Creating a musical toolkit Part 3

In part 2, I began a discussion of melody. I examined some ideas about context and explored some definitions of stable and unstable notes. I also suggested some exercises that might be useful for helping to develop a sense of context and definition for notes.

As I pointed out in part 2, these concepts are useful whether you're playing blues or Ukrainian fiddle music; as long as there's a key center involved, stable and unstable values for pitches are critical to building good melodies.

The exercises in part 2 were built around scalar values. I suggested several methods of playing sets of notes and trying to establish stable or unstable values for them. Here in part 3, I'd like to add some other kinds of simple melodic ideas: target notes, repetition and use of non-specific pitch.

Target notes are what I call notes which have special weight or meaning in a melody. These can be the primary key center notes, the most stable notes, they can be the primary tension note or least stable notes or they can be notes having temporary stable or unstable feel. Try this: take a random series of 3 or 4 notes. Play them in all possible orders listening for stable or unstable feel. For instance, take E F G A. Play E F G A. Now play G A G A E F G. Now play A E G, etc. Try to establish patterns which have definite target or end points.

Over time slowly add notes. They don't have to be scale tones, nor do they have to be stepwise. In fact, you'll find that using some non stepwise notes will increase stability/instability depending on how you use it.

Remember; there's no right or wrong way to do this. The secret is in your ear. If you can convince you, about the stability of a note, the chances are very good you'll be able to convince me of the same thing.

Repetition is my personal favorite tool for improvising. It's useful in a variety of ways. By repeating a note or series of notes, you can change a note's value from stable to unstable. We had an example of that last month. Try taking one of your pitch sets from this months first exercise and repeating it. For instance, play E F G several times in a row, varying the length you rest on each note. Then play the phrase using the same length notes. Listen to how stability and instability is created as a result.

Last try bending notes. Try sliding down or up to a note. These glisses or bends are non-specific pitches. They provide color and tension to your playing. Try adding slurs, bends and glisses to this months first two exercises and building ideas which combine the exercises.

These are all techniques which apply to music; not types of music. Listen to your favorite music thinking about target notes, repetition and non-specific pitch. Listen to how your favorite players build lines toward (and away from) target notes. How they use repeated notes or lines or bend notes and use that as coloration. Then go find some middle eastern music or Indonesian music or Sufi singing. Try listening for the same things. Now pick up your instrument and try playing using those ideas. Little by little, you'll find that you're incorporating that gamelan rhythm or that middle eastern bent note.

Aric Rubin