Matador (parts 1 and half of 2)

Here is the start of a new project, based on a libretto by Lewis-Allan Trathen. Brag, we're working on a longer-form opera type piece together, and this was a poem he sent me early on, not exactly related to the final idea. I'm working my way through it (I'm about half-way there) and I think I'm going to add some percussion and a double bass to the final version. I'll try and get a midi-mockup for when it's done... but GOD do I hate the way Sib performs this piece.

17 Counting and playing fluctuating tempo

So today I had a go at trying to play the fluctuating 2 bar tempo groove I posted a few days ago. Today's post is just a log of the things I noted while practicing this.

The first thing I wanted to mention is that I had genuinely had a lot fun trying to play on it. I enjoyed the challenge and feel its totally possible to feel (as in a human-like rhythmic interpretation as a groove) computer-precise accelerandos and ritardandos between accents placed within of a bar

This is the notation I used, the spacing is still weird and unprecise, in fact the second last accent is out by quite some way, but hopefully you get the idea.

Below is the piano roll. I actually ended up reading this while recording, as the playback has the bar to show where you are in the bar as a kind of visual score.

The rhythmic division of the fluctuating tempo inside of the the consistent tempo is this as follows.

bar 1
7 notes decelerate from 141bpm to ~93bpm in the space of 5 semiquavers at ~90bpm
3 notes decelerate from ~93bpm to ~83bpm in the space of 3 semiquavers at ~90bpm
5 notes decelerate from ~83 bpm to ~59bpm in the space of 7 semiquavers. at ~90bpm

bar 2 (a reflection of the first bar)
5 notes accelerate from ~59bpm to ~83 bpm in the space of 7 semiquavers at ~90bpm
3 notes accelerate from ~83 bpm to ~93bpm in the space of 3 semiquavers at ~90bpm
7 notes accelerate from ~93bpm to 141 bpm in the space of 5 semiquavers at ~90bpm

The bpm numbers are now totally different as I've slowed the master clock down for practicing from ~90 bpm to 64bpm.

I approached my practice on thispretty methodically, in a similar way to how I approach improvisation on irregular meters. Here's the summary of what I did.

- practice clapping, counting and improvising in straight 4/4-7/8 with drums from track (represented as the clave in notation). Though the notation is more accurately 4/8-7/16, I'm just counting 8th notes as pulses.
- listen to melody playback through ableton over and over whilst drinking coffee.
- practice and memorise melody. I intentionally left the Ab phrygian tonality. Thinking Bb phygian on tenor sax means lots of side keys. For me that kind of forces your hands to be more accurate or something, I dunno...
- get the runs in time to each accent, progressively added more as you go.
- record and listen back.

So the first audio example is me playing with the synthesiser and drums in my headphones, the second (at 0:22) is me with only percussion, and the the third (0:44) is me playing with no synth, but a tambourine playing the fluctuating tempo. I was happiest with the last take, and included it with and without the synth playing precisely along with me.

Next week I'll be trying to get some new melodies happening on it. woo