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"Triad Pair Melodies-
This lesson represents one of my attempts at integrating triad pairs into my linear and melodic vocabulary. After working on the different triad pair exercises from Walt Weiskopf's Intervallic Improvisation, I have wanted to utilize triad pairs in a more personal and melodic fashion, while still retaining the wide interval sounds that make triad pairs so interesting. This handout contains twelve melodic fragments based on two major triads a whole step apart, as well as four ii-V-I lines demonstrating their use in a harmonic context. While there are several triad pair options over the ii-V-I progression, I chose to explore two major triads a whole step on each of the three chords to help acclimate my ears to the sound of that pairing.
Try practicing the first section of triad pair melodies over the chords derived from the C Major scale (Cmaj7, Dmin7, Emin7, Fmaj7, G7, Amin7, B half dim) and note how the harmonic scheme changes the color/effectiveness of the melody. After you have worked on the smaller triad pair melodic fragments, practice the ii-V-I lines over a backing track or with an accompanist to get the full bi-tonal effect that triad pairs invoke"- Tim Fischer
(click the above graphic for a larger view)
5 comments:
cool! I really like the last II-V-I lick. Sounds like something guitaris Jesse van Ruler would play :D
Please stop trying to get people to play this crap. It's really annoying to hear such a good player push this garbage. It's not even music. It's math.
No argument here. It is math and it generally sounds bad. I don't even use this stuff myself, except on rare occasions and even then for just a second. That said, I don't use a lot of the techniques that are on this blog. I want to expose musicians to as many concepts as possible and let them sort it out in a way that suits them. This stuff is what modern players are doing and every young player should at least know what the guys they are listening to doing.
Sometimes you have to learn to play something in order NOT to play it!
I find triad that practicing triad pairs helps me come up with new shapes or linear directions. If you take these general shapes and then free up (i.e. randomize)the note choices then things start to get interesting. You get lines that are neither vertical nor horizontal. I use the Slonimsky book in the same way, to find more interesting directional ideas.
ANON, I know who you are! ;-)
I agree, just create your own patterns. However jazz does allow for this kind of experimental and exploration but just use the improvisation tools that we already have and make your own versian of it.
I'm amazed at how much people seem to be completely 'angry' at the use of triads in solos. If I remember correctly you just need to check out Coltrane's 'Crescent' and there you have triads galore. In fact there's a whole period of Coltrane using triad systems. He just mixes everything up, rhythmically, mixed in scales, intervals, + the whole universe ;-).
I suspect that the trick is being able to play the obvious in an un-obvious way, as always.
One of my colleagues was a pupil of Slonimsky, we used to laugh at all the stories he used to tell us. However I also found his playing (using Slonimsky's ideas) not that interesting, and rather 'mathematical'. But maybe there's a blog article in there somewhere?
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