Listening To Recording
Listening to a recording of an improvisation immediately after creating it is an effective way to gain a broader perspective. We listen with different ears from when we are in the midst of playing. This takes a significant amount of time, especially when discussion of the music follows the listening.
It can be made into a repeated procedure. The composer Helmer Nørgaard describes a rehearsal practice for a group that played regularly. They began each time by playing for thirty minutes without previous verbal agreements as to the nature of the music. The entire recording was subsequently played back.
Discussion may be without an agenda or focus on themes such as:
- what became musically/aesthetically significant and how did we arrive there?
- what were we individually attentive to?
- on which grounds did I take decisions during playing (consciously, intuitively, spontaneously, thinking ahead…)?
- etc…
Listening to improvised music not created by the group itself may help to expand the perspective.
See also: Analyzing Recordings (↓)
Cutting Down On the Material
(from Mauricio Kagel)
Engage in free improvisation for a few minutes. Participants should have only one or two short sound(s) or event(s) at their disposal. This forces attention away from the continuity in one's own playing and toward the sound as a whole. Often, by subsequently listening to a recording of the music (which I strongly recommend!) people will be surprised at how much is nevertheless happening, and it will be evident how the process is clarified when we are not overwhelmed by an excessive density of sound. Playing this way might make people feel frustrated or perplexed — probably because it demands much attention and resolute initiative while at the same time continuous physical playing activity is not possible. Rather, a sort of meditative quietness must be sought after.
Charlotte's Relay Race
Imagine standing in a circle and throwing a ball to each other. The one who has the ball soon throws it out into the middle of the circle where another person catches it. The ball may, however, also be taken from you.
Do the same thing in music: one at a time, play for a very short time and "throw the ball" again (that is, become silent). Conversely, the ball may be "taken" by someone else (that is, the other person plays and the first person must stop).
Here is a variation that allows more persons to "seize the ball" at the same time (that is, play simultaneously): Imagine that the ball, when played, may for a short time split up into several balls — how many and for how long may be agreed upon. With this variation, the exercise approaches a free improvisation while the quickly changing process of people contributing to the music is retained.
Homage to Nils Harbo
See the recipe (enclosed [in the original]).
I now usually use it as a basic training in making different and contrasting kinds of musical sound, and use the individual concepts (staccato-legato etc.) for the whole group alternatingly. These words can be read aloud, thus avoiding the necessity of photocopying. As you see, the sound categories are then taken one by one, avoiding the thick texture of many at a time. The exercise functions very well as a preparation for parameter exercises but uses more well-known words.
This may be also be performed polyphonically ad lib or on one tone, with either few or many parameters set for each musician. Take care, however, that the sounds does not get too thick. It is also good for training of improvisation in jazz, rock, and other popular forms. It can be done with improvisation which follow scales, too.
Graphic Notations
Enclosed [in the original] is an example of a free, "doodling" type notation (Madison Music by Joergen Lekfeldt). I recommend translating the visual impression directly into music without any prior agreements among the musicians as to the significance of the visual notations. I have also included examples of notations with symbols having specific significations, although they are not specific tones. The notations should be studied carefully before playing. Prior to playing Psychogramm, the explanation should be read carefully.
See the sections "Composition for improvisation" and "Playing Material" [?] in the section dealing with specific subjects. For copyright reasons, not everything can be quoted here.
And, please go on making your own notations.