who can stop a good musician from having some fun? Go=
ing
a little further back, to Marin Marais, Thomas Simpson and those guys - t=
hey
were expected to do this. Just look at those endless variations on the
Folia, for instance. The bass pattern (chord sequence) is very simple - b=
ut
those guys really were able to wring an endless string of musically
interesting things out of it. And have a look at the manuals of
improvisation, for instance those by Diego Ortiz and Thomas Simpson. Thes=
e
books give lots of suggestions and methods, but the main underlying point=
is
this: you have a creative imagination - so use it!
Regards,
--=20
- K=E5re Albert Lie