Week 1 4/3-9/3
In my timeline, for this week, I will be working on researching into Polka before beginning my practice routines.I was introduced to 'Polka' during my trumpet lessons for my grade 8 exam where I looked at a group of grade 8 pieces on the Trinity Grade 8 syllabus. By linking my grade 8 exam to one of the pieces within my EP, I am preparing for my grade 8 exam which will take place in July. By combining this within my project, this allows me practice for this by having regular practice routines and playing a piece which links to my project of combining styles, creating a fusion.
From looking at the book where I encountered this piece, '20 Dances for trumpet', my opinion of the styles within this book is that they are 'dance' pieces. Merging these ideas together, because 'Polka' is written, linking back to my research into classical music where I talked about classical music being written, this piece could be classical contemporary piece, including influences from dance music.
to ensure that I am clear with how the piece is supposed to be played. Therefore when I begin my practice routines, I am clear with what I need to practice in order to play the piece up to the grade 8 standard, meeting the assessment criteria.I have researched into my grade 8 exam and the assessment criteria in my research, together with my case studies.
'Polka' was composed by Allen Vizzuti who is a trumpeter, composing from both jazz and classical groups. However, he began as a jazz trumpeter from playing with Chick Corea and with Frank Sinatra to performing at jazz festivals in a pop-finged fusion style. Therefore, from this I can infer that Allen Vizzuti collaborating with fusion artists like Chick Corea and collaborating with musicians from different styles could have had an impact on his playing today. (instrumentalists usually follow on from their previous playing experiences)
My next steps will be to research into online sources to find out whether my judgements are correct. This research will benefit my project because I hope to gain more understanding of the piece 'Polka'to ensure that I am clear with how the piece is supposed to be played. Therefore when I begin my practice routines, I am clear with what I need to practice in order to play the piece up to the grade 8 standard, meeting the assessment criteria.I have researched into my grade 8 exam and the assessment criteria in my research, together with my case studies.
http://shop.abrsm.org/shop/prod/20-Dances-for-Trumpet-Book-CD/629794
These are one of the websites that had very limited information. As shown in the image, the website lists the styles in the book because the site is for purchasing. This also occurred with the other sites I looked into which are also evidenced below. As the information I found in the description sections for this book are in the front of the book which I have to begin my practice for this piece, these online sources had very limited impact on what I knew before and what I knew after this research. Therefore, I will be researching again into this piece so that I can achieve the purposes of my research.
https://www.scribd.com/document/342445978/Allen-Vizzutti-Polka-pdf
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Following on from this to find a solution, I have also attempted to refer to the playing of other trumpeter of 'Polka' for a greater insight into the information I was provided in the websites. In this video, another trumpet on YouTube is playing Polka with his trumpet tutor. This student called Charlie has taken his grade 7 and 8 exams on the trumpet. This links to me as I will also be taking my grade 8 exam with the 'Polka' as well. I have experimented with this YouTube video as there may be an approach where they talk about the piece before playing because when I watched another video on the channel, they had explained the 'key aspects' before the student starts playing.
The piece for Chanson Napolitaine, which I played for grade 6 ABRSM is in the score below.
Although finding a relation between my playing and the playing of the trumpeter in the video, he mentions that the piece is a grade 8 piece which the student will be taking next month. Within this, there is no relevance with what I aim to find out about 'Polka'.
On the positive side, however, the trumpeter in this video plays the piece well. By this I mean that he is playing according to the markings on the score. The dynamic, articulation and 'break' markings are all present in his playing. I know this because due to my ability to read music I have analysed Polka.
On the positive side, however, the trumpeter in this video plays the piece well. By this I mean that he is playing according to the markings on the score. The dynamic, articulation and 'break' markings are all present in his playing. I know this because due to my ability to read music I have analysed Polka.
Gaining inspiration from Charlie, when I play this piece, I aim to have this connection with the piece so that I can play with emphasis according on how it is supposed to be played.
Tomorrow, my next steps within this are to email Allen Vizzuti through the contact details he has left on his website. However, as it is possible that my email is not read due to the high volume of emails a musician may get for enquiries, I will be researching into emailing techniques to ensure that my email with interview questions is read and I can research by talking to the composer of the piece.
Interviewing Allen Vizzuti
To contact Allen Vizzuti, I made use of his website in search for a contact section where he could leave his email and/or social media accounts. Making use of Allen Vizzuti's booking email, which is the only email that was evident on the website,is where he is contacted for musical related bookings, particularly orchestras and ensembles. This is stated on the site under 'Booking'.
However, Before interviewing Allen Vizzuti, I have read an article which includes way to ensure that my emails are regarded and not ignored when sending emails to someone for the first time. (Lohana, 2018)
I will be sending Allen Vizzuti an email considering his piece 'Polka' through his email in the 'contact' section of his website.
I will be sending Allen Vizzuti an email considering his piece 'Polka' through his email in the 'contact' section of his website.
Therefore, looking into emailing techniques as I am conducting an online interview, will create a greater chance that my email is suitable to be sent to Allen Vizzuti resulting in a successful outcome according to the article (Lohana, 2018). By gaining a response from Allen Vizzuti, I will be meeting the purposes of my research which are to find out which influences have impacted the way Polka is written and the way it should be played. I can then apply this to my own playing. Therefore, by including this piece within my fusion EP for the flugelhorn, I will be able to play according to the styles present in the piece and emphasize the dance style. Playing stylistically correct relates to the context of my project and my goals at the end of the project of developing techniques within a range of styles and not just classical music. Within this piece, I will have experienced playing contemporary classical with dance where I will play in contrast to traditional classical music.
Firstly, as said on the article '15 sure-fire ways to make sure your emails are opened and read', clearly stating the subject of the email is the first thing that I will do which will indicate the purpose of my email. This means that I should write a short subject which is a summery for my email (which is an emailed interview) and also stating that I am a musician studying for research and practice purposes to clarify the purpose.
As a result of my research into interview tips, the subject of my email is short and clear: 'Grade 8 student enquiry'.This allows the receiver to instantly acknowledge the purpose for the email. I have also directed my email to Vizzuti using his first name to introduce my email as this can 'boost his engagement' in the email and using direct engagement once is enough to create this. By doing this I am increasing the chances of my email being considered, according to the article. This will make the person reading the email feel 'directed to' and obliged to read it.
At the end of my email, I have finished by telling Allen that I am doing a project based on fusion music, therefore, I would be interested to find out the style of Polka and what it was influenced by when he composed it.
I will also follow up from my email if the person I am emailing doesn't get back to me within a week or so. I will follow up with a similar email which also mentions the previous email sent.
The emails will be shown in the screenshots below.
Week 2- 11/3-17/3
I will also follow up from my email if the person I am emailing doesn't get back to me within a week or so. I will follow up with a similar email which also mentions the previous email sent.
The emails will be shown in the screenshots below.
Week 2- 11/3-17/3
Allen Vizzuti's interview reply
I didn't have to follow up from Allen Vizzuti's email as I had waited a short time to get a reply. Due to my researched, the timing of this short emailed interview was beneficial to my project as I will be able to complete my research on-time this week. According to my time-plan, my recording sessions should take place in the week of the 5th of April. Therefore, I will be using the time before the 5th April to prepare for my recordings and complete my research as stated in the time plan. This research for Polka includes 'experimenting' and asking the composer questions about the piece.
In this week, I have obtained a reply from Allen Vizzuti by email.
Allen Vizzuti's reply to my email, he said "The concept of the entire 20 Dances book was to loosely imitate characteristics of dance types referred to in the title of each piece". Therefore the dance type for this piece is 'Polka' as it is called 'Polka'. The Polka uses the contours of the famous German Clarinet Polka but none of the melody. He also endeavored to write challenges in each etude such as frequent key changes, interesting rhythms or scales and modes used in unique ways. Therefore, this week I have focused on improving my understanding of the piece, Polka. I believe that I have gathered reliable information in terms of the piece from Allen Vizzuti as he is the composer who I have contacted directly for this information, therefore I will be making use of this for further research into the piece. It has helped my project as I am now able to identify the important aspects of the piece. From this I can refer to the score to identify the presence of frequent key changes, interesting rhythms and scales and modes in the score.
I have then looked the history of the piece, 'Polka' from an article called 'dance facts' which explains the origins and history of this dance style. Polka comes from the Czech word 'Pulka' meaning half.(Dancefacts, 2019) This refers to the 'lively, fast paced and jumpy' type of dancing.
This is relevant to my project as this is reflected in Polka in the first line of the piece where the melody can be described as 'fast paced and jumpy'. The term 'jumpy' can also reflect 'frequent key changes' which I have found out by looking at the score where there are parts in the piece where the notes of the C major scale are evident. In another part, the key then changes with the notes around E major.
This is evident here.
In order to be able to play this on my instrument, finger dexterity would be an important technique here. The definition of finger dexterity is the level of a persons ability to manipulate controls on the fingers. Therefore when playing the trumpet the controls are the valves. When playing fast rhythms, the coordination between the air flow and the fingering should be timed together and following this I will be having a practice routine where I visit this technique. I will be playing the beginning of Polka.
I didn't have to follow up from Allen Vizzuti's email as I had waited a short time to get a reply. Due to my researched, the timing of this short emailed interview was beneficial to my project as I will be able to complete my research on-time this week. According to my time-plan, my recording sessions should take place in the week of the 5th of April. Therefore, I will be using the time before the 5th April to prepare for my recordings and complete my research as stated in the time plan. This research for Polka includes 'experimenting' and asking the composer questions about the piece.
In this week, I have obtained a reply from Allen Vizzuti by email.
I have then looked the history of the piece, 'Polka' from an article called 'dance facts' which explains the origins and history of this dance style. Polka comes from the Czech word 'Pulka' meaning half.(Dancefacts, 2019) This refers to the 'lively, fast paced and jumpy' type of dancing.
This is relevant to my project as this is reflected in Polka in the first line of the piece where the melody can be described as 'fast paced and jumpy'. The term 'jumpy' can also reflect 'frequent key changes' which I have found out by looking at the score where there are parts in the piece where the notes of the C major scale are evident. In another part, the key then changes with the notes around E major.
This is evident here.
In order to be able to play this on my instrument, finger dexterity would be an important technique here. The definition of finger dexterity is the level of a persons ability to manipulate controls on the fingers. Therefore when playing the trumpet the controls are the valves. When playing fast rhythms, the coordination between the air flow and the fingering should be timed together and following this I will be having a practice routine where I visit this technique. I will be playing the beginning of Polka.
By knowing the features of this dance style, I will be able to apply this to my playing and create a lively, fast tempo in my playing. Therefore I will be playing stylistically correct to the style rather than playing the piece 'too slow' which will go against the characteristics of this type of dance. Also, by following these aspects of the dance 'Polka' which are present in the score will ensure that I play Polka stylistically correct to dance, whilst following the score means that I will also meet the assessment criteria for the grade 8 exam which is taking place in the summer of this year.
I had experienced difficulty with finger dexterity in the whole of 'Polka'. This is the recording of my version of Polka where I have gathered that there hasn't been enough coordination between the fingering and the playing of the trumpet. Without correct coordination between the valves and the air flow, it results in notes not being joined together and sounding 'messy'
To solve this issue, I have tried repetition in my practice session. This had helped me to get used to the notes and practice the coordination between my fingers and the air flow through the instrument.
I had then listened to 'Allen Vizzuti' playing 'Polka' with the CD which was included in the '20 Dances for Trumpet' to hear how the original sounds to identify what I need to work on for my version.
If I compare this version to my practice routine for 'Polka' above, I can notice the lack of finger dexterity when playing triplets and triple tonguing. In Allen Vizzuti's version above, when he plays, the notes are clearly separated and the tune of the piece is noticeable. This clear separation/break between the notes is due to the fast coordinated valve action performed by the player. I have also linked this to another article I have read into which states that faults in finger dexterity can cause notes to be missed which links with were I described the melodies in 'Polka' to be 'unclear'.
Finger dexterity on the trumpet is the capability of the muscles in the hand to manipulate controls which in this case are the valves. With finger dexterity, there is pressure put onto the valves, this changes the length of the instrument by 'channeling air through the valve slides' (Sanborn, 2008).
Finger dexterity varies between different keys and on the flugelhorn, playing in the 'easiest' key for the instrument means that finger dexterity would be of more difficulty here. When I am playing in C, which is D major on the piano, playing a fast scale or phrase is requires simpler fingering patterns which means that the finger dexterity isn't complex on the instrument. I found this out through my practice by experiencing difficulty when in F# major as oppose to C major.
By improving my finger dexterity and coordination with the air flow through the instrument, this will ensure that the notes are played clearly in the correct place, resulting in the melodies in 'Polka' more prominent in my playing.This is evident where it says 'Missed notes commonly result from fingers that move too slowly or the player not being prepared for the sensation of blowing'.(Sanborn,2008)
I had noticed the fast tempo in the piece which is 128 bpm, market at the top of the score in '20 Dances for trumpet'. When
I played from the score in 128 bpm as on Vizzuti's recording, I had
found that the piece was 'too fast' to begin my practice. Therefore I
had experienced issues with the triple tongues parts which are a marked
by small number '3' three joined notes.
In this practice, I had practiced my playing of 'Polka', I had experienced difficulties with keeping a constant pulse and rhythm throughout the piece. Constant pulse and rhythm is mentioned in the Trinity syllabus which means this will be my practice areas to play this piece stylistically correct to Allen Vizzuti's version. As I have mentioned at the beginning of the project, I will be developing playing techniques within a range of styles by doing this fusion album which will help with my aim of playing outside of the classical genre for the trumpet due to the importance of the trumpet's role within classical music which restricts the trumpeters' playing.
Consistently keeping to the tempo in Polka means that I won't be 'speeding up' on the parts I am familiar with and slowing down or playing out of time when I am playing a more challenging phrase.
Playing with a bpm and setting the tempo to play 'Polka', by the end of this session I aim to find a comfortable tempo for my playing to be able to practice on the tripe tongued phrases. This links to on the grade 8 syllabus where it is stated that there should be 'attention to performance details'. The performance details written on the score.
Together with playing this piece for my grade 8 exam, I will also be playing this piece as a part of my fusion EP. By the end of this project, I am to be a more stylistically versatile flugelhornist and expand my playing (from being a classical trumpeter)to ensure that I have confidence with a range of playing when I attend Middlesex University where there is a collaboration module. Collaboration modules could mean that I could choose to collaborate with musicians from different styles, opening up more opportunities for me. My aspirations of playing as part of a fusion band during university link to the range of techniques I will develop throughout this project as fusion can be a combination of any styles. I have found this definition by looking into a range of definitions. In 'Spain', Saxman in his interview said what a fusion was - 'the joining of two different styles into one style.
By researching and practicing my finger dexterity and triple tonguing on the flugelhorn, this will add in my practice towards my grade 8 exam as I get used to playing the piece in the correct way, this will prepare me for the exam as I am working towards meeting the necessary criteria. I have worked on improving my finger dexterity in Polka by using fast movement of the valves in 'Polka' which was mentioned in one of the articles.I had practiced triplets and finger dexterity together as the way that these techniques link is the use of the fingers to coordinate with the air and tonguing of the instrument. Linking back to the Arban's conservatory method for trumpet book, this includes the method of triple tonguing is created with the tongue and lips to create a 'tkt' sound.
Once I had repeated the phrase where I had experienced difficulties with the finger dexterity and linking this to the triplets in the piece, I had played from another part in the piece and applied this technique I had learned through repetition. In this video, I am also demonstrating improvements within my rhythm which is constant throughout this recording.
At the end of this week, I have decided that this research into the piece does not have an impact on the way I will play the piece as what Allen Vizzuti has stated here is what is written on the score, where I am playing from. From saying that the "The concept of the entire 20 Dances book was to loosely imitate characteristics of dance types referred to in the title of each piece" tells me the style of the piece, however I will still be playing the piece towards the score. From knowing that the piece is from a dance called 'Polka, this will not change how I play from the score as to be able to meet the criteria for the grade 8 exam, I have to play with technical accuracy which means that the piece should be played with 'accuracy' according to the score. I know this from talking about my grade 8 piece with my previous brass tutor.
I had experienced difficulty with finger dexterity in the whole of 'Polka'. This is the recording of my version of Polka where I have gathered that there hasn't been enough coordination between the fingering and the playing of the trumpet. Without correct coordination between the valves and the air flow, it results in notes not being joined together and sounding 'messy'
To solve this issue, I have tried repetition in my practice session. This had helped me to get used to the notes and practice the coordination between my fingers and the air flow through the instrument.
I had then listened to 'Allen Vizzuti' playing 'Polka' with the CD which was included in the '20 Dances for Trumpet' to hear how the original sounds to identify what I need to work on for my version.
If I compare this version to my practice routine for 'Polka' above, I can notice the lack of finger dexterity when playing triplets and triple tonguing. In Allen Vizzuti's version above, when he plays, the notes are clearly separated and the tune of the piece is noticeable. This clear separation/break between the notes is due to the fast coordinated valve action performed by the player. I have also linked this to another article I have read into which states that faults in finger dexterity can cause notes to be missed which links with were I described the melodies in 'Polka' to be 'unclear'.
Finger dexterity on the trumpet is the capability of the muscles in the hand to manipulate controls which in this case are the valves. With finger dexterity, there is pressure put onto the valves, this changes the length of the instrument by 'channeling air through the valve slides' (Sanborn, 2008).
Finger dexterity varies between different keys and on the flugelhorn, playing in the 'easiest' key for the instrument means that finger dexterity would be of more difficulty here. When I am playing in C, which is D major on the piano, playing a fast scale or phrase is requires simpler fingering patterns which means that the finger dexterity isn't complex on the instrument. I found this out through my practice by experiencing difficulty when in F# major as oppose to C major.
By improving my finger dexterity and coordination with the air flow through the instrument, this will ensure that the notes are played clearly in the correct place, resulting in the melodies in 'Polka' more prominent in my playing.This is evident where it says 'Missed notes commonly result from fingers that move too slowly or the player not being prepared for the sensation of blowing'.(Sanborn,2008)
I had noticed the fast tempo in the piece which is 128 bpm, market at the top of the score in '20 Dances for trumpet'. When
I played from the score in 128 bpm as on Vizzuti's recording, I had
found that the piece was 'too fast' to begin my practice. Therefore I
had experienced issues with the triple tongues parts which are a marked
by small number '3' three joined notes.In this practice, I had practiced my playing of 'Polka', I had experienced difficulties with keeping a constant pulse and rhythm throughout the piece. Constant pulse and rhythm is mentioned in the Trinity syllabus which means this will be my practice areas to play this piece stylistically correct to Allen Vizzuti's version. As I have mentioned at the beginning of the project, I will be developing playing techniques within a range of styles by doing this fusion album which will help with my aim of playing outside of the classical genre for the trumpet due to the importance of the trumpet's role within classical music which restricts the trumpeters' playing.
Consistently keeping to the tempo in Polka means that I won't be 'speeding up' on the parts I am familiar with and slowing down or playing out of time when I am playing a more challenging phrase.
Playing with a bpm and setting the tempo to play 'Polka', by the end of this session I aim to find a comfortable tempo for my playing to be able to practice on the tripe tongued phrases. This links to on the grade 8 syllabus where it is stated that there should be 'attention to performance details'. The performance details written on the score.
Together with playing this piece for my grade 8 exam, I will also be playing this piece as a part of my fusion EP. By the end of this project, I am to be a more stylistically versatile flugelhornist and expand my playing (from being a classical trumpeter)to ensure that I have confidence with a range of playing when I attend Middlesex University where there is a collaboration module. Collaboration modules could mean that I could choose to collaborate with musicians from different styles, opening up more opportunities for me. My aspirations of playing as part of a fusion band during university link to the range of techniques I will develop throughout this project as fusion can be a combination of any styles. I have found this definition by looking into a range of definitions. In 'Spain', Saxman in his interview said what a fusion was - 'the joining of two different styles into one style.
By researching and practicing my finger dexterity and triple tonguing on the flugelhorn, this will add in my practice towards my grade 8 exam as I get used to playing the piece in the correct way, this will prepare me for the exam as I am working towards meeting the necessary criteria. I have worked on improving my finger dexterity in Polka by using fast movement of the valves in 'Polka' which was mentioned in one of the articles.I had practiced triplets and finger dexterity together as the way that these techniques link is the use of the fingers to coordinate with the air and tonguing of the instrument. Linking back to the Arban's conservatory method for trumpet book, this includes the method of triple tonguing is created with the tongue and lips to create a 'tkt' sound.
At the end of this week, I have decided that this research into the piece does not have an impact on the way I will play the piece as what Allen Vizzuti has stated here is what is written on the score, where I am playing from. From saying that the "The concept of the entire 20 Dances book was to loosely imitate characteristics of dance types referred to in the title of each piece" tells me the style of the piece, however I will still be playing the piece towards the score. From knowing that the piece is from a dance called 'Polka, this will not change how I play from the score as to be able to meet the criteria for the grade 8 exam, I have to play with technical accuracy which means that the piece should be played with 'accuracy' according to the score. I know this from talking about my grade 8 piece with my previous brass tutor.
What I remember from my music lessons with the trumpet in
the past is that my tutor had advised that I used "faster air on the
higher notes". This contrasts to the amount and the speed of air I would
use on lower notes. If I were to play a lower note and then a higher
note, the air would speed up but the amount of air would decrease. Lower
notes require more air but slower air, higher notes require less air
with a faster speed. Another option which would also help me is thinking
aa-ee which I am jumping to a high note having previously played a low
note. 'aa' would stand for the sound of the lowest note and 'ee' would
make the sound of a higher note. If you sing these 'aa' and 'ee'
straight after each other, you will notice the change in pitch between
these two notes.
pyramid
Here is a video of me doing this:
Playing the whole of the piece means that I will be able to prepare for the recording of this piece for my fusion EP. The process of creating this EP links to how I would like to
In today's practice I am using the grading criteria as a guide assessment criteria to assess whether I am meeting the higher level criteria. This will ensure that during my practice for this piece, I can identify areas of the piece to relate to the criteria and to aim for a distinction in my grade 8 on the flugelhorn. This links to my project as I will be playing this dance-fusion piece as part of my 3-track EP. This piece contributes to playing fusions on the flugelhorn rather than being restricted by classical music. This piece will be recorded, therefore, by playing the piece well, I will create a good quality recording of this unaccompanied piece.
The next day after I will be researching into the piece and from there, beginning with my first practice routine. When I had discovered 'Polka', without research, I wanted to play the piece straight away with only having listened to Allen Vizzuti's version. This had resulted in lots of struggling with the fast rhythm and the 'high notes in the first line of the piece'.
After responding towards this research positively, I aim to be able to play the piece the whole way through to put together all of the aspects of the piece that I have been practicing. If this goes well, I will be preparing for the next steps within this piece which is recording and planning for my grade 8 exam.
Playing the whole of the piece means that I will be able to prepare for the recording of this piece for my fusion EP. The process of creating this EP links to how I would like to
In today's practice I am using the grading criteria as a guide assessment criteria to assess whether I am meeting the higher level criteria. This will ensure that during my practice for this piece, I can identify areas of the piece to relate to the criteria and to aim for a distinction in my grade 8 on the flugelhorn. This links to my project as I will be playing this dance-fusion piece as part of my 3-track EP. This piece contributes to playing fusions on the flugelhorn rather than being restricted by classical music. This piece will be recorded, therefore, by playing the piece well, I will create a good quality recording of this unaccompanied piece.
The next day after I will be researching into the piece and from there, beginning with my first practice routine. When I had discovered 'Polka', without research, I wanted to play the piece straight away with only having listened to Allen Vizzuti's version. This had resulted in lots of struggling with the fast rhythm and the 'high notes in the first line of the piece'.
After responding towards this research positively, I aim to be able to play the piece the whole way through to put together all of the aspects of the piece that I have been practicing. If this goes well, I will be preparing for the next steps within this piece which is recording and planning for my grade 8 exam.
Tomorrow,
I will be working on making more progress within the piece as well as I
have noticed from the version that I had sent to my tutor, I have
found that
I am still not able to play 'Polka' the whole way through and I lack
confidence with the second page of the piece.When playing the first page
of the piece, all goes well and I play the piece accurately until I get
to the second page where there is a key change. Due to this difficulty I
have had with the page, I tend to 'slow down' when I reach the second
page which affects the tempo.
Staring with the second page of Polka - the progress
(YouTube)
I used the internet to browse through YouTube and find practice routines which could help with my difficulties of learning the whole of Polka and mastering the second page of the piece as well. I have decided to do this as these difficulties in my practice routines could cause my practice for this piece to take longer than expected and delay the recording sessions for my EP. This may result in the creation and publishing of my EP being delayed as the recordings have to take place prior to this in order to have the tracks bounced as audio files.
Although his video is aimed at piano players He mentions the habit of playing from the start of the piece by saying 'naturally you're going to start from the beginning'. The outcome of this will be that 'your beginning of the song will be so good because you're starting from there all the time' and then when you get further in the piece, this starts to slow down. 'You might get to the third line and have a lot of trouble'. He demonstrates this with the score in the image above.
After finding this out from the video, I continued watching to see if he will mention anything else which may allow me to realize any more mistakes which may link to my playing of Polka. The other 'Mistakes mentioned in the video were...'
This video is about piano playing mistakes and therefore, this rest of the points mentioned in the video may be directed to pianists. What stood out to me during this research was the idea that 'the beginning of the piece will become well practiced but the rest of the piece will never be as good'. In order to play the piece for my grade 8 exam and meet the higher grading criteria, I need to be able to play the whole piece with increased accuracy and fluency. Fluency is the idea of knowing something well and accuracy is the degree of being correct or precise https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/accuracy.
In this video, I am focusing on the first line of Polka and correcting this.
VIDEO
Therefore, at the moment, in my practice, there is more focus on fluency within the first page of the piece, or even the first line of the piece as evident in the video.
(YouTube)
I used the internet to browse through YouTube and find practice routines which could help with my difficulties of learning the whole of Polka and mastering the second page of the piece as well. I have decided to do this as these difficulties in my practice routines could cause my practice for this piece to take longer than expected and delay the recording sessions for my EP. This may result in the creation and publishing of my EP being delayed as the recordings have to take place prior to this in order to have the tracks bounced as audio files.
I have previously experienced difficulty with the second page of Polka and I find the first page easier to play. Therefore I have carried out research to help me to solve this issues so that I can make progress with the second page, resulting in this piece being prepared for the recording sessions I plan to happen on the week off the 5th April.
I watched a YouTube video called 'Beginner Mistakes that are slowing down your piano progress' where the pianist explains the common errors when beginning with learning to play a piece on the piano.
This is the piano piece he is referencing. Although this piece is for the piano, I believe that this video will still be relevant to overcoming my challenges in Polka as a pianist is learning from a score which I which is a method I am also using to learn Polka.. This score is shown in the image below.
Although his video is aimed at piano players He mentions the habit of playing from the start of the piece by saying 'naturally you're going to start from the beginning'. The outcome of this will be that 'your beginning of the song will be so good because you're starting from there all the time' and then when you get further in the piece, this starts to slow down. 'You might get to the third line and have a lot of trouble'. He demonstrates this with the score in the image above. 
After finding this out from the video, I continued watching to see if he will mention anything else which may allow me to realize any more mistakes which may link to my playing of Polka. The other 'Mistakes mentioned in the video were...'This video is about piano playing mistakes and therefore, this rest of the points mentioned in the video may be directed to pianists. What stood out to me during this research was the idea that 'the beginning of the piece will become well practiced but the rest of the piece will never be as good'. In order to play the piece for my grade 8 exam and meet the higher grading criteria, I need to be able to play the whole piece with increased accuracy and fluency. Fluency is the idea of knowing something well and accuracy is the degree of being correct or precise https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/accuracy.
In this video, I am focusing on the first line of Polka and correcting this.
VIDEO
Therefore, at the moment, in my practice, there is more focus on fluency within the first page of the piece, or even the first line of the piece as evident in the video.
In this practice routine, I have began by playing from the second page of the piece rather than playing the first page first. I am more familiar with the first page, therefore I will be starting from the second page and going over this before I go over the whole of the piece. This is to ensure that I don't continue playing what I already know. In the long term of my practice, this could result in slower progress in the second page of Polka.
VIDEO
Linking to this research, I will be beginning my playing from the second page of the piece as I haven't practiced this piece as much as I have not he first page. Before this practice routine, I predict that I will experience difficulties with this as from looking at the score, there are lots of fast rhythms where my research into finger dexterity may come in useful here.
when playing the second page of 'Polka', my research into having difficulties with the second page due to excessively focusing on the first page is evident in this practice routine where I have experienced difficulties with the ascending phrases with octave leaps. In the image of the score below, there is a middle G on the stave and then there is a 2nd octave G above the stave. This is an 'octave leap' as there are the same note (G)and a space between these notes are an octave. The knowledge which I learned in my past private instrumental tuition when I worked on a classical piece called Marche where there was a jump from the middle A to the A above the stave straight after one another.
In the image below, different intervals are shown with the octave being the notated two notes.
VIDEO
Linking to this research, I will be beginning my playing from the second page of the piece as I haven't practiced this piece as much as I have not he first page. Before this practice routine, I predict that I will experience difficulties with this as from looking at the score, there are lots of fast rhythms where my research into finger dexterity may come in useful here.
when playing the second page of 'Polka', my research into having difficulties with the second page due to excessively focusing on the first page is evident in this practice routine where I have experienced difficulties with the ascending phrases with octave leaps. In the image of the score below, there is a middle G on the stave and then there is a 2nd octave G above the stave. This is an 'octave leap' as there are the same note (G)and a space between these notes are an octave. The knowledge which I learned in my past private instrumental tuition when I worked on a classical piece called Marche where there was a jump from the middle A to the A above the stave straight after one another.
In the image below, different intervals are shown with the octave being the notated two notes.
Here is a video of me practicing from the low G to the high G. from my practice with this, I will be able to apply this to my playing of Polka.
Researching into dynamics:
I have previously missed out some dynamics in my playing of Polka and as evident in the piece, there are various dynamic markings including f, mf, mp and ff. I occasionally find these dynamic markings, particularly those of the classical trumpet pieces. The dynamics were of a larger variety in classical music than the other classical genres such as baroque, romantic and contemporary.
Dynamics offer a way to show expression in sheet music. They help to drive the emotional content of music through volume and intensity.We can also think of the intensity side of dynamics as the strength of a note. Some notes are meant to be played gently and lightly, while others are meant to be played more strongly.
What I got from this is that dynamics have a significant effect on the sound of music, giving a different message depending on which dynamics are used. If I played a piece with lots of piano(p) markings, it should be associated with subtleness. If I played a jazz piece with lots of f (forte) and mf (mezzo-forte) markings and played it in piano (p) instead, the dynamics wouldn't fit the style of the piece.
If the dynamic marking is forte, for example, the trumpet is played with an increased amount of air through the instrument to increase the volume. This starts with a breath before you start playing, taking in as much air which is necessary. To play loud, this will be a large amount of air. You will not be able to play loudly with a small amount of air.
The same thing applies when you have to play a crescendo. To get louder, you have to increase the amount of air that you are using, especially if the previous note was of a quieter volume. When increasing the amount of air you are using to play louder, this doesn't mean that you have to increase the speed to very fast as if you were trying to play a high note. In opposition to this, the speed of the air should be moderate.
It is said that it takes the same amount of muscular movement to play the trumpet softly as it does to play loudly as they require the same amount of effort, both to restrict the air and put out the air.(Kind, 2012)
To follow on from this research into dynamics, I will be looking at the score for 'Polka and analyzing where dynamics are marked. This
piece is track 20 of '20 dances for trumpet by Allen Vizzuti'. The bpm of the piece is 128. However there is a + and -
underneath this. This means that the bpm could be faster or slower, this is something I was taught in my past trumpet private lessons. I will be focusing on how the piece is marked to give
me a greater understanding of the dynamics in the piece before I begin my playing.
What went well when analyzing this piece is that I has adapted my knowledge of reading music into my identification of dynamic changes, articulation markings, triplets. A challenge which I came across when looking at the score for this is that I wasn't sure of the different key changes in the piece. Due to my knowledge of reading music, I could identify that there are key changes due to the fluctuation of the flats and sharps in the piece.
To overcome this and figure this out, I have used my knowledge of major and minor scales on the trumpet in order to figure out the different key changes in this piece which I have struggled with in this session.
EVIDENCE OF ME DOING THIS
However, what didn't go well when I analysed the dynamics in Polka was that I hadn't known that the piece consisted of gradual dynamic changes before hand and these were shown as symbols as the one in the image below.
To gradually change the dynamics, composers use crescendo and diminuendo (also decrescendo). A crescendo (cresc.) means to gradually play louder and a decrescendo means to gradually play softer. (CatherineW, 2018)
Following on from my case study about dynamics, dynamics are marked all over in 'Polka'. This is shown through the use of the markings f (forte)
The importance of dynamics in Polka - linking back to the case study
When I began to play dynamics, I circled them with a pencil as I had experienced difficulty with noticing these on the score.
Working on juggling all of the pieces indications - important to the styles present in this piece.
I tried this when playing a loud note in forte and playing a quiet note in mp and I didn't notice much of a difference between these volumes in terms of the muscular movement and effort needed for this. Now that I have tested out what I have found out, I can conclude that what I found out applies to me. It makes sense to me because I find that I have to put in a huge amount of effort to play loudly but I also have to put in a lot of effort to play quietly (without changing anything else musically such as tempo, just the volume).
If you use the least amount of muscle, then it is the trumpet, the embouchure, and the speed of the air stream that will determine how softly you can play. Simply, at a certain point the trumpet will not produce a sound, with the small embouchure and when the high speed of the air stream gets to a certain speed on the trumpet.
When I began to play dynamics, I circled them with a pencil as I had experienced difficulty with noticing these on the score. Working on juggling all of the pieces indications, relating this to classical music, the way the piece sounds is all written and musicians have to follow this, overcoming difficulties.
Researching into dynamics:
I have previously missed out some dynamics in my playing of Polka and as evident in the piece, there are various dynamic markings including f, mf, mp and ff. I occasionally find these dynamic markings, particularly those of the classical trumpet pieces. The dynamics were of a larger variety in classical music than the other classical genres such as baroque, romantic and contemporary.
Dynamics refer to the volume of a sound or note played on an instrument or voice. They are usually indicated by printed letter markings on sheet music. Dynamics are based on Italian words rather than in English (e.g. quietly, softly would be said as piano, pianissimo or mezzo piano)Musical Dynamics indicate the loudness of music. The Italian terms piano and forte to indicate soft and loud. They are usually abbreviated p and f on sheet music. (Burroughs, 2014)Dynamics also offer a way to show expression in sheet music. They help to drive the emotional content of music through volume and intensity. We can also think of the intensity side of dynamics as the strength of a note. Some notes are meant to be played gently and lightly, while others are meant to be played more strongly. What I learned from this idea is that that dynamics have a significant effect on the sound of music, as it shapes the song or piece depending on which dynamics are used. The volume contrasts of the piece make the piece far more appealing to listen to as listening to something without any dynamic changes could become boring. As an example, If I played a piece with lots of piano(p) markings, it could be associated with subtleness.
Dynamics offer a way to show expression in sheet music. They help to drive the emotional content of music through volume and intensity.We can also think of the intensity side of dynamics as the strength of a note. Some notes are meant to be played gently and lightly, while others are meant to be played more strongly.
What I got from this is that dynamics have a significant effect on the sound of music, giving a different message depending on which dynamics are used. If I played a piece with lots of piano(p) markings, it should be associated with subtleness. If I played a jazz piece with lots of f (forte) and mf (mezzo-forte) markings and played it in piano (p) instead, the dynamics wouldn't fit the style of the piece.
If the dynamic marking is forte, for example, the trumpet is played with an increased amount of air through the instrument to increase the volume. This starts with a breath before you start playing, taking in as much air which is necessary. To play loud, this will be a large amount of air. You will not be able to play loudly with a small amount of air.
The same thing applies when you have to play a crescendo. To get louder, you have to increase the amount of air that you are using, especially if the previous note was of a quieter volume. When increasing the amount of air you are using to play louder, this doesn't mean that you have to increase the speed to very fast as if you were trying to play a high note. In opposition to this, the speed of the air should be moderate.
It is said that it takes the same amount of muscular movement to play the trumpet softly as it does to play loudly as they require the same amount of effort, both to restrict the air and put out the air.(Kind, 2012)
What went well when analyzing this piece is that I has adapted my knowledge of reading music into my identification of dynamic changes, articulation markings, triplets. A challenge which I came across when looking at the score for this is that I wasn't sure of the different key changes in the piece. Due to my knowledge of reading music, I could identify that there are key changes due to the fluctuation of the flats and sharps in the piece.
To overcome this and figure this out, I have used my knowledge of major and minor scales on the trumpet in order to figure out the different key changes in this piece which I have struggled with in this session.
EVIDENCE OF ME DOING THIS
The piece begins in f (forte) and continues in f until the end of the second line where it goes quieter, into mf (mezzo-forte).
There is then a crescendo and diminuendo on the ascending and descending phrase on the third line of the piece.
At
the end of this whole phrase there is a crescendo up to the top G above
the stave which is also marked in f (forte). This emphasizes the
loudness of this end note.
(I have put this part of the
piece into one section due to the rest which comes after this. This
rest as marked in 2/4 however the rest of the piece is marked in 4/4.
This means that the duration of the rest is half
After this, the next section of the piece begins in f again, but only for the first three minims of the piece.
After this, the next phrase goes down to mf (mezzo-forte).
In
the next part, there is a crescendo and diminuendo in an ascending and
descending scale which reaches the note of G (I have noticed a pattern
with the ascending and descending phrases having crescendos to go up and
then it diminuendoes down)
In the last few lines of the piece the
piece goes quiet, to mf (mezzo piano). There is then another part of
the piece relating to the crescendo-ascending and diminuendo-descending
phrase.
The crescendo up to mf (mezzo-forte) on the second to last line of the first page
In
the last line of the first page, there no dynamics marked (what do I do
here) and then there is a crescendo at the end to a loud forte
ascending phrase up to G.
In the second page of the piece, there are more crescendos
This section begins in mf (mezzo forte) and then there is another 'crescendo-diminuendo' section.
After this, there is a crescendo at the end of the phrase where there is a rest.
The three parts after this are marked with f (forte).
The piece ends in f (forte).
However, what didn't go well when I analysed the dynamics in Polka was that I hadn't known that the piece consisted of gradual dynamic changes before hand and these were shown as symbols as the one in the image below. To gradually change the dynamics, composers use crescendo and diminuendo (also decrescendo). A crescendo (cresc.) means to gradually play louder and a decrescendo means to gradually play softer. (CatherineW, 2018)
Following on from my case study about dynamics, dynamics are marked all over in 'Polka'. This is shown through the use of the markings f (forte)
The importance of dynamics in Polka - linking back to the case study
When I began to play dynamics, I circled them with a pencil as I had experienced difficulty with noticing these on the score.
Working on juggling all of the pieces indications - important to the styles present in this piece.
If you use the least amount of muscle, then it is the trumpet, the embouchure, and the speed of the air stream that will determine how softly you can play. Simply, at a certain point the trumpet will not produce a sound, with the small embouchure and when the high speed of the air stream gets to a certain speed on the trumpet.
When I began to play dynamics, I circled them with a pencil as I had experienced difficulty with noticing these on the score. Working on juggling all of the pieces indications, relating this to classical music, the way the piece sounds is all written and musicians have to follow this, overcoming difficulties.
Due to this piece being an unaccompanied piece, only the trumpet will be recorded for this piece in my fusion EP. Therefore I will not be organizing session musicians as I may have to organize for the other tracks within my EP.
Week 3 - 18/3 - 23/3
Why I am carrying out this experiment with reverb
In this experiment, we experimented with my position playing the flugelhorn into the microphone at longer and shorter distances.
VIDEO
I have found out that when my instrument was closer to the microphone, there was less reverb, however when the instrument was further away from the microphone, there was more reverb.
Linking to reverb on logic is another way that I can alter the amounts of reverb on my tracks.
In this session the reverb that was added onto my tracks sounded 'artificial' and did't have a natural sound, linking back to my research and to solve this issue we had created 3 different buses which means that each one goes into a separate channel. Therefore as they are 3 separate plugins, we can mix them all together. After this process, it took away the 'artificial' reverb sound that was there before.
The reverb that were added was a small room reverb, this creates the sound as if the recording as done in a small room. The second reverb used was a hall reverb and the last was the horn section plate reverb (in between concert hall reverb) and the last is empty church reverb
Using the pieces Polka and Chanson Napolitaine for this experiment, the videos for this are below.
Recording Polka in parts
(talking about Chanson Napolitaine and how it relates to this)
In Chanson Napolitane, I recorded the piece in different sections however when the low rests or breaks in the piece. Therefore there will not be any contrast in the middle of a line. At the end of this recording there 32 different sections which are recorded in two different takes therefore the first queen of the sounded clearer and sharper like a flugelhorn sound however the second part of the piece sounded as if it was a flugelhorn recording because it sounded had more more mellow than the trumpet sound the sound in the previous part.Therefore one hour of this recording could be how ended up with two different sounds in my version of Chanson Napolitaine. To try to resolve this problem we tried to adjust the volume levels of a track and I will provide evidence of my choice in the Palatine recording using logic.
Comparing these scores with eachother
Yesterday's I looked at the 'high notes in Polka' and preparing in advance for this.
Linking back to the book 'Rock, jazz and pop arranging' from my literature review for Polka aswell, the trumpet and flugelhorn both transpose down to Bb from C. A 'lead trumpet' player is a high note specialist, demonstrated by the ranges shown in the book.
However, due to the higher ranges of the trumpet from where it says 'the flugelhorn - it doesn't go as high as the trumpet.' (Runswick 1992). Despite this, in the book it shows that the high ranges for the flugelhorn
However the book mentions some of the disadvantages of playing in the higher ranges of the trumpet that 'No trumpeter like playing high all the time without a rest. It wears them out'.
The book has mentioned 'This rule can be relaxed on a recording overdub, when players recording in short takes with rests in-between'.
I had recorded a classical piece called Chanson Napolitaine which I had recorded in parts. An advantage of this was that I was allowed to rest between my playing of separate phrases. However at the end of the recording.
To ensure that this doesn't happen with polka I will be making sure to keep the same playing position between recordings and keeping my playing at a the same level of volume, increasing my playing with the crescendos in the piece and decreasing with the decrescendos.
In the piece, the parts marked with a p, mf or f symbolise the changes in dynamics where volume changes would be necessary.
I first encountered Chick Corea's 'Spain' from a saxophonist called Johnny Diggle, also known as Saxman Diggle from Bedfordshire. Being brought up in a musical family, he has had experience with a variety of instruments since the age of 7 before choosing to play the saxophone. In Johnny's late teens, he attended the Ronnie Scotts Jazz club weekly and tried out a few jazz bands (unspecified). After a decade of mastering this art from the age of 11, he currently uses his talent to carve a career for himself. Together with researching into Johnny Diggle's Sound cloud page in search for a short bibliography of his life, I had come across an interview which explains his career journey in more depth. This interview had provided me with further research into his career. (Diggle, 2019) https://soundcloud.com/user-722210309/johnny-diggle-interview
https://soundcloud.com/saxmandiggle
Soundcloud(SaxManDiggle, 2018)
His dismissal from a removals job in 2016 resulted in Johnny deciding to make his talent for saxophone and busking full time. As said in his interview, he recalls "running home, getting changed, grabbing his precious piece of brass and jumping on a train to go and busk for the day". His life now consist of busking and gigging in cities and venues across the country and he has "never looked back". (Diggle, 2019)
Saxman Diggle performed a jazz set list live in Harrow, North West London consisting of standards by Chick Corea, during the performance he let his musical audience choose some of the tracks which he then played. 'Spain' was one of the tracks which I encountered during this performance and I had gained interest in this because due to the Latin American rhythms to and jazz influences combined into one standard. In the video is one of his performances he did in Hammersmith, London.
Week 3 - 18/3 - 23/3
Polka -effects
This week I will be looking into effects to apply to my instrument due to my research into technology in music (In the case study). During this research, I had come across a reverb pedal which allows the musician to add as much reverb as they would like, without a producer deciding on the levels. This case study had influenced me to research into reverb as this is something I have used before for a classical piece, Chanson Napolitaine.
Trial recording:
Reverberation is an effect which is a reflection of the world around us. (Pearsall, 2019) Reverb can be present in everyday situations such as the sound when we are in large rooms or a stadium. Reverb is an effect created by soundwaves from a sound source. It reflects off of the surfaces which causes a large number of reflections to reach the ear 'so closely that you can't interpret them as individual delays'. As this information could not be correct, I have used another article(Weiss, 2017) to support the idea of how reverb is created. It says 'rooms tend to have practical shapes such as flat surfaces and parallel walls. These flat, parallel, reflective boundaries cause sonic anomalies such as modal interference, standing waves, flutter echo, rings and resonances'. Therefore it is saying that
Having a good understanding of how reverb works will help my project as when I look further into reverb, I will have a basis that I can refer to. For example, when choosing reverb to add to one of my tracks, I will understand what reverb does. This is important to my project as because Allen Vizzuti's Polka is unaccompanied and this week I am seeking ways to alter the sound of my trumpet to give it a more appealing sound rather than the standard trumpet sound.
To follow on from this I will look into the different types of reverb to further my understanding.
Plate reverb, hall reverb and room reverb are types of reverb which achieve different things. Plate reverb has a 'higher echo density' whereas the other the chamber reverb has a dense echo. The hall reverb is 'built to have minimal echoes'. This contrast of each on each of these reverb types make them suitable for different purposes and styles. For example, as it states on the article that chamber reverb 'were largely used on older R&B and Classic Rock records, so if that’s the vibe you’re going for — fire up that reverb'. However, plate reverb is mostly used on the pop vocals as it gives a 'brightness' to the sound source. (Weiss, 2017)
In a larger room, there is more delay with reverb as the 'sound continues after the source has stopped. The larger the room, the larger the potential reverb. This idea could be present in a concert hall where a classical trumpeter would perform. Due to the size of the concert hall, there would be more reverb in the sound. In the article, it had said that
Reverb can be used on different instruments and this is expressed where it is said on the article that reverb 'sounds great on the guitar and can be very realistic sounding'. This realistic sound could perhaps be present when reverb is added to the trumpet which I will look into later.
This week I will be looking into effects to apply to my instrument due to my research into technology in music (In the case study). During this research, I had come across a reverb pedal which allows the musician to add as much reverb as they would like, without a producer deciding on the levels. This case study had influenced me to research into reverb as this is something I have used before for a classical piece, Chanson Napolitaine.
Trial recording:
Reverberation is an effect which is a reflection of the world around us. (Pearsall, 2019) Reverb can be present in everyday situations such as the sound when we are in large rooms or a stadium. Reverb is an effect created by soundwaves from a sound source. It reflects off of the surfaces which causes a large number of reflections to reach the ear 'so closely that you can't interpret them as individual delays'. As this information could not be correct, I have used another article(Weiss, 2017) to support the idea of how reverb is created. It says 'rooms tend to have practical shapes such as flat surfaces and parallel walls. These flat, parallel, reflective boundaries cause sonic anomalies such as modal interference, standing waves, flutter echo, rings and resonances'. Therefore it is saying that
Having a good understanding of how reverb works will help my project as when I look further into reverb, I will have a basis that I can refer to. For example, when choosing reverb to add to one of my tracks, I will understand what reverb does. This is important to my project as because Allen Vizzuti's Polka is unaccompanied and this week I am seeking ways to alter the sound of my trumpet to give it a more appealing sound rather than the standard trumpet sound.
To follow on from this I will look into the different types of reverb to further my understanding.
Plate reverb, hall reverb and room reverb are types of reverb which achieve different things. Plate reverb has a 'higher echo density' whereas the other the chamber reverb has a dense echo. The hall reverb is 'built to have minimal echoes'. This contrast of each on each of these reverb types make them suitable for different purposes and styles. For example, as it states on the article that chamber reverb 'were largely used on older R&B and Classic Rock records, so if that’s the vibe you’re going for — fire up that reverb'. However, plate reverb is mostly used on the pop vocals as it gives a 'brightness' to the sound source. (Weiss, 2017)
In a larger room, there is more delay with reverb as the 'sound continues after the source has stopped. The larger the room, the larger the potential reverb. This idea could be present in a concert hall where a classical trumpeter would perform. Due to the size of the concert hall, there would be more reverb in the sound. In the article, it had said that
This room in the image is an example of this.
Digital reverb is usually are used to emulate the classic room, hall, spring, and plate reverb.
As it is called a 'bright hall' reverb the role for this type of reverb is to 'brighten' the sound and make the instruments sound like it was recorded in a concert hall, linking back to my research. The outcome of using bright hall reverb for my recording of Chanson Napolitaine is supported by where it says 'hall reverbs are usually designed to simulate the kind of reverberation effect produced by large halls.' As Chanson Naplolitaine is a classical piece and classical music is usually performed in large halls, this makes hall reverb suitable. This is supported by the article where is said 'classical music should be heard in a concert hall where there are no distractions and you can hear a pin drop
(Carr, 2015)
(Bowers, 2018)
To support the idea that classical music was performed in halls, in this video, Alison Balsom performs a concerto in E-Flat Major, S. 49: III. Rondo. Allegro where the sound of reverb is coming from her surroundings, the large concert hall.
However I have noticed that this type of reverb sounds good with the classical concerto she is playing, however, I am not certain whether this would work for the styles I am Therefore I will acknowledge this within my EP. My EP is a fusion of different styles on the flugelhorn where I plan on playing Latin jazz. In jazz music, a live sound is aimed for, however due to the combination of Latin music within this style, this may not be the case.
Another artist who has used digital reverb in their playing is Jeff Buckley, a singer. With the reverb, he had aimed to create 'a sense of isolation and intimacy' on his classic cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'.From listening to this, I have learnt that reverb can exist in different forms and that reverb can be shared between different instruments.
Digital reverb is usually are used to emulate the classic room, hall, spring, and plate reverb.
Linking the different types of reverb to my own music, where recording in a large room isn't available, bright hall reverb is a type of reverb I have used for the recording of the classical piece, Chanson Napolitaine which is in the video below.
Listening back to my recording of Chanson Napolitaine, with this Bright-hall reverb, it has added the impression that my trumpet was recorded in a larger space then it was actually recorded in. In fact, this piece was recorded in a medium sized studio, similar to the sizer of the studio in the image below.
As it is called a 'bright hall' reverb the role for this type of reverb is to 'brighten' the sound and make the instruments sound like it was recorded in a concert hall, linking back to my research. The outcome of using bright hall reverb for my recording of Chanson Napolitaine is supported by where it says 'hall reverbs are usually designed to simulate the kind of reverberation effect produced by large halls.' As Chanson Naplolitaine is a classical piece and classical music is usually performed in large halls, this makes hall reverb suitable. This is supported by the article where is said 'classical music should be heard in a concert hall where there are no distractions and you can hear a pin drop(Carr, 2015)
(Bowers, 2018)
To support the idea that classical music was performed in halls, in this video, Alison Balsom performs a concerto in E-Flat Major, S. 49: III. Rondo. Allegro where the sound of reverb is coming from her surroundings, the large concert hall.
However I have noticed that this type of reverb sounds good with the classical concerto she is playing, however, I am not certain whether this would work for the styles I am Therefore I will acknowledge this within my EP. My EP is a fusion of different styles on the flugelhorn where I plan on playing Latin jazz. In jazz music, a live sound is aimed for, however due to the combination of Latin music within this style, this may not be the case.
Another artist who has used digital reverb in their playing is Jeff Buckley, a singer. With the reverb, he had aimed to create 'a sense of isolation and intimacy' on his classic cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'.From listening to this, I have learnt that reverb can exist in different forms and that reverb can be shared between different instruments.
Why I am carrying out this experiment with reverb
I would like to find out whether I can get this realistic sound of reverb with my instrument as well.
Before my experiment with reverb, I will be keeping in mind of the reverb sounding very realistic
However, linking back to my project, my EP focuses on the idea of the trumpet being used outside of classical music by creating playing fusions. This piece I am currently practicing, called 'Polka' is a fusion of Dance and contemporary classical which I found out through my interviews with Allen Vizzuti. Following on from my research, in this session I will be experimenting with reverb in with room choice, position to the microphone and using digital reverb.
In this experiment, we experimented with my position playing the flugelhorn into the microphone at longer and shorter distances.
VIDEO
I have found out that when my instrument was closer to the microphone, there was less reverb, however when the instrument was further away from the microphone, there was more reverb.
Linking to reverb on logic is another way that I can alter the amounts of reverb on my tracks.
In this session the reverb that was added onto my tracks sounded 'artificial' and did't have a natural sound, linking back to my research and to solve this issue we had created 3 different buses which means that each one goes into a separate channel. Therefore as they are 3 separate plugins, we can mix them all together. After this process, it took away the 'artificial' reverb sound that was there before.
The reverb that were added was a small room reverb, this creates the sound as if the recording as done in a small room. The second reverb used was a hall reverb and the last was the horn section plate reverb (in between concert hall reverb) and the last is empty church reverb
Recording Polka in parts
(talking about Chanson Napolitaine and how it relates to this)
In Chanson Napolitane, I recorded the piece in different sections however when the low rests or breaks in the piece. Therefore there will not be any contrast in the middle of a line. At the end of this recording there 32 different sections which are recorded in two different takes therefore the first queen of the sounded clearer and sharper like a flugelhorn sound however the second part of the piece sounded as if it was a flugelhorn recording because it sounded had more more mellow than the trumpet sound the sound in the previous part.Therefore one hour of this recording could be how ended up with two different sounds in my version of Chanson Napolitaine. To try to resolve this problem we tried to adjust the volume levels of a track and I will provide evidence of my choice in the Palatine recording using logic.
Comparing these scores with eachother
Yesterday's I looked at the 'high notes in Polka' and preparing in advance for this.
Linking back to the book 'Rock, jazz and pop arranging' from my literature review for Polka aswell, the trumpet and flugelhorn both transpose down to Bb from C. A 'lead trumpet' player is a high note specialist, demonstrated by the ranges shown in the book.
However, due to the higher ranges of the trumpet from where it says 'the flugelhorn - it doesn't go as high as the trumpet.' (Runswick 1992). Despite this, in the book it shows that the high ranges for the flugelhorn
However the book mentions some of the disadvantages of playing in the higher ranges of the trumpet that 'No trumpeter like playing high all the time without a rest. It wears them out'.
The book has mentioned 'This rule can be relaxed on a recording overdub, when players recording in short takes with rests in-between'.
I had recorded a classical piece called Chanson Napolitaine which I had recorded in parts. An advantage of this was that I was allowed to rest between my playing of separate phrases. However at the end of the recording.
To ensure that this doesn't happen with polka I will be making sure to keep the same playing position between recordings and keeping my playing at a the same level of volume, increasing my playing with the crescendos in the piece and decreasing with the decrescendos.
In the piece, the parts marked with a p, mf or f symbolise the changes in dynamics where volume changes would be necessary.
Playlist for Polka recording sessions:
After I had finished recording, I had listened back to my parts and there was some parts which I had re-recorded for an improved sound.
VIDEO
What have I improved from this recording and how will this impact the recording sessions
Talking about my influences for Spain I first encountered Chick Corea's 'Spain' from a saxophonist called Johnny Diggle, also known as Saxman Diggle from Bedfordshire. Being brought up in a musical family, he has had experience with a variety of instruments since the age of 7 before choosing to play the saxophone. In Johnny's late teens, he attended the Ronnie Scotts Jazz club weekly and tried out a few jazz bands (unspecified). After a decade of mastering this art from the age of 11, he currently uses his talent to carve a career for himself. Together with researching into Johnny Diggle's Sound cloud page in search for a short bibliography of his life, I had come across an interview which explains his career journey in more depth. This interview had provided me with further research into his career. (Diggle, 2019) https://soundcloud.com/user-722210309/johnny-diggle-interview
https://soundcloud.com/saxmandiggleSoundcloud(SaxManDiggle, 2018)
Johnny social media
(Diggle, 2019)YouTube
Saxman Diggle performed a jazz set list live in Harrow, North West London consisting of standards by Chick Corea, during the performance he let his musical audience choose some of the tracks which he then played. 'Spain' was one of the tracks which I encountered during this performance and I had gained interest in this because due to the Latin American rhythms to and jazz influences combined into one standard. In the video is one of his performances he did in Hammersmith, London.
Below is Johnny Diggle's performance of Spain which he sent me the link for.
From Facebook
'Spain' is standard part of a 1972 album called 'Light as a feather'. Chick Corea is a pianist who creates genre fusion within his playing and in Spain, this is Jazz fusion. Looking into how Chick Corea wrote 'Spain', I have found on a website called 'The Atlantic' which backs up my research into Spain being a Latin jazz piece as mentioned by Saxman Diggle, I mentioned in yesterdays reflection about how I was influenced to play a jazz standard like 'Spain' for my EP.
(JazzbreakTV)
How Chick Corea wrote 'Spain' ?
This is the score of Chick Corea's written 'Spain'.
Therefore, I will be learning 'Spain' by ear (listening to it and then playing the notes on my instrument) rather than using the score which means that I will not be making use of this score written by Chick Corea. However, I will be following the same arrangement of this.
(Hoyt, 2019)
A statement which I found on the website 'How Chick Corea wrote 'Spain''
The idea that the piece is influenced by Latin or Brazilian influences jazz music being influenced by Latin is supported where it is stated by Chick Corea to Alex Hoyt that 'there could also be some Brazilian musical influence to the music aswell'
Brazil is a part of Latin America which mean that these could be Latin influences. However due to Brazilian music being dominated by Portuguese and not Spanish in Latin music, this is a difference between the styles.
Brazilian music is described as an Afro-European fusion with its rhythms and dance forms contrasting to those of Latin music. The most popular types of Brazilian music are Samba and Bossa Nova. This is said to be their understanding of jazz.
I will listen to a Bossa Nova piece called Blue Bossa, which is influenced by a bossa nova. I have listened to this to compare the Latin and Brazilian music to find out what styles 'Spain' is influenced by. This will help me within my project as I will find discover techniques to apply to my instrument so that I can play stylistically correct to the style. My goals after this course are to create a fusion band with musicians of different styles where I will be focusing on adopting techniques for particular styles, continuing on from this project in a wider aspect. This links to the course content for BA music at Middlesex University, a module called 'Musical styles and techniques'. I will be studying this in a wider aspect because this module focuses on styles according to the time it was written and not just the style. For example, if I am asked to play jazz from the 70's, I will learn to do this there. Therefore by playing in Latin American style together with jazz in Spain, I will be learning and adopting techniques from both of these genres which widens my technique from being a classical trumpeter. By the end of this project, I aim to become more familiar with other styles other than classical music which I stared of playing on the trumpet.
The idea that Blue Bossa is a Brazilian inspired piece is evident in an article (Laukens) which states that 'Blue Bossa is a bossa nova jazz standard' and it was written 'after Dorham had attended a festival in Rio De Janeiro in 1961.
This piece is shown in the video to the right.
To compare this to a Latin jazz standard which could be 'El Preso' by 'Fruko y sus tesos'. This is formed by a salsa group from Colombia. Salsa is one of the Latin styles. This salsa track include vocals aswell.
To support the idea of Chick Corea's 'Spain' being a Lain jazz standard, in a quote, when Chick Corea talks about 'Spain' in a blog called 'Chick Corea explores his Spanish, Latin and Flamenco influences with the debut album', he says, "My genetics are Italian, but my heart is Spanish, I grew up with that music. This new band is a mix of all the wonderful and various aspects of my love and lifetime experience with these rhythms that have been such a big part of my musical heritage."(JazzChill, 2019)
Reflecting on today:
My project focuses on playing fusions and adapting my instrument to these techniques through playing skills which could allow me to become more versatile on my instrument. This will help me to meet my end goal which will be playing in fusion band I plan to create during university.
While researching into Johnny Diggle due to his playing of Chick Corea's 'Spain' his interest in fusion has stood out to me as this is the idea of the project I am currently working on.
I obtained this from him saying in his interview that he aspires to play as part of a fusion band, listing the instruments as "Bass, drums, guitar and sax". This also links to the instruments in a jazz standard which is separated with a rhythm comping section and a melody section. These instruments are responsible for different things in a jazz ensemble environment.Playing the flugelhorn in a band, I will be part of the melody section. ensembles typically consist of a harmonic element such as the piano or guitar, a rhythmic element such as the drums or (Latin)percussion and a melodic saxophone or trumpet.
Recording Polka in parts has been successful because...
I have used my
Week 25/3-31/3
Spain Practice:
Listening to Spain:
Spain Practice:
Listening to Spain:
Listening to another version of Spain trumpet- Beginning 'Spain' practice (Date)
I have listened to another version of Spain played by another trumpet on YouTube called Nino Manosca who played towards the backing track. In this version, I can notice the trumpet more as he is playing as the principal instrumentalist in the video. In the other version I have listened to of 'Spain' with the big band, I wasn't able to hear the trumpet clearly due to the other instruments.
The key I am playing Spain is in different key to the original version of 'Spain' due to the way be
This means that it will be difficult for me to learn these scales by ear according to the original version
Which scales do I use to improvise over 'Spain'?Detailed research
19/3/2019
Today I will be working on the chorus part of Spain as this is the part which I am not familiar with yet. When I listened to 'Spain' for the first time, I identified the parts which I would learn by ear first and then the other parts which I would attempt afterwards.
Training my ear to get used to the sound helped me when learning the second part as I could estimate what the following notes were. This is something I will use when I come to my practice.
Listening to Spain gave me an idea of the tempo, rhythm and melody of the trumpet part which I usually sing/hum towards. When learning new pieces with my trumpet tutor, I was advised to sing the tune of the piece while I was playing to become familiar with the way the piece goes. I prefer to learn this way in oppose to picking up the trumpet straight away and trying to play the tune, pausing every time there is a wrong or missing note in the phrase.
I had attempted to resolve this issue by looking online:
The version of 'Spain which I referred to for listening is below, from YouTube.
I noticed that this version was different to some others that I have listened to as it has an introduction section. This created contrast to the rest of the piece and the main melody.
The main melody of the piece is where the instruments play the lines in the score below in unison which can be heard in the recording at 1:30
(Dom Kultury, 2014)
Further reference to 'Spain' included looking into a backing track which I could play towards. This one was sequenced and performed by Mark West, however written by Chick Corea.
I attempted the head melody in a lower octave is the video below. This is because I am connecting my ear to my instrument and the melody instead of focusing my attention of playing 'high' as this part is written above the stave.
SCORE
20/3
How to improvise in a Latin jazz standard:
Looking a the chord theories:
Using ghost notes in Latin improvisation
Flugelhorn demonstrations
I watched a video where a pianist is improvising along a Latin jazz standard and sharing the ways of improvising to help a solo to sound 'Latin' which links to my project as I would like to overcome the classical sound of my improvisation in jazz standards.
Improvising in a Latin style from the Trinity jazz exams:
https://trinityrockblog.com/2015/08/03/improvising-in-a-latin-style/
21/3
(Nino Manosca
2014)
This is the version of 'Spain' with the big band which was difficult to hear the trumpet part alone due to the other brass and woodwind instruments playing the same melodies.
Therefore the trumpet video version of 'Spain' was of more use to me as I will be learning 'Spain' by ear instead of using a score and I will not be making use of the Brass Standard Jazz orchestra.
Videos of learning Spain
This means that it will be difficult for me to learn these scales by ear according to the original version
Before and after videos
Using the original version with the trumpet
Using the original version with the trumpet
Learning Spain by ear
Which scales do I use to improvise over 'Spain'?Detailed research
19/3/2019
Today I will be working on the chorus part of Spain as this is the part which I am not familiar with yet. When I listened to 'Spain' for the first time, I identified the parts which I would learn by ear first and then the other parts which I would attempt afterwards.
Training my ear to get used to the sound helped me when learning the second part as I could estimate what the following notes were. This is something I will use when I come to my practice.
Listening to Spain gave me an idea of the tempo, rhythm and melody of the trumpet part which I usually sing/hum towards. When learning new pieces with my trumpet tutor, I was advised to sing the tune of the piece while I was playing to become familiar with the way the piece goes. I prefer to learn this way in oppose to picking up the trumpet straight away and trying to play the tune, pausing every time there is a wrong or missing note in the phrase.
I had attempted to resolve this issue by looking online:
The version of 'Spain which I referred to for listening is below, from YouTube.
I noticed that this version was different to some others that I have listened to as it has an introduction section. This created contrast to the rest of the piece and the main melody.
The main melody of the piece is where the instruments play the lines in the score below in unison which can be heard in the recording at 1:30
(Dom Kultury, 2014)
From listening to 'Spain' before my practice, I can identify where I may have difficulty when learning the standard. The head melody where the rhythm section, the bass and piano double up on the melody section for the main melody of the song. This is the part in the score
Video of this
Therefore, this may be a part of the standard I will learn in a different way to the rest of the song. The other parts of the song, the part before the main tune CLIP AND SCORE, is of a slower tempo which means that when I am learning this phrase by ear, I will be able to hear every note properly allowing me to easily transfer this to my instrument.
Playing in a lower octave when learning a melody to begin with allows me to focus more on the song of the melody so that its easier to play it.I attempted the head melody in a lower octave is the video below. This is because I am connecting my ear to my instrument and the melody instead of focusing my attention of playing 'high' as this part is written above the stave.
SCORE
20/3
How to improvise in a Latin jazz standard:
Looking a the chord theories:
It‘s important to remember that whichever Latin style you are improvising in, it’s likely that the purpose of the music is to make people dance, so your playing should reflect this. This might mean that you choose to prioritise rhythmic content, making simpler melodies and rhythms feel great, rather than performing complex lines or polyrhythms.
A typical Latin bass-line in this style will emphasise the two half notes, with an ‘upbeat’ added. This creates a heart-beat style rhythm, uplifting and easy to dance to. Often these simply utilise the root and 5th of the chord.
What are the chords in 'Spain'
What are the chords in 'Spain'
Using ghost notes in Latin improvisation
Flugelhorn demonstrations
I watched a video where a pianist is improvising along a Latin jazz standard and sharing the ways of improvising to help a solo to sound 'Latin' which links to my project as I would like to overcome the classical sound of my improvisation in jazz standards.
Improvising in a Latin style from the Trinity jazz exams:
https://trinityrockblog.com/2015/08/03/improvising-in-a-latin-style/
21/3
Creating harmonies in 'Spain'
http://northernsounds.com/forum/showthread.php/48158-Lesson-15-HARMONY-Brass-Harmony
I would describe harmony as two notes which are played together with an appealing sound.
The original version of 'Spain' consists of harmonies. I have listen to this version of 'Spain' attached below and i have noticed that the instruments layer at some points. According to the article 'Harmony' (Alan Rich) where the definition of a harmony is 'the sound of two or more notes heard simultaneously.I would describe harmony as two notes which are played together with an appealing sound.
However, in this video on harmonies which I have also talked about in my case studies. He talks about harmony with 5 levels of difficulty. His job as a harmonizer is to 'find that narrative and make it make sense'. The first definition of a harmony is 'when people sing together it sounds nice', however this develops into harmony as injecting melody with emotion as someone he talked to in the video said that the major chord triad made them feel 'happy'. A triad is a 3-part harmony. In the C major chord, the notes are C, E and G. In the video at 3:40, the keyboardist plays harmonies with the electric guitarist for the song Amazing grace. (Collier, 2018)
At the end of this research, I have developed my understanding of harmony within music and I have learnt that harmony is more that just notes sounding appealing. This knowledge then gives me a basis to help me when creating my harmonies using the flugelhorn.
Harmony is like a language, the more you know a language, the more words the more you can say
I will be creating the harmonies first with a loop pedal. This is because I can loop the original part, and then play ontop of this part whilst the original version is playing continuously. (WIRED, 2018)
In Spain, I am particularly interested in at 0:43 in at 0:34 in the video where the instruments play different levels on top of each other to create a harmony.
It adds contrast in terms of texture to the rest of the song which has a thinner texture. Before and after 0:43 in the original recording, the tune is layered by the other brass instruments including the saxophone 5
GMAJ7, F#7, Em7, A7, DMAJ7, C#7, F#7, Bm, B7 transposed a tone higher for my instrument
However, instead of using different brass instruments to double up on my part I will attempt to do this only using the flugelhorn. To do this, I would have to collaborate with many other brass players however, by doing this myself with my own instrument, this goes with my project
Therefore I will be researching into creating a harmony ontop of the lines that I already have.
I learned how to create my harmonies by using guitar loop pedal and experimenting with the different notes. In the beginning, I played some notes which didn't sound like a harmony and I had to continue playing until I found the note I was looking for.
By the end of today, I had notated my harmonies for Spain.
Tomorrow I will be going into a practice room to use a looping pedal to play the harmony I have created over the original part.
To create harmonies with the flugelhorn in 'Spain', I had made use of the pedal which I know more about due to my research into Sam Barton's use of pedals in his playing
In this video, I played the part until it was looped and was playing out of the speakers as a loop
Doing harmonies again-= revisiting harmonies
22/3
Next, I played the a harmony with this which was an E and a B.
Next time, I will be recording the harmonies in 'Spain'.
23/3
pain
Practicing some parts of Spain, seeing if i can learn the main tune
Using a score which is in the piano key so it needs to be transposed
Still haven't learnt the main tune
Still haven't learnt the main tune
This is the score that I was playing from which is the piano part
The trumpet, piano and bass play in unison at the beginning and the main tune(chorus section)
17/5/19
This is the part which I had learned today
This is the part I still need to learn and master like the other parts
#
Difficulties with the tempo
The next step within this is to find a backing so that I can find my tempo
Backing track for 'Spain'
I have reverted to the idea of using a backing track in my version of Chick Corea's 'Spain' like I had done for Blue Bossa (a jazz standard I had done in unit 8) due to the unreliability of musicians.
https://www.algoriddim.com/
From watching this performance from Saxman Diggle, I have noticed that his use of backing tracks allowed him to quickly transition between songs without having to wait for musicians or a band to set up. He also had control over the volume levels of the backing tracks. This ensured that the backing track was not excessively loud of too quiet. Instead of having a band play at their own volume and playing too loud at points, with a backing track, the musician can control the levels of the instruments without worrying about volume during the performance.
in 'Spain',
From watching this performance from Saxman Diggle, I have noticed that his use of backing tracks allowed him to quickly transition between songs without having to wait for musicians or a band to set up. He also had control over the volume levels of the backing tracks. This ensured that the backing track was not excessively loud of too quiet. Instead of having a band play at their own volume and playing too loud at points, with a backing track, the musician can control the levels of the instruments without worrying about volume during the performance.
in 'Spain',
Due to the advantages that this could bring to my performance, I have looked into ways that I could have an accompaniment for my flugelhorn within my fusion EP.
However, to the unavailability of an iOs device during this project, I have looked into an alternative way of having
ALTERNATIVE BACKING TRACKS
I have looked into another option which could be a MIDI file. I have found this out by researching into different types of backing tracks. Looking into different backing tracks will impact my project as I am looking into accompaniments for the flugelhorn for my version of 'Spain' which will allows me to arrange my flugelhorn part around. Once I have arranged the parts for 'Spain', I will be able to record at the time I have stated on my time plan rather than having delays due to unreliable musicians, ensuring that my EP is released on time.
Nowadays, the idea of creating music on computers has become broader as this is something that couldn't be done in the early 90s. The first machines to do this were "as large as a bus" which didn't create decent sounding music. They say it sounded like a "dying duck". From this I have gathered that the functions of these music - making computers were far less versatile than those of today. This compares massively to the computers that can make music nowadays with apps such as Garage band and Logic which are found in almost every single modernized recording studio. As well as working as a synthesizer, the metronome, mixing board, processing effects and tape machine mean that these computers have evolved over time.
To support these points I have made according to another article, after reading through an article on a website called 'flypaper' about creating MIDI music (Peter Flom, 2016), I have read into the creation of modern MIDI files which could aid in my understanding of how music is made using computers to back up my opinions when I look at different backing tracks.
Within this research, I have gathered that the music created on a computer is only limited to the imagination of the musician which is an advantage due to the various effects and functions of the computers. On Logic, for example there are options for using
Therefore, people have the options to create music that they are passionate about and recreate songs to their own versions. This can relate to Chick Corea's 'Spain' which has resulted in many online versions for accompaniment purposes.
This can be due to the budget of the musicians, as they are unable to hire a full band for recording and in opposition, learning to play the keyboard to use a MIDI keyboard which enables you to play with the sound of instruments available on logic.
However, due to the electronic sounds which come from a musical computer, the aims of the musician are sometimes a natural 'performed live' sound which had been recorded. Therefore, a disadvantage of using computers to create music could be the electronic musical sounds that come from these computers together with the time it could take to create a naturally sounding track. To describe the music created as a result of using computers for music are 'hollow', 'artificial' and 'uninspired'.
Therefore, this research could impact my decision of MIDI files I choose in the end.
In this week, I will be deciding on a backing track I will use for 'Spain'.
Comparing MIDI's for use
Comparing this MIDI file to the first MIDI I listen to, these both consist of their own solo sections on the piano and guitars which can be heard in the video of the MIDI below. This something which altered my decision as I will be recording a solo section in the spaces of these.
Also, these solo sections don't have a simple structure where there is a solo and then it goes back to the tune. Four bars following the head melody, there is another improvised solo and this repeats. Therefore the chord progression is shaped around this and if I were to improvise over this by removing all of the solo sections, the chord progression may not match to exactly what I am playing.
What aspects did I choose when deciding what key to play in?
When deciding on the key I will play 'Spain' in, I took into account of the key of the original song by listening to the original version so that I can learn the head melody and train my ears. -
I didn't take into account of the range of 'Spain' because I am working on a higher range for my grade 8 exam and challenging myself to reach higher than a Bb. (The head melody doesn't reach this range so this would have to be in the improvisation section - improvising up to that range)
The flugelhorn in the key of Bb and the piano in the key of C means that I have to transpose in order to play in concert pitch.
Trying not to use scores as I would like to train my ears...classical player where clasical music is all played from what is written, against the idea of relating to the music environment around you and relying on what is written only.
Comparing this MIDI file to the first MIDI I listen to, these both consist of their own solo sections on the piano and guitars which can be heard in the video of the MIDI below. This something which altered my decision as I will be recording a solo section in the spaces of these.
Also, these solo sections don't have a simple structure where there is a solo and then it goes back to the tune. Four bars following the head melody, there is another improvised solo and this repeats. Therefore the chord progression is shaped around this and if I were to improvise over this by removing all of the solo sections, the chord progression may not match to exactly what I am playing.
i will show the processes of this using photos.
Backing tracks 1:
Backing tracks 1:
Link
http://cavalierp.tripod.com/CPMidi.html
This file downloads as a midi file onto logic so that I can edit it and make corrections structurally, It has every part playing
This file downloads as a midi file onto logic so that I can edit it and make corrections structurally, It has every part playing
I have discovered a baCking track on the website notz.com
This is the original key of the song.
Does it have all of the parts which are in Chick Corea's version
Look into the instrumentation of the original 'Spain'
2nd Midi file from YouTube
Cannot alter the file as it's an audio not a mid
After listening to this backing track, I had noticed that this third backing track is in the same key as the first one I listened to (https://www.notz.com/jazz_midi.htm) which is the original key of the song. This is an advantage as this is the key I have decided to play in which is A minor (B minor for my Bb instrument with the phrase starting n a G#).
This is the scale used for the key of the trumpet for this song and the improvisation section.
I don't prefer this midi file to the other midi files I have looked at due to it's electronic sound
which sounds recorded using the computer only without any natural-sounding live instruments. I have attached a video to demonstrate this
I listen to the baCking track again
Also has a saxophone which would get in the way of the made melody which is played on the trumpet or flugelhorn
An issue which I found when listening to this midi file is the saxophone part which is playing over the backing track.
It also has improvised solo sections
having to mute the tracks to find out which is making the drum fill at the beginning
Start of Spain video, add audio
The next backing track I will look into...
This is the original key of the song.
Does it have all of the parts which are in Chick Corea's version
Look into the instrumentation of the original 'Spain'
2nd Midi file from YouTube
Cannot alter the file as it's an audio not a mid
After listening to this backing track, I had noticed that this third backing track is in the same key as the first one I listened to (https://www.notz.com/jazz_midi.htm) which is the original key of the song. This is an advantage as this is the key I have decided to play in which is A minor (B minor for my Bb instrument with the phrase starting n a G#).
This is the scale used for the key of the trumpet for this song and the improvisation section.
I don't prefer this midi file to the other midi files I have looked at due to it's electronic sound
which sounds recorded using the computer only without any natural-sounding live instruments. I have attached a video to demonstrate this
I listen to the baCking track again
Also has a saxophone which would get in the way of the made melody which is played on the trumpet or flugelhorn
An issue which I found when listening to this midi file is the saxophone part which is playing over the backing track.
It also has improvised solo sections
Listening to the midi file all of the way through
Moving the midi tracks forward in space for an introduction
Removing some of the unnecessary tracks that don't make any sound, for example at the beginning
having to mute the tracks to find out which is making the drum fill at the beginning
Start of Spain video, add audio
The next backing track I will look into...
Backing track 2:
Today I have found a new midi file to use for my version of 'Spain' and after my comparisons through my research, I have chosen one which suits my sound expectations together with the instruments I needed, similar to the rhythm section of Latin Jazz band.
Although I have done this, I have already learned parts of 'Spain' which meant that my key and the key of the backing track should be the same.
To listen to these backing tracks, I will download them to a MIDI file using Logic pro. There is an option to save the tracks as a midi or audio file. When I'd like to upload the audios of these tracks, I will take into account of this so that I can attach them to this blog.
Testing out these MIDI FILES
The backing track too fast
After downloading the backing track I carried out some experiments in aspects of the key, bpm (without knowing the key of the original)
Video of me playing towards the backing track
Due to the backing track being a little too fast for me to play along to, I have thought of changing the bpm the next time I practice with the midi file,
In today's practice routine, I played the trumpet part of 'Spain' towards the backing track I chose to experiment with the BPM of the midi file and the tempo at which I have been practicing.After experimenting with this, I felt that the backing track was faster than my playing at some points as I am still working out the notes and learning 'Spain' by ear.
In the next recording of Spain, I will make sure that I practice closer to the tempo of the backing track which I will be playing towards for the recording. This will prevent me from being surprised of how fast the backing track is when I begin recording which was compared to how I played it, slower than the original. I will be working on my improvements with this because to record a version of 'Spain' where it doesn't sound like I am rushing to keep up with the music of playing too slow. This could result in the backing playing while the flugelhorn part sounds 'delayed'. I will need to play in the same 'time' as the backing track.
This relates to my flugelhorn playing skills which I aim to become confident with before I go to study at Middlesex University... ELABORATE
I have backed this up with research.
This relates to my flugelhorn playing skills which I aim to become confident with before I go to study at Middlesex University... ELABORATE
I have backed this up with research.
The FINAL backing track
(West, 2013)
In order to use it, I will be converting this into an audio file.
Now that I have chosen the MIDI file I would like to sue for my version of 'Spain', I will be gathering how I can use this and apply this to my track. Due to my knowledge into music production from units 5-7 of the course, I have found that I can attach tracks in the format of MP3 to Logic. However, I have acknowledged that this backing track that I have chosen is in video (MP4) format which means that the MP4 would have to be converted into a
I used a website called OnlineVideoCoverter to be able to convert the video to an audio file which I used as an accompaniment for my flugelhorn part in 'Spain'.
Using a backing track to have the bassist play along to downloading and sending to myself via email. I converted this Youtube video to an MP3 using https://www.flvto.biz/youtube-to-mp3/ website. From here, I entered the link to the video and then downloaded the file to an MP3 which I then sent to my email. Once this was on my email, I could download this onto iTunes to attach into Logic. This process enabled me to be able to have the backing track playing while the bassist recorded by making sure that the correct input was selected and the 'cue' levels were turned up.
After all, I now had an audio file which I could use to add to my tracks which was playable on iTunes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX9gg4G34X8
Planning the recording sessions:
Week 8/4-14/4
Looking into NYJO
Due to the difficulties I have previously I have had with improvisation and lacking creativity within the melodies, throughout this project, I will be working to improve my playing techniques within a range of styles including jazz by creating a fusion EP. Therefore by understanding the ideas behind improvisation, this allows me to practice improvisation whilst referring back to the key concepts.This will allow me to play stylistically correct to the style to construct my Latin jazz standard.
Improvisation is unique to this style which I am playing for this fusion EP. Compared to the dance classical contemporary piece I am playing for my grade 8 exam and my EP, this piece is written, Allen Vizzuti's aims for the piece are demonstrated by the way that the piece is marked. The piece marked in Italian consists of dynamic marking, articulations which all have an effect on the way a phrase is shaped. For example when I play 'Polka' without the markings on the score, there is hardly any shape to phrase and it lacks in interest. See Polka reflections week 1 and week 2. This is supported where it says that jazz 'it's not like classical music, where everything is supposed to be played note for note the same each time.'
(Steven Dillard, 2015)
This article defined improvisation as 'a shared understanding of rhythm, harmony and melody'. Improvisation allows musicians to play without reading from a notated score or ever hearing a tune you'd improvise to. From this I can infer that improvisation is unpredictable and unexpected. Linking this to another article, here it has defined improvisation as 'the process of spontaneously creating fresh melodies over the continuously repeating cycle of chord changes of a tune'. This understanding of harmony and melody and the idea of creating fresh melodies over a chord changes as when listening to chord progressions, you are listening to the harmonies. A chord is the layering of several tones which could be a harmony.https://www.earmaster.com/wiki/music-memos/what-are-chords-in-music.htmlCITATION
By the end of the course I aim to become a more versatile flugelhornist in terms of the styles I play and I believe that my practice within improvisation will allow me to explore a range of techniques common in jazz. This gives me the idea that the use of articulation, dynamics and other performance markings are what have an impact on the sound of the phrase. This links to my playing of Polka, when I incorporated the dynamics and articulation within my playing of this piece, this had helped to 'shape' the phrases in a better way which had meaning to them.
An acciacatura is a slight note that comes before the actual not. In the image, this is how an acciacatura is notated.
The next jazz standard I will be looking at will be
In contrast to this
Link back to Latin improvisation
Fusing together my knowledge of jazz and then my knowledge of Latin jazz
When improvising confidence is required?
https://www.apassion4jazz.net/improvisation.html
This is a video of my practice for improvisation
EMBED FROM YOUTUBE
From this practice I have noticed that I still haven't got used to improvising with the notes within the chords of this jazz standard as was playing was hesitation. I felt as if I was constantly 'choosing the notes' in oppose to playing
The issue here could also be as a result of my struggles with ear interpretation on the trumpet. I have completed a case study within this topic of ear training to connect my instrument to my ear.,
Following on from my research into improvisation in jazz, I have related this to something I was recommended to by one of my tutors. I was told about a Sunday jazz jam where a group of players practice their
This could make improvisation a wide topic which could cover a variety of musical techniques.
NYJO
To build my confidence with improvising throughout my project linking to my research into Johnny Diggle (When I watched Diggles performance at Hammersmith, I noticed his confidence which I have linked to improvisation), I will be attending a workshop at the National Youth Jazz Orchestra which I was recommended to by a tutor who emailed me the links of the website for the jazz jam.
During term time for the NYJO jazz orchestra, they run monthly jazz jam sessions which happened at the last Sunday of every month which feature up-coming jazz artists.
In these jazz jams, musicians of NYJO and musicians of the public get an opportunity to play with 'the professionals' and "The floor opens to all those who want to jam" on the events.
A jazz jam which happened on Sunday 27th January at 'Foyles Bookshop Charing Cross' with Ms Maurice. This jazz jam includes fusions with West African music which are influenced by Maurice's London upbringing. On the NYJO website it states 'her melange of influences from organic grooves infused with 70s jazz and a touch of West African sonic seasoning'. This is a female artist who infuses jazz with her West African culture which relates to how I am using fusions with jazz, however on the flugelhorn. (NYJO, 2019)
NYJO is The National Youth Jazz Orchestra which is a charity with a mission to promote jazz as an 'inspirational art' through world class performances and education work. The NYJO arrange around 35 performances each year which offers a wide range of performance opportunities for jazz beginners and those advanced. The venues range from the BBC proms to annual residencies at the Ronnie Scott's jazz club. With 54 years of history, NYJO have developed from a single jazz orchestra consisting of emerging professionals to the jazz music industry to something which is available to different ability levels in jazz.
The beginner, intermediate and advance groups I was told about when I visited reflects this. With the NYJO advanced group being focused on playing complex jazz theory and scales, there is a clear level of differentiation between the beginner and intermediate groups where improvisation and ensemble training from grade 5 is offered. Attending the NYJO jazz ensembles, this could give me a greater insight into improvisation in jazz as I will listen to others improvising and gaining new techniques. According to a quote about jazz, in a jazz playing environment, "Everyone has their role in holding the space, but the roles get moved around from person to person, instrument to instrument,"(Steven Dillard, 2015)
Gaining an insight into jazz and improvisation at the NYJO will to learn jazz standards and improvisation techniques within a group of woodwind and brass jazz musicians, therefore expanding my playing techniques in jazz.
In this project, I am learning techniques of different styles to expand my flugelhorn styles and escape classical music which the trumpet was originally involved in. At the beginning of the project, I looked into classical music and how the trumpet/flugelhorn were connected with this. I am currently working on a Latin jazz standard called 'Spain' which fuses together jazz and Latin music to create a 'jazz fusion'. Therefore combining jazz and Latin is where improvisational techniques will be of use, looking back at my research.
I learned how jazz fusion was created by listening to Chick Corea, Snarky Puppy's music (who play without limitations of genre) and Saxman Diggle's interview where he defined the term as he is also a fusion play with aspirations of playing in a fusion band.
My experience at NYJO:
At the jazz ensemble they had transformed a song from Toy Story called 'You've got a friend in me' which is a disney song into a jazz standard by creating a head melody and adding an improvisation section. Jazz standards are usually based around a melody and then an improvisation section which is passed around the instruments. 'In a jazz context, one complete cycle through a song’s form is called a chorus'. (Jump, 2017) This relates to my project as I will be creating the structure for my jazz standards. https://brianjump.net/2017/07/07/the-structure-and-essence-of-jazz/
Looking into NYJO
Due to the difficulties I have previously I have had with improvisation and lacking creativity within the melodies, throughout this project, I will be working to improve my playing techniques within a range of styles including jazz by creating a fusion EP. Therefore by understanding the ideas behind improvisation, this allows me to practice improvisation whilst referring back to the key concepts.This will allow me to play stylistically correct to the style to construct my Latin jazz standard.
Improvisation is unique to this style which I am playing for this fusion EP. Compared to the dance classical contemporary piece I am playing for my grade 8 exam and my EP, this piece is written, Allen Vizzuti's aims for the piece are demonstrated by the way that the piece is marked. The piece marked in Italian consists of dynamic marking, articulations which all have an effect on the way a phrase is shaped. For example when I play 'Polka' without the markings on the score, there is hardly any shape to phrase and it lacks in interest. See Polka reflections week 1 and week 2. This is supported where it says that jazz 'it's not like classical music, where everything is supposed to be played note for note the same each time.'
This article defined improvisation as 'a shared understanding of rhythm, harmony and melody'. Improvisation allows musicians to play without reading from a notated score or ever hearing a tune you'd improvise to. From this I can infer that improvisation is unpredictable and unexpected. Linking this to another article, here it has defined improvisation as 'the process of spontaneously creating fresh melodies over the continuously repeating cycle of chord changes of a tune'. This understanding of harmony and melody and the idea of creating fresh melodies over a chord changes as when listening to chord progressions, you are listening to the harmonies. A chord is the layering of several tones which could be a harmony.https://www.earmaster.com/wiki/music-memos/what-are-chords-in-music.htmlCITATION
I have noticed that in this 'Roy Hargrove quintet - Strasbourg St Denis' in Hargrove's trumpet solo, he uses a mixture of playing techniques. Articulation is the way a note is played. This could range from staccatos to slurring. However in this improvised solo in the jazz standard, Hargrove makes use of acciacaturas in his playing. This is evident in the clip below where the trumpet solo starts at 2:47.
An acciacatura is a slight note that comes before the actual not. In the image, this is how an acciacatura is notated.
However this jazz performance doesn't include a trumpeter improvising on their own. Therefore I will be looking into another version that does this. Therefore, I can gain an insight on the way a trumpeter would approach a solo in a jazz standard making use of the playing techniques I have gathered above.
The next jazz standard I will be looking at will be
In contrast to this
Link back to Latin improvisation
Fusing together my knowledge of jazz and then my knowledge of Latin jazz
When improvising confidence is required?
https://www.apassion4jazz.net/improvisation.html
This is a video of my practice for improvisation
EMBED FROM YOUTUBE
From this practice I have noticed that I still haven't got used to improvising with the notes within the chords of this jazz standard as was playing was hesitation. I felt as if I was constantly 'choosing the notes' in oppose to playing
The issue here could also be as a result of my struggles with ear interpretation on the trumpet. I have completed a case study within this topic of ear training to connect my instrument to my ear.,
Following on from my research into improvisation in jazz, I have related this to something I was recommended to by one of my tutors. I was told about a Sunday jazz jam where a group of players practice their
This could make improvisation a wide topic which could cover a variety of musical techniques.
NYJO
To build my confidence with improvising throughout my project linking to my research into Johnny Diggle (When I watched Diggles performance at Hammersmith, I noticed his confidence which I have linked to improvisation), I will be attending a workshop at the National Youth Jazz Orchestra which I was recommended to by a tutor who emailed me the links of the website for the jazz jam.
During term time for the NYJO jazz orchestra, they run monthly jazz jam sessions which happened at the last Sunday of every month which feature up-coming jazz artists.
In these jazz jams, musicians of NYJO and musicians of the public get an opportunity to play with 'the professionals' and "The floor opens to all those who want to jam" on the events.
A jazz jam which happened on Sunday 27th January at 'Foyles Bookshop Charing Cross' with Ms Maurice. This jazz jam includes fusions with West African music which are influenced by Maurice's London upbringing. On the NYJO website it states 'her melange of influences from organic grooves infused with 70s jazz and a touch of West African sonic seasoning'. This is a female artist who infuses jazz with her West African culture which relates to how I am using fusions with jazz, however on the flugelhorn. (NYJO, 2019)
NYJO is The National Youth Jazz Orchestra which is a charity with a mission to promote jazz as an 'inspirational art' through world class performances and education work. The NYJO arrange around 35 performances each year which offers a wide range of performance opportunities for jazz beginners and those advanced. The venues range from the BBC proms to annual residencies at the Ronnie Scott's jazz club. With 54 years of history, NYJO have developed from a single jazz orchestra consisting of emerging professionals to the jazz music industry to something which is available to different ability levels in jazz.
The beginner, intermediate and advance groups I was told about when I visited reflects this. With the NYJO advanced group being focused on playing complex jazz theory and scales, there is a clear level of differentiation between the beginner and intermediate groups where improvisation and ensemble training from grade 5 is offered. Attending the NYJO jazz ensembles, this could give me a greater insight into improvisation in jazz as I will listen to others improvising and gaining new techniques. According to a quote about jazz, in a jazz playing environment, "Everyone has their role in holding the space, but the roles get moved around from person to person, instrument to instrument,"(Steven Dillard, 2015)
Gaining an insight into jazz and improvisation at the NYJO will to learn jazz standards and improvisation techniques within a group of woodwind and brass jazz musicians, therefore expanding my playing techniques in jazz.
In this project, I am learning techniques of different styles to expand my flugelhorn styles and escape classical music which the trumpet was originally involved in. At the beginning of the project, I looked into classical music and how the trumpet/flugelhorn were connected with this. I am currently working on a Latin jazz standard called 'Spain' which fuses together jazz and Latin music to create a 'jazz fusion'. Therefore combining jazz and Latin is where improvisational techniques will be of use, looking back at my research.
I learned how jazz fusion was created by listening to Chick Corea, Snarky Puppy's music (who play without limitations of genre) and Saxman Diggle's interview where he defined the term as he is also a fusion play with aspirations of playing in a fusion band.
My experience at NYJO:
At the jazz ensemble they had transformed a song from Toy Story called 'You've got a friend in me' which is a disney song into a jazz standard by creating a head melody and adding an improvisation section. Jazz standards are usually based around a melody and then an improvisation section which is passed around the instruments. 'In a jazz context, one complete cycle through a song’s form is called a chorus'. (Jump, 2017) This relates to my project as I will be creating the structure for my jazz standards. https://brianjump.net/2017/07/07/the-structure-and-essence-of-jazz/
Beverley interview
This week, I was told about a band called The Cesarians by a tutor who knows one of the band members. There is a flugelhornist, Beverley Chrome plays as the only flugelhorn player of the band. I have looked into some websites to help me find out more about Beverley's playing in the band to help me with what I am trying to find out.
By carrying out interviews, I am aiming to find out how trumpeters of different styles use alterations in effects, technology and techniques to alter the sound of the trumpet and fir the instrument into the band without sounding too classical. At the beginning of my interviews, I have researched into the use of mutes and pedals with the trumpet and have come across ways that the trumpet sound can change with the addition of physical items such as CDs.
Tomorrow I will be researching into the band to gather what I would like to find out about Beverley's playing so that I can construct my interview questions. What I find out from Beverley could link the way the brass is used in a band (which is not classical) to my project.
The Cesarians are a London-based band consisting of a singer (Charlie Finke), pianist (Justine Armature), drummer (Jan Noble) and 'an all woman wind section' (Beverley). Their lyrics of their music speak about love, loss, redemption, terror and absurdity.
Once I had decided on what I wanted to ask Beverley, I wrote up an email which is in tomorrow's reflection.
This week, I was told about a band called The Cesarians by a tutor who knows one of the band members. There is a flugelhornist, Beverley Chrome plays as the only flugelhorn player of the band. I have looked into some websites to help me find out more about Beverley's playing in the band to help me with what I am trying to find out.
By carrying out interviews, I am aiming to find out how trumpeters of different styles use alterations in effects, technology and techniques to alter the sound of the trumpet and fir the instrument into the band without sounding too classical. At the beginning of my interviews, I have researched into the use of mutes and pedals with the trumpet and have come across ways that the trumpet sound can change with the addition of physical items such as CDs.
Tomorrow I will be researching into the band to gather what I would like to find out about Beverley's playing so that I can construct my interview questions. What I find out from Beverley could link the way the brass is used in a band (which is not classical) to my project.
The Cesarians are a London-based band consisting of a singer (Charlie Finke), pianist (Justine Armature), drummer (Jan Noble) and 'an all woman wind section' (Beverley). Their lyrics of their music speak about love, loss, redemption, terror and absurdity.
Once I had decided on what I wanted to ask Beverley, I wrote up an email which is in tomorrow's reflection.
Writing Beverley interview
Hi Beverley,
My name is Omega. I am currently working on a project focusing on the flugelhorn in terms of playing in a range of styles and altering the sounds of the flugelhorn. Particularly in Jazz, Latin or a fusion.Could you tell me briefly some things about your playing within a range of genres which I could generate some interview questions upon please?
I look forward to hearing back from you
Thanks,
Omega
Hi Beverley,
My name is Omega. I am currently working on a project focusing on the flugelhorn in terms of playing in a range of styles and altering the sounds of the flugelhorn. Particularly in Jazz, Latin or a fusion.Could you tell me briefly some things about your playing within a range of genres which I could generate some interview questions upon please?
I look forward to hearing back from you
Thanks,
Omega
From not obtaining a reply from Beverley from The Cesarians, I had decided to follow up with another email to the same address, however with some improvements made to the email.
My conclusions were that my email was not very direct as I didn't specifically mention what I was trying to find out.I think that this could be one of the reasons Beverley hadn't replied to my email as when I had sent the new email some time after, I had gotten a reply from her after a short time.
With the email that I had sent to Andy Diagram, I had stated what I was particularly interested in which was his approach to using different effects, the use of the iPhone (or the iSlice which I knew after he replied back to me) to control the effects on his instrument. Ending this with a question "How you manage to connect and function this?" made my interview questions clear to Andy, resulting in a response which was directly focused on this.
Within the email I had sent to Beverley, it was clear that I didn't have familiarity with Beverly's role and responsibilities other than her participation in a band as the only female flugelhornist. As there wasn't enough relevant information on the website, I had a conversation with my tutor who told me about Beverley as what she does can relate to my project. As they had collaborated once, she was able to provide me with information regarding the styles that she is involved in.
Due to my project having a focus on the use of the trumpet and flugelhorn expanding to extended styles of playing in oppose to classical music with a link to gender playing these brass instruments, the topics of interest when interviewing Beverley was based on her experiences.
As a female trumpeter and flugelhornist, which are the same instruments I play, I mentioned her adaptation to a band described with no specific genre. This links to the comment I found on their website "Following no musical map but that of their own instincts, transforming what can be done with the instruments they play, subverting all notions of genre, radion and boundaries" which emphasizes that their playing is not prevented by genre barriers.
My email to Beverley
I had made some improvements from the first email I have sent to Beverley
My conclusions were that my email was not very direct as I didn't specifically mention what I was trying to find out.I think that this could be one of the reasons Beverley hadn't replied to my email as when I had sent the new email some time after, I had gotten a reply from her after a short time.
With the email that I had sent to Andy Diagram, I had stated what I was particularly interested in which was his approach to using different effects, the use of the iPhone (or the iSlice which I knew after he replied back to me) to control the effects on his instrument. Ending this with a question "How you manage to connect and function this?" made my interview questions clear to Andy, resulting in a response which was directly focused on this.
Within the email I had sent to Beverley, it was clear that I didn't have familiarity with Beverly's role and responsibilities other than her participation in a band as the only female flugelhornist. As there wasn't enough relevant information on the website, I had a conversation with my tutor who told me about Beverley as what she does can relate to my project. As they had collaborated once, she was able to provide me with information regarding the styles that she is involved in.
Due to my project having a focus on the use of the trumpet and flugelhorn expanding to extended styles of playing in oppose to classical music with a link to gender playing these brass instruments, the topics of interest when interviewing Beverley was based on her experiences.
As a female trumpeter and flugelhornist, which are the same instruments I play, I mentioned her adaptation to a band described with no specific genre. This links to the comment I found on their website "Following no musical map but that of their own instincts, transforming what can be done with the instruments they play, subverting all notions of genre, radion and boundaries" which emphasizes that their playing is not prevented by genre barriers.
My email to Beverley
I had made some improvements from the first email I have sent to Beverley
The Cesarians coming to perform at the college which aids with this and could be an alternative
After attempting to email and interview Beverly without have forgetting a reply, I have sought another way of contacting Beverley.
As she will be at the college performance on Thursday 6th June in the 'Summer Series' show, In this performance I could find out what I was aiming to find out through interviewing Beverly. Also, after the performance, I may have an opportunity to ask her questions regarding her playing, similar to the questions I have written in my interviews to link to my project.
Going back to my email to Beverley, I mentioned what I am doing within my project which is escaping the barriers of classical music and playing more into other styles with playing techniques and effects added to my instrument.
As Beverley may have started to play the trumpet as a classical musician, I wanted to gain more information in terms of the transition from classical music to a band of various styles, the Cesarians.
Linking to the case study I did into Alison Balsom to look into a female trumpeter due to my project being based on a fusion album by a female brass player, I was interested in linking this research to Beverley to find out any similarities between female brass players.
In her music career, there may have been moments where being a female prevented her from opportunities or simply judgement. In my research into female brass players, I used an article to look into the ways females are challenged in the music industry due to the 'male confidence required to play instruments like the trumpet".
I have done research into female brass players due to the reason that I am an aspiring female flugelhorn player with goals of playing in a band in university together with completing modules which allow me to travel as a musician.
However, within this project, I will be creating an EP and the idea of being a female flugelhornist will be presented a photoshoot which will be carried out through collaborating with a photographer from the creative departments of the college. The name of the EP will be called 'Escape' which reflects that despite the stereotypes of women playing brass instruments in the industry, I am contributing to the growing amount of females entering the industry as brass instrumentalists today.
15/4-21/4
Mid Point Presentation
In this week, the mid-point presentations took place where I had to explain and present my project as a whole including the progresses I have made from the start of the project to where I am currently, what my following actions will be. To go with this, I have included some voice recordings, briefly explaining my presentation.
Mid-point presentation - 26/04
Evidence
I planned or this mid-point presentation in order to gain feedback from where I am currently at in my project, using my bullet journal. As I mentioned in my project brief at the start of my project, I will be using my bullet journal for anything that needs planning during the process.
Below, I have typed up what I have planned in my bullet journal in advance of the presentation. Relating back to my research into bullet journalling and organisation, this is important for my project to ensure good planning and maintained organisation. It's easy to lack organisation towards the end of the project.
- Speaking for 5 minutes about my project and how its going
- Talking about the relation to my grade 8 exam
- Filming videos of my rehearsals solo of me practicing the songs I am doing
- Working on a jazz standard called 'Spain' by Allen Vizzuti
- Looking into my styles by Attending concerts
- Carried out interviews with trumpeters, Sam Barton, Andy Diagram, Allen Vizzuti
- Sam Barton uses an effects pedal which he uses to create different sounds on the trumpet
- Allen Vizzuti's Polka is inspired by some dance styles which has come into my research into my playing techniques with that piece.
- Attending a taster day at the NYJO
- Experimenting with different microphones in the studio to find the right one to record with
The purpose of my presentation was to gain questions and feedback. When people asked me questions, it allowed me to think about my project in more depth as they were things I hadn't thought about myself. With the question 'How will I be incorporating my grade 8 exam into my project?', I answered explaining that one of the pieces which consist of my 3 track fusion EP is a contemporary classical piece called Polka which is influenced by the dance style 'Polka'. Tracking my practice progression according to the marking scheme for Trinity will help me to prepare for my exam.
Caravan - Duke Ellington
Today I have found out that I didn't have enough tracks in order to create my EP as I currently have 'Polka' and 'Spain' which are 2 tracks. In this case, these two tracks will be two singles rather than an EP. Linking back to my project, I will be creating a 3-track EP with each track being a fusion between two styles. Therefore by creating an EP rather than a single track, I am practicing and arranging a group of styles on the flugelhorn rather than a small amount. This allows me to build my skills to become a versatile trumpeter, from being a classical trumpeter. I will be doing this to link to my aims of playing in a fusion band with the flugelhorn to contradict the idea that the trumpet is a classical instrument. Therefore by looking into this, I will be able to achieve my aims of improving my playing of Latin, jazz and dance styles. 'Spain' is a fusion between Latin and jazz and Polka is a fusion between classical and dance.
I have chosen to create a 3-track EP rather than a 10 -12 track fusion album due to my aims of exploring creativity within my song options. Focusing on a small amount of songs means that I will be able to experiment, look into different ways of altering the sound of my instrument and apply playing techniques to the style of music within my time period for this project.This is reflected in the article where it says that a 3P (a 3-track EP) allows you to 'get playful or silly, to take the music to some out-there places, to try on different personas, etc.'. In terms of my project, I will be doing this in a different sense, applying the flugelhorn, a classical instrument to different styles whilst being free rather than having to focus learning a large number of tracks.
I discovered a jazz standard called 'Caravan' when I attended the NYJO jazz orchestra for improvisational inspiration as I had experienced difficulties with this in 'Spain'.I had also played a jazz standard called 'four on six' however, playing Caravan at the NYJO with the band had provided me with new ideas for my project as to be able to complete my project and create my fusion EP, I will be using additional fusion pieces/songs to add to 'Spain' and 'Polka' which I have explained in my previous reflection yesterday.
The jazz standard 'Caravan' written in 1932 by a trombonist, Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills. Tizol was in Duke's band where he created the idea for the tune and then the rest of them completed it together. The first to record the tune were Barney Bigard and his Jazzopaters with Duke Ellington and his orchestra later recording resulting in a 'hit'. The popularity of the standard resulted in many other orchestras of the period performing it too. (Learn Jazz Standards, 2018)
However 'Four on Six' didn't go with the idea of my project because the style of this jazz standard is just swing jazz. Whereas I am re-arranging fusions within my EP, therefore I wasn't sure whether I could fit this style in like how I did with Spain as it has influences from Latin and jazz.
We also did the song 'You've got a friend in me from toy story' but with a jazz feel to it. This is the video of the band playing this. To create a 'jazzy' rhythm by adding two notes at the end of the phrase instead of playing it exactly how the song goe
However from the Saturdays that I took part at the NYJO, I had learned that
I have now applied this to my playing. In this video I am improvising with the notes in the head melody of 'Spain'.
First, the melody was played, and then the improvisation section came in where I listened to another trumpeter improvising using the notes in the melody from Toy Story. I noticed that through her use of the notes in the melody to improvise over, the notes fit well with the chords played by the pianist and made her solo 'flow'.
This links to my project because I will be learning improvisational techniques by improvising with the head melody
As I will be improvising in Caravan over the chord progression, I will be using the notes in the melody over the chords that they are played over.
These videos show my experiences which I have explained, at NYJO.
The idea that improvisation is a key component in jazz music is emphasized within an article called stating the importance of improvisation.
Before my research, I have gathered that the importance of improvisation in jazz music could come from how common improvisation is within jazz standards where a section is carved out for an instrumentalist to present their talents.
Reflecting on this week:
I focused on arranging, however next I will focus on production and mixing my tracks (university opens these doors for me)
Key of Caravan:
Due to not knowing the key of the backing track, when I do Caravan
Approaching an arrangement for 'Caravan', I looked into the head arrangement which consists of the melody and chord sequence of the tune.
When the bassist and drummer record the chord progression from C to F, the piano preview will be played during the recording so that they can listen to this before they start playing. Going back to the research I did previously into this, this will ensure that the first recording is 'in time' so that the recordings on-top of this are in the same tempo. To summaries the outcome of my research, recording a jazz standard with all of the instruments sounding together results in a quality fusion jazz standard recording for my 3-track EP. This will also aid in my playing in jazz as it's essential for me to listen to the drummer when playing the head melody and improvising to keep in time. This is one of the roles for a drummer in a jazz ensemble.
Evidence THE DRUMS IN A JAZZ STANDARD
Developing my performance and recording skills in jazz for 'Spain' and 'Caravan', I will be able to alter the playing of each instrument of the band in order to play this Latin jazz piece called 'Caravan'. Being able to perform and record could expand my skills and abilities with jazz fusion in a band that I aspire to build with other musicians Middlesex journey.
Tomorrow, I will be working on finishing the band for Caravan by contacting a drummer and a pianist to complete my arrangement. Completing the arrangement for 'Caravan' means that I can record my improvisation section fully knowing the structure and how long my solo would be.Building up the arrangement for 'Caravan' allows me to finish the recordings and get the tracks mixed and mastered within a certain time frame where I will also need to work with a producer.
Scratch/preview track
To allow myself enough time to record the tracks in my EP, I will be researching into ways to organise my time and bookings for the recording process. Therefore, I had decided to use the internet to look into websites which could relate the recording and EP and organization for my project. I have come across a website called 'The Recording Revolution' with the founder 'Graham Cochrane' who creates audio recording and mixing blogs with a an aim to 'educate and empower' a new generation of musicians and songwriter's recordings by changing 'the way you think about recording, mixing, and gear', giving you a 'revolution'.
After
research into Latin drums, I have made a first attempt of looking for a
drummer to contribute to my jazz quartet for 'Caravan' consisting of
the drums, bass, piano and the flugelhorn.Today I had experienced some
difficulties with finding a drummer to play the Latin drum rhythm in the
original of 'Caravan' due to the unavailability of drummers in the
music department of the college. I found this out through contacting a
drummer called Sampha (screenshot interviews) who I was told would be
ideal for recording Latin jazz rhythms.
Microphone set-up in the studio and the pianist wearing headphones- link this to the research I had done into headphones previously
The first recording for Caravan was to get the preview ready for the band to record to. When preparing to work with the pianist to record, I sent the pianist, Minjoo a video from YouTube through Instagram and there is a message telling her when the rehearsal will be so that we can practice this.
By gaining the contact of this pianist prior to this project, I was able to contact Minjoo using Instagram. From researching into this during the previous units of this course, I made sure that I knew that Social media is a modern method of communication within in the music industry nowadays and has changed many aspects of the industry from.
https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/Advice/Your-Career/Promotion/Promoting-Yourself
Also, in opposition, emails can be a more efficient way of communicating and is a cost effective way of maintaining contacts.A mailing list can include the email addresses or friends, acquaintances and journalists. Therefore when I am contacting the other instrumentalists for the band, I will be creating a group email where the emails will be sent out.
If this doesn't go to plan and the musicians don't check their emails, I will combine this method with the method I used to contact Minjoo in the first place
Reliable that the message will get to her - not like emails where people may take longer to acknowledge my email
Metronome for the piano
What didn't go well in this recording session was that the pianist produced a piano version which was out of time. The pianist had to leave the recording session early.The pianist wasn't reliable and had to leave the studio early. As she had already recorded her pianist part, I had wanted her to stay for the rest of the session to help with my flugelhorn recordings.
PRACTICING REACHING A C IN CARAVAN
To plan out my arrangement, I have created a sketch on paper of a plan of the standard including all of the instruments and their parts within my version of 'Caravan'.
Linking back to the literature view of the book 'rock, jazz and pop' arranging, it makes arrangers aware not to overwrite brass parts due to trumpeter needing 'rests' every now and then. Trumpeters playing for long periods of time causes pressure on the lips and the decreased air flow as they are not breathing. This could cause damage to the lips which could prevent a trumpeter from playing for a lifetime. Therefore, with this 'free' jazz standard, my part on the flugelhorn in this jazz standard is short as I will be playing only the head melody of the standard, the main tune of Caravan at the beginning. The main tune of Caravan is in the YouTube clip from 1:39-1:49.
I will then go onto the improvisation section where I will be improvising over the G harmonic minor scale over C7b9 and the Bb harmonic minor over F(F7b9) which I hjave practiced and filmed in yesterday's practice session.
Improvising
In the improvisation section, this is the 'free' section as I will be performing an improvised solo over the chords with my scales above. During improvisation, a player can shape the solo in order to add rests is when it is needed, as they are not reading from a score or any instructions to the way they should play. This links to my case study into improvisation where I mentioned a phrase which I found which said 'More importantly, most of what jazz improvisation entails is accurately reproducing whatever music that you hear inside your head' which emphasises the idea that jazz doesn't have instructions or rules you have to follow apart from playing 'what you hear inside your head' to the chord progressions.
Having my flugelhorn part like this in this jazz standard, I am following how the original is recorded. The original is a Latin influenced jazz standard as written on the scores as 'Afro Latin' (in the screenshot below). This can also be supported by an article called 'What was the first Latin inspired jazz standard' where it says "Although Caravan (co-composed by Juan Tizol) is considered by some to be the first real Latin jazz tune"(Neil Foxlee, 2008)
In the improvisation section, I will make sure that I don't 'overplay'. From the book, 'overplaying' links to the increased amount of notes in the higher register for the trumpet. To support this idea, I have looked into a jazz standard with a trumpeter who varies their playing. By varying within playing in a jazz standard, this could include a mixture of octaves rather than staying in the high register for the whole of the solo.
This can be heard in Herbie Hancock's 'Cantaloupe Island' from 1:18-2:30.
Therefore, within this I am in control of the amount of playing during the improvisation section whilst playing the head melody after with breaks in between. Looking after the condition of my lips to ensure that my embouchure is not affected whilst also playing when necessary. This ensures that I am playing to the style of the standard whilst also taking into account of caring for the aspects of my trumpet playing which is my embouchure (the way the lips are placed on the trumpet).
To finish today's reflection, I have look into ways of not overplaying during my solo, where doing a literature review into the 'rock, jazz and pop' arranging book has helped to introduce this research. From this, I have planned into shaping my solo with varied octaves to ensure that I don't 'overplay'. In this project, I will be creating a fusion EP, therefore, I will need to maintain this to ensure that I can create this.
This will benefit me in the future of my playing as I will be able to continue onto university where I will study further into the flugelhorn in a course called BA music. I would like to continue playing fusions on the flugelhorn which links to my project where I am creating a fusion EP to play outside of classical music. Taking care of the aspects of my playing will ensure that I peruse my goals as a flugelhornist.
EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY WITH THE SCALES FOR THE IMPROVISATION SECTION IN CARAVAN
The melody line in 'Caravan'
Using an article to find out the styles which make up 'Caravan' was of use to me as I was able to compare this to my version of 'Spain' which is a combination of jazz and Latin. In a video I had watched where a jazz pianist explained improvisation in 'Spain', he had mentioned the music sounding 'Spanish'.
Today I have found out that I didn't have enough tracks in order to create my EP as I currently have 'Polka' and 'Spain' which are 2 tracks. In this case, these two tracks will be two singles rather than an EP. Linking back to my project, I will be creating a 3-track EP with each track being a fusion between two styles. Therefore by creating an EP rather than a single track, I am practicing and arranging a group of styles on the flugelhorn rather than a small amount. This allows me to build my skills to become a versatile trumpeter, from being a classical trumpeter. I will be doing this to link to my aims of playing in a fusion band with the flugelhorn to contradict the idea that the trumpet is a classical instrument. Therefore by looking into this, I will be able to achieve my aims of improving my playing of Latin, jazz and dance styles. 'Spain' is a fusion between Latin and jazz and Polka is a fusion between classical and dance.
I have chosen to create a 3-track EP rather than a 10 -12 track fusion album due to my aims of exploring creativity within my song options. Focusing on a small amount of songs means that I will be able to experiment, look into different ways of altering the sound of my instrument and apply playing techniques to the style of music within my time period for this project.This is reflected in the article where it says that a 3P (a 3-track EP) allows you to 'get playful or silly, to take the music to some out-there places, to try on different personas, etc.'. In terms of my project, I will be doing this in a different sense, applying the flugelhorn, a classical instrument to different styles whilst being free rather than having to focus learning a large number of tracks.
I discovered a jazz standard called 'Caravan' when I attended the NYJO jazz orchestra for improvisational inspiration as I had experienced difficulties with this in 'Spain'.I had also played a jazz standard called 'four on six' however, playing Caravan at the NYJO with the band had provided me with new ideas for my project as to be able to complete my project and create my fusion EP, I will be using additional fusion pieces/songs to add to 'Spain' and 'Polka' which I have explained in my previous reflection yesterday.
The jazz standard 'Caravan' written in 1932 by a trombonist, Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills. Tizol was in Duke's band where he created the idea for the tune and then the rest of them completed it together. The first to record the tune were Barney Bigard and his Jazzopaters with Duke Ellington and his orchestra later recording resulting in a 'hit'. The popularity of the standard resulted in many other orchestras of the period performing it too. (Learn Jazz Standards, 2018)
However 'Four on Six' didn't go with the idea of my project because the style of this jazz standard is just swing jazz. Whereas I am re-arranging fusions within my EP, therefore I wasn't sure whether I could fit this style in like how I did with Spain as it has influences from Latin and jazz.
We also did the song 'You've got a friend in me from toy story' but with a jazz feel to it. This is the video of the band playing this. To create a 'jazzy' rhythm by adding two notes at the end of the phrase instead of playing it exactly how the song goe
However from the Saturdays that I took part at the NYJO, I had learned that
I have now applied this to my playing. In this video I am improvising with the notes in the head melody of 'Spain'.
First, the melody was played, and then the improvisation section came in where I listened to another trumpeter improvising using the notes in the melody from Toy Story. I noticed that through her use of the notes in the melody to improvise over, the notes fit well with the chords played by the pianist and made her solo 'flow'.
This links to my project because I will be learning improvisational techniques by improvising with the head melody
As I will be improvising in Caravan over the chord progression, I will be using the notes in the melody over the chords that they are played over.
These videos show my experiences which I have explained, at NYJO.
The idea that improvisation is a key component in jazz music is emphasized within an article called stating the importance of improvisation.
Before my research, I have gathered that the importance of improvisation in jazz music could come from how common improvisation is within jazz standards where a section is carved out for an instrumentalist to present their talents.
Arranging Caravan and Spain
The video below shows how Blue Bossa had turned out with the live flugelhorn and the electrically produced backing track. It didn't have a live sound like the sound of a jazz ensemble recording would be. In this video, I am playing Kenny Dorham's Blue Bossa on the trumpet in the key of D minor.
Therefore what didn't go well with this jazz standard was that it didn't link the style in the way it was arranged. To support my idea, I will be researching into the relation between jazz and a live sound.In this article it says but jazz is often organically created: instruments are frequently played live and simultaneously.(Messitte, 2017)
As an example, Duke Ellington's Caravan has been rearranged. Others rearrange this popular jazz standard because they are aiming for a particular sound which can be achieved with the addition of more instruments. On the article it says that 'Many different people have recorded many different versions of this popular jazz standard' - Caravan. Therefore each of these arrangements sound different as they had been "arranged" and altered.
In contrast to their being so many versions of Caravan created, this article says that the composer of the standard can also make amendments to this. The article refers directly to Caravan and says that 'Ellington himself has recorded this particular song many times, with every version arranged completely differently'.
I have remembered that during my unit 8 collaborative project, the unreliability of musicians had impacted my project in that it caused my rehearsals to be delayed. According to my research into recording sessions, when planning a recording session, there should be rehearsals prior to this to ensure the musicians know their part in the song which will result in a quality recording. This is what I had wanted for my recording of Cantaloupe Island which was for an EP. The pianist, drummer and bassist, the instruments in the band constantly arrived late to the rehearsals which meant that their part was not to a recording standard.'Blue Bossa' which was originally supposed to be recorded with a band was changed and it was recorded with a Latin inspired MIDI backing track created using programmed drums (the Latin fire percussion on logic), a bass line and piano using the MIDI keyboard that my tutor had created.
The video below shows how Blue Bossa had turned out with the live flugelhorn and the electrically produced backing track. It didn't have a live sound like the sound of a jazz ensemble recording would be. In this video, I am playing Kenny Dorham's Blue Bossa on the trumpet in the key of D minor.
When I arrange a jazz standard next time, I will be using these techniques in order to create a 'live sounding' jazz recording to sound as if it was performed.
In this week I will also be working on putting together the instruments for the recording of Caravan within my EP. At this point in my project, I have realized that I will be arranging my jazz standards because I am putting together the parts and creating it 'my own'. I believe that arranging music is the act of writing parts for different instruments and then putting all of this together. I have looked at two different definitions for this which are 'Arranging is the art of taking a piece of music and making it your own – or taking a melody and adding different instruments under it such as a rhythm section or even a full horn section' (Andree-Ann D., 2011) and then
Arranging music links to my aspirations of playing in a band setting
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/the-music-arranging-secret-put-your-instrument-down/As an example, Duke Ellington's Caravan has been rearranged. Others rearrange this popular jazz standard because they are aiming for a particular sound which can be achieved with the addition of more instruments. On the article it says that 'Many different people have recorded many different versions of this popular jazz standard' - Caravan. Therefore each of these arrangements sound different as they had been "arranged" and altered.
In contrast to their being so many versions of Caravan created, this article says that the composer of the standard can also make amendments to this. The article refers directly to Caravan and says that 'Ellington himself has recorded this particular song many times, with every version arranged completely differently'.
It says that these alterations could be the use of instruments and the way these are used, however I believe that arrangements could be much wider such as changing the structure. I have got this from the contrast between these two different versions of 'Caravan'.
The way that this article talks directly about the jazz standard 'Caravan' that I am working on an article about arrangements had helped my project as I have now moved me onto a new area of research into arrangements for this project.
This
Listen to Duke Ellington's Caravan and then listen to the Whiplash version of Caravan. Here, there has been a clear differentiation between their structures. The C section lasts longer in the Whiplash version, for ... bars. However in the Duke Ellington version, this lasts for bars...
EVIDENCE
Pictures of my arranging
REFLECTION
Therefore from these versions of 'Caravan', I have found out that I can add my own implementations to the structure according to what will be going on in the standard.
To arrange my version of Caravan, I will making alterations to the structure of the standard. In this version of Caravan, there are many solos including the drums, bass and piano and the melodic instrument. However, in my version of Caravan, the focus will be on the flugelhorn solo and this solo will only last up to a maximum of 16 bars. Therefore because the only solo performed will be the flugelhorn, this will mean that my version of Caravan will be shorter that both of these versions.
EVIDENCE
Pictures of my arranging
Therefore from these versions of 'Caravan', I have found out that I can add my own implementations to the structure according to what will be going on in the standard.
To arrange my version of Caravan, I will making alterations to the structure of the standard. In this version of Caravan, there are many solos including the drums, bass and piano and the melodic instrument. However, in my version of Caravan, the focus will be on the flugelhorn solo and this solo will only last up to a maximum of 16 bars. Therefore because the only solo performed will be the flugelhorn, this will mean that my version of Caravan will be shorter that both of these versions.
A jazz performance arrangement is usually arranged verbally, an example in the book says "Let the piano do an eight-bar intro; then into the tune, play it twice, then some choruses of trumpet, followed by sax, piano and bass, then the tune twice and end'. However, this idea is relevant to a jazz band performance rather than a recording.
I will not be able to follow this as I will be creating an EP as oppose to performing, when recording 'Caravan', this should be planned in the rehearsal prior to the recording, making sure that each musician knows what they are playing to result in a successful recording session.
I will not be able to follow this as I will be creating an EP as oppose to performing, when recording 'Caravan', this should be planned in the rehearsal prior to the recording, making sure that each musician knows what they are playing to result in a successful recording session.
Reflecting on this week:
I focused on arranging, however next I will focus on production and mixing my tracks (university opens these doors for me)
Key of Caravan:
Approaching an arrangement for 'Caravan', I looked into the head arrangement which consists of the melody and chord sequence of the tune.
When planning a the comping section for 'Caravan' or the other songs I will record, I will make sure to match the key I am playing in to the accompaniment which will come after as this will limit the time for transposing and learning the flugelhorn head melody again. The reason for this is that the playing is different depending on the key (acciacaturas, comfortable range key,
Linking back to the rock, jazz and pop arranging book from my literature reviews, it reminds me of transposition when playing with other instruments in the key of C. This is evident where it says '
This week, I will be working on arranging 'Caravan'. For the arrangement of my standards 'Caravan' and 'Spain', I will be looking into ways of recording which does not include recording altogether as a band.However my version of Caravan will be a live version due to my aim with creating a live sound within my jazz standard Linking back to the rock, jazz and pop arranging book from my literature reviews, it reminds me of transposition when playing with other instruments in the key of C. This is evident where it says '
To begin my arrangement for my version of 'Caravan', I will be referring to the Whiplash version of Caravan. This jazz standard is originally composed by Duke Ellington,
In Caravan, the drums are the first to enter the music which I heard by listening to the original version here.
Linking to my research onto the responsibilities of a drummer during a jazz performance or - i would like to have the drummer begin playing before the other instruments recording, the drummer will have to set the time for the recording.
In Caravan, the drums are the first to enter the music which I heard by listening to the original version here.
Linking to my research onto the responsibilities of a drummer during a jazz performance or - i would like to have the drummer begin playing before the other instruments recording, the drummer will have to set the time for the recording.
Beginning the standard with the drums will set the time for the additional instruments which recording ontop, including the bass, more piano and the melody line played on the flugelhorn.I have linked the role of a drummer to an article which outlines the drummers two primary functions. One is to 'keep an excellent time feel and keeping up with the structure of the tune, shaping the rhythms around the rest of the band.
When the bassist and drummer record the chord progression from C to F, the piano preview will be played during the recording so that they can listen to this before they start playing. Going back to the research I did previously into this, this will ensure that the first recording is 'in time' so that the recordings on-top of this are in the same tempo. To summaries the outcome of my research, recording a jazz standard with all of the instruments sounding together results in a quality fusion jazz standard recording for my 3-track EP. This will also aid in my playing in jazz as it's essential for me to listen to the drummer when playing the head melody and improvising to keep in time. This is one of the roles for a drummer in a jazz ensemble.
Evidence THE DRUMS IN A JAZZ STANDARD
Developing my performance and recording skills in jazz for 'Spain' and 'Caravan', I will be able to alter the playing of each instrument of the band in order to play this Latin jazz piece called 'Caravan'. Being able to perform and record could expand my skills and abilities with jazz fusion in a band that I aspire to build with other musicians Middlesex journey.
Tomorrow, I will be working on finishing the band for Caravan by contacting a drummer and a pianist to complete my arrangement. Completing the arrangement for 'Caravan' means that I can record my improvisation section fully knowing the structure and how long my solo would be.Building up the arrangement for 'Caravan' allows me to finish the recordings and get the tracks mixed and mastered within a certain time frame where I will also need to work with a producer.
In the end of this, my recording sessions happened in the week before the deadline which left me with limited time for the mixing and mastering, completed by my tutor and I managed to complete my EP according to the time frame that I had.
Due to the unreliability of the musicians I have experienced throughout the course previously, I will be attempting to reduce the risk of this happening for this extended project. LINKING BACK TO MY PROJECT
Prior to the recording, I will send the track to the drummer so that they can listen to the ... Latin rhythms which I am aiming for with this jazz standard. (TALK ABOUT AND GIVE EXAMPLES OF THESE LATIN RHYTHMS)The decision whether the preview will be played while the drummer is playing will depend on the drummer's familiarity with the drums in 'Caravan'. - five
Planning my recording for 'Caravan'
Scratch/preview track
To allow myself enough time to record the tracks in my EP, I will be researching into ways to organise my time and bookings for the recording process. Therefore, I had decided to use the internet to look into websites which could relate the recording and EP and organization for my project. I have come across a website called 'The Recording Revolution' with the founder 'Graham Cochrane' who creates audio recording and mixing blogs with a an aim to 'educate and empower' a new generation of musicians and songwriter's recordings by changing 'the way you think about recording, mixing, and gear', giving you a 'revolution'.
(Cochrane, 2011)
This relates back to my project as I will be recording an EP consisting of 3 tracks from jazz fusion and dance classical styles on the flugelhorn to push my creativity with recordings. Previously, I have had to postpone the date for my recordings due to my lack of planning with my recordings. This could prevent my recordings being completed within a time frame and therefore postponing the creation of my EP.
I will be overcoming this issue using online research into blogs to ensure organization for my recordings so that I will be able to have my tracks recorded in the time frame that I have allowed for myself which is by the 10th June.
Through organizational techniques when recording the tracks within my EP, I will be able to achieve completing my recordings before the 13th of June which will be the end date for my project.
At Middlesex University which I will be attending in October of this year, I will be working on further recordings in one of the first modules for level 4 which is 'Music technology and production' and 'Performance and composition projects' as shown in the image.
A scratch/preview track is where part of a song is recorded while following the structure for the whole length, typically with the vocals or the guitar which is for the musicians to play over when recording after the rehearsals have taken place. I have obtained this from where it says "a rough demo of guitar and vocal of the song" in the blog post.
ADD A CLIP demonstration
This outlines the instruments which may be suitable for the scratch preview track, however without the vocals or guitar in my EP. The vocals in a track is usually the main part most of the time which leads the other instruments. In this case, the flugelhorn will be the main part for the tracks in the EP and therefore, should reach the same purpose of having the vocals for a scratch track.
In Caravan, the flugelhorn plays the main tune which is evident in the video of the original attached. VIDEO
"rough" means that the scratch track should follow the exact arrangement of the song and "Audio quality is not paramount at this point, just the ability to hear the actual arrangement of the song".
Going back to the idea of a scratch track, the purpose of this is so that the band could follow the preview to know where they are in the song.
As oppose to recording on a blank track without a sound and expecting the musicians to come in whenever they like could result in the players playing out of time or poor following of the structure of the song. I have outlined these issues as they could affect the quality of the recordings within my EP.
Having the issue with the timing of the recordings as an example of what could go wrong, I have thought that having an instrument which is suitable for keeping the time would be a good addition to creating a preview scratch track for my version of 'Caravan'.
Brass players tend to follow the rhythmic instruments to try to relate the rhythm and timing to the melody line that we play. I find that when I play a jazz standard, I focus on the rhythms of the percussive parts to help me to start playing on time and keep in time for the rest of the track- linking this to my own playing.
Others may disagree with me with the scratch tracks as they could be a distraction rather than a solution when dealing other sections which I have took from a blog written by (Billhare, 2007).
To make sure that the scratch tracks do not distract the other musicians when recording or when I am recording my flugelhorn part, I will make sure they are comfortable with having the preview playing while they are recording.
This relates to my version of Caravan as I am not following the same structure as the original, therefore this is where my scratch track could come as a distraction to the pianist, bassist and melodic instrument. Playing a different part to what they are hearing in their ears will definitely be a distraction to the instrumentalist as they wouldn't be able to hear where they are in the track, which is the purpose of a scratch track linking back to the previous blog. Playing towards a blank track in oppose to this would be a better option.
The drummer will be comping throughout the whole track, including the improvisation section, beginning the standard with a fill and completing with an ending.
Therefore, once the drums are recorded over the backing track, I will be working on the drum section against the other tracks for Caravan.
A metronome could help with this in a circumstance where creating a scratch track isn't available due to its functions of keeping the instruments playing in time with eachother. Playing the flugelhorn with the click of the metronome.
Recording the bass
n this mornings session set in the recording studio, I have began to record the 'bass' for 'Caravan' with a bassist I have collaborated with. This makes up the arrangement I have talked about in the 'Arrangement of caravan' section of my blog.I used the techniques I have learned from my previous recording sessions to record in a production room in oppose to a studio as there had been errors with getting audio from the bass.The bassist required something to play towards, and as I have previously carried out research into this due to the band recording, I can now apply this knowledge to actually doing this with a member of the recordings.On YouTube, a video which I have previously referred to when choosing a bassist for 'Caravan' which is available to download and transcribe, I used this as a preview for the musicians to listen over when they are recording. This is to ensue their timing is accurate which I learned from a previous recording session and applied to this one.Also, when I am contacting my musicians for the band, I can use this song to refer to when I mention to them that I am recording a jazz standard called 'Caravan'(Duke Ellington's version). Therefore, by listening to their part, they can be familiar with their part and be able to stat playing at the beginning of the rehearsal.Saving the file with an appropriate title- linking back to where I talked about file organisation. In the previous recording I did for the flugelhorn in 'Spain' on the 13th May, I had experience difficulty with finding my tracks and opening files with no audio which took time away from my recording, resulting in the tasks after this being delay. Therefore, I mentioned that in this recording and made sure that my files were named with what's inside the file (the instruments) together with the date that the file was recorded.
This is shown in the screenshot below that I took of saving the logic file.
Recording the bass - in the production room
An error which occurred in the studio was that the bassist had experience difficulty when recording the bass line. This was due to the virtuoso of the part during the fanfare part. Due to the part having a fast tempo in the recording of 'Caravan', the bass played had found it difficult. The bassist hadn't been clear of the structure of the standard.
The bassist for caravan made sure to tune before recording.- tuning is also essential for the flugelhorn recordings
In the video, the bassist is playing towards the backing track:
The bass player had experienced difficulties
This bass part will be copied onto the other parts of the standard
This is shown in the screenshot below that I took of saving the logic file.
Recording the bass - in the production room
An error which occurred in the studio was that the bassist had experience difficulty when recording the bass line. This was due to the virtuoso of the part during the fanfare part. Due to the part having a fast tempo in the recording of 'Caravan', the bass played had found it difficult. The bassist hadn't been clear of the structure of the standard.
The bassist for caravan made sure to tune before recording.- tuning is also essential for the flugelhorn recordings
In the video, the bassist is playing towards the backing track:
The bass player had experienced difficulties
This bass part will be copied onto the other parts of the standard
After
research into Latin drums, I have made a first attempt of looking for a
drummer to contribute to my jazz quartet for 'Caravan' consisting of
the drums, bass, piano and the flugelhorn.Today I had experienced some
difficulties with finding a drummer to play the Latin drum rhythm in the
original of 'Caravan' due to the unavailability of drummers in the
music department of the college. I found this out through contacting a
drummer called Sampha (screenshot interviews) who I was told would be
ideal for recording Latin jazz rhythms.
Getting in contact with a drummer on Fiver who can play a Latin drum rhythm for Caravan.
I am creating my version of Caravan as a Latin rhythm like one of the recordings I have watched
To create a more jazz sound, I will be practicing with the 'smoky ' jazz sound which I have researched
I have included some videos of my practice of this.
Recording the drums
Drums -Caravan
Beginning the standard with the drums will set the time for the additional instruments which recording ontop, including the bass, more piano and the melody line played on the flugelhorn.
1/6/19
This is the video where the drummer and I had worked with recorded the drums for 'Caravan'. The drummer is recording the drum part onto logic.
After this, I was sent the drum file via a zip file as shown in the image below.
Once I had opened this zip, it had contained the mixed drums and all of the stems from the drum part, all of the drums separated. This is what I was going to work with in the next session after all of the tracks been downloaded. The tracks had taken a long amount of time to download, therefore I had to postpone the editing of this for the next day.
By doing this, I will have enough time to work on adding the drums to my track as how it sounds in the original. I will be adding the flugelhorn melody part on top of the drums, therefore having enough time for the drums will ensure that I have a good base for my track as the drums will be responsible for providing the rhythm for the whole duration of the track which is 3 minutes.
This allows me to adapt towards playing in a jazz style which links to my idea of my project which is playing outside of the genre of classical music. Therefore, I am learning different techniques with playing with other jazz instruments which links to my further studies at Middlesex University where I will also be working on expanding my flugelhorn playing from just classical music.
Adding the drums to my track
At the beginning of the session, the track didn't have any drums.
Today I have added the drums to my track for 'Caravan'
This session will be focused on the drums and fitting them into the track. My arrangement of the jazz standard follows the quartet with the drums, piano, bass and melodic instrument which is said to be popular within jazz music.Linking back to my research I have done into arranging jazz standards, I am recording my version of 'Caravan' as a quartet because it allows me to create a thin texture which most jazz pieces do where there is more focus on the melodic instruments rather than a whole jazz big band. This project focuses on playing the flugelhorn in different musical style, therefore, by having the arrangement, stylistically correct to the original, this allows me to also do this on my instrument. This links to my aim for the end of the project which is to have expanded my playing from classical styles.
My aim from today's session is to add the drums into the track so that I can take away the scratch preview track and work from the instruments already present, using the drums as a base to the track.
I have chosen to work this way because, from researching into the role of drums in a jazz standard online, I read into the functions of the drum kit in a jazz standard and its responsibility to keep all of the instruments in time.
I had tried this in particular in this session by using the drums as the dominant instrument in the track rather than the flugelhorn which is the melodic instrument, for example.
The drums being responsible for keeping the time means that the drums should be the basis for the track and all of the instruments follow the drummer. Linking back to the research again, an article stated that the drums are there to keep the whole band together by keeping the drums in time. This means that when the drums are playing, the other instruments follow the tempo of the drums.
Linking to my version of Caravan, by doing this, this means that I will be able to create a track where all of the instruments will be in time with each other, which is what the original 'Caravan' is. My project focuses on creating fusions for the flugelhorn where my influences will come from the original standard.
The original of Caravan I am following is in the video.
The first thing I had done to begin this session, I downloaded the stems for the drums for 'Caravan' from who I had collaborated with for this section . The files downloaded as drum stems with the drum mix which I had to copy into logic. I transferred this in to logic by dragging from the finder into the project which is shown in the images below,
As the drummer had recorded the drums with the preview scratch, I had been able to line these parts up together. Therefore, the drums and the backing were playing together as shown in the VIDEO.
The bass being the first instrument recorded, I had explained in my research that having an instrument playing towards a scratch track ensures that they stay in time with the music by having a rhythm to play towards if they are unfamiliar with the song. Therefore, this prevents the musicians from getting 'lost', not knowing where they are and playing out of time by rushing or slowing down where listening to the backing track will aid in good timing at the end of the recording. Despite the responsibility of the drummer to keep all of the instruments in time and give the standard rhythm, the drums also need something to play towards in order to play the correct part and the correct song structure.
In order to line up the drums with my version, I had to identify where the drums in the backing started and the live recorded drums began.
In logic, I used the scissors and pointer tool to edit the track and move it to where it is in time with the bass as shown in the video.
After this, the bass and drums were playing in sync with eachother
Soundcloud link https://soundcloud.com/omega-m-w/omega-caravan-unmixed/s-OI1qi
Linking back to where I talked about the drums being a base for the melody section, In this video, I am playing my melody part on the flugelhorn when the drums are lined up with the bass to fit this around the drum rhythms. In my next session, I will be adding the other parts including the melodies onto the drum parts.
In Caravan, the drums are the first to enter the music which I heard by listening to the original version here.Therefore, linking to my research onto the responsibilities of a drummer during a jazz performance or recording, the drummer will have to set the time for the recording.
The decision whether the preview will be played while the drummer is playing will also depend on the drummer's familiarity with the drums in 'Caravan'.
Prior to the recording, I will send the track to the drummer so that they can listen to the Latin rhythms in Caravan which I am aiming for with this jazz standard.
(TALK ABOUT AND GIVE EXAMPLES OF THESE LATIN RHYTHMS)
Latin drum research here?
1/6/19
This is the video where the drummer and I had worked with recorded the drums for 'Caravan'. The drummer is recording the drum part onto logic.
After this, I was sent the drum file via a zip file as shown in the image below.
Once I had opened this zip, it had contained the mixed drums and all of the stems from the drum part, all of the drums separated. This is what I was going to work with in the next session after all of the tracks been downloaded. The tracks had taken a long amount of time to download, therefore I had to postpone the editing of this for the next day.
By doing this, I will have enough time to work on adding the drums to my track as how it sounds in the original. I will be adding the flugelhorn melody part on top of the drums, therefore having enough time for the drums will ensure that I have a good base for my track as the drums will be responsible for providing the rhythm for the whole duration of the track which is 3 minutes.
This allows me to adapt towards playing in a jazz style which links to my idea of my project which is playing outside of the genre of classical music. Therefore, I am learning different techniques with playing with other jazz instruments which links to my further studies at Middlesex University where I will also be working on expanding my flugelhorn playing from just classical music.
Adding the drums to my track
At the beginning of the session, the track didn't have any drums.
Today I have added the drums to my track for 'Caravan'
This session will be focused on the drums and fitting them into the track. My arrangement of the jazz standard follows the quartet with the drums, piano, bass and melodic instrument which is said to be popular within jazz music.Linking back to my research I have done into arranging jazz standards, I am recording my version of 'Caravan' as a quartet because it allows me to create a thin texture which most jazz pieces do where there is more focus on the melodic instruments rather than a whole jazz big band. This project focuses on playing the flugelhorn in different musical style, therefore, by having the arrangement, stylistically correct to the original, this allows me to also do this on my instrument. This links to my aim for the end of the project which is to have expanded my playing from classical styles.
My aim from today's session is to add the drums into the track so that I can take away the scratch preview track and work from the instruments already present, using the drums as a base to the track.
I have chosen to work this way because, from researching into the role of drums in a jazz standard online, I read into the functions of the drum kit in a jazz standard and its responsibility to keep all of the instruments in time.
I had tried this in particular in this session by using the drums as the dominant instrument in the track rather than the flugelhorn which is the melodic instrument, for example.The drums being responsible for keeping the time means that the drums should be the basis for the track and all of the instruments follow the drummer. Linking back to the research again, an article stated that the drums are there to keep the whole band together by keeping the drums in time. This means that when the drums are playing, the other instruments follow the tempo of the drums.
Linking to my version of Caravan, by doing this, this means that I will be able to create a track where all of the instruments will be in time with each other, which is what the original 'Caravan' is. My project focuses on creating fusions for the flugelhorn where my influences will come from the original standard.
The original of Caravan I am following is in the video.
The first thing I had done to begin this session, I downloaded the stems for the drums for 'Caravan' from who I had collaborated with for this section . The files downloaded as drum stems with the drum mix which I had to copy into logic. I transferred this in to logic by dragging from the finder into the project which is shown in the images below,
As the drummer had recorded the drums with the preview scratch, I had been able to line these parts up together. Therefore, the drums and the backing were playing together as shown in the VIDEO.
The bass being the first instrument recorded, I had explained in my research that having an instrument playing towards a scratch track ensures that they stay in time with the music by having a rhythm to play towards if they are unfamiliar with the song. Therefore, this prevents the musicians from getting 'lost', not knowing where they are and playing out of time by rushing or slowing down where listening to the backing track will aid in good timing at the end of the recording. Despite the responsibility of the drummer to keep all of the instruments in time and give the standard rhythm, the drums also need something to play towards in order to play the correct part and the correct song structure.
In logic, I used the scissors and pointer tool to edit the track and move it to where it is in time with the bass as shown in the video.
After this, the bass and drums were playing in sync with eachother
Soundcloud link https://soundcloud.com/omega-m-w/omega-caravan-unmixed/s-OI1qi
Linking back to where I talked about the drums being a base for the melody section, In this video, I am playing my melody part on the flugelhorn when the drums are lined up with the bass to fit this around the drum rhythms. In my next session, I will be adding the other parts including the melodies onto the drum parts.
Caravan Piano - recording the piano
Microphone set-up in the studio and the pianist wearing headphones- link this to the research I had done into headphones previously
The first recording for Caravan was to get the preview ready for the band to record to. When preparing to work with the pianist to record, I sent the pianist, Minjoo a video from YouTube through Instagram and there is a message telling her when the rehearsal will be so that we can practice this.
By gaining the contact of this pianist prior to this project, I was able to contact Minjoo using Instagram. From researching into this during the previous units of this course, I made sure that I knew that Social media is a modern method of communication within in the music industry nowadays and has changed many aspects of the industry from.
https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/Advice/Your-Career/Promotion/Promoting-Yourself
Also, in opposition, emails can be a more efficient way of communicating and is a cost effective way of maintaining contacts.A mailing list can include the email addresses or friends, acquaintances and journalists. Therefore when I am contacting the other instrumentalists for the band, I will be creating a group email where the emails will be sent out.
If this doesn't go to plan and the musicians don't check their emails, I will combine this method with the method I used to contact Minjoo in the first place
Reliable that the message will get to her - not like emails where people may take longer to acknowledge my email
Using the metronome settings to make sure that she could hear me
Previous tempo and BPM
Changing this to 113 BPM and in 4/4
A highlight from this recording session of the piano for 'Caravan' was using my recording and production skills in the studio. This links to the BA music course which I mentioned at the beginning of the project where I am preparing for doing a recording module. Taking part in recording sessions and gaining some experience in the studio while I work on my flugelhorn fusion EP will provide me with recording and performance skills to prepare me for the university course.
Metronome for the piano
22/4-28/4
PRACTICING REACHING A C IN CARAVAN
To plan out my arrangement, I have created a sketch on paper of a plan of the standard including all of the instruments and their parts within my version of 'Caravan'.
Linking back to the literature view of the book 'rock, jazz and pop' arranging, it makes arrangers aware not to overwrite brass parts due to trumpeter needing 'rests' every now and then. Trumpeters playing for long periods of time causes pressure on the lips and the decreased air flow as they are not breathing. This could cause damage to the lips which could prevent a trumpeter from playing for a lifetime. Therefore, with this 'free' jazz standard, my part on the flugelhorn in this jazz standard is short as I will be playing only the head melody of the standard, the main tune of Caravan at the beginning. The main tune of Caravan is in the YouTube clip from 1:39-1:49.
Improvising
In the improvisation section, this is the 'free' section as I will be performing an improvised solo over the chords with my scales above. During improvisation, a player can shape the solo in order to add rests is when it is needed, as they are not reading from a score or any instructions to the way they should play. This links to my case study into improvisation where I mentioned a phrase which I found which said 'More importantly, most of what jazz improvisation entails is accurately reproducing whatever music that you hear inside your head' which emphasises the idea that jazz doesn't have instructions or rules you have to follow apart from playing 'what you hear inside your head' to the chord progressions.
Having my flugelhorn part like this in this jazz standard, I am following how the original is recorded. The original is a Latin influenced jazz standard as written on the scores as 'Afro Latin' (in the screenshot below). This can also be supported by an article called 'What was the first Latin inspired jazz standard' where it says "Although Caravan (co-composed by Juan Tizol) is considered by some to be the first real Latin jazz tune"(Neil Foxlee, 2008)In the improvisation section, I will make sure that I don't 'overplay'. From the book, 'overplaying' links to the increased amount of notes in the higher register for the trumpet. To support this idea, I have looked into a jazz standard with a trumpeter who varies their playing. By varying within playing in a jazz standard, this could include a mixture of octaves rather than staying in the high register for the whole of the solo.
This can be heard in Herbie Hancock's 'Cantaloupe Island' from 1:18-2:30.
Therefore, within this I am in control of the amount of playing during the improvisation section whilst playing the head melody after with breaks in between. Looking after the condition of my lips to ensure that my embouchure is not affected whilst also playing when necessary. This ensures that I am playing to the style of the standard whilst also taking into account of caring for the aspects of my trumpet playing which is my embouchure (the way the lips are placed on the trumpet).
To finish today's reflection, I have look into ways of not overplaying during my solo, where doing a literature review into the 'rock, jazz and pop' arranging book has helped to introduce this research. From this, I have planned into shaping my solo with varied octaves to ensure that I don't 'overplay'. In this project, I will be creating a fusion EP, therefore, I will need to maintain this to ensure that I can create this.
This will benefit me in the future of my playing as I will be able to continue onto university where I will study further into the flugelhorn in a course called BA music. I would like to continue playing fusions on the flugelhorn which links to my project where I am creating a fusion EP to play outside of classical music. Taking care of the aspects of my playing will ensure that I peruse my goals as a flugelhornist.
EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY WITH THE SCALES FOR THE IMPROVISATION SECTION IN CARAVAN
The melody line in 'Caravan'
Using an article to find out the styles which make up 'Caravan' was of use to me as I was able to compare this to my version of 'Spain' which is a combination of jazz and Latin. In a video I had watched where a jazz pianist explained improvisation in 'Spain', he had mentioned the music sounding 'Spanish'.
The head melody for Caravan was the first part that I had learned by ear- linking back to my Case study. This was t
I had learned this in the same key to the original version of Caravan in whiplash
How ear training will benefit my project overall
To learn the head melody for Caravan, I had followed the technique of ear training in jazz.
The ending of the head melody is the part where I had experienced some difficulty with the notes.
Due to the complex fingerings
Wasn't so complex when I had learned it
This is a video of me playing the melody for Caravan with these added techniques
19/4-5/5/19
The trumpet in Caravan
Head melody Caravan Flugelhorn
Adapting Latin techniques to my playing of Caravan
I also experimented with the head melody for Caravan with two ways that I could play it in terms of my use of articulation.
At the end of the practice routine, I have chosen to play the head melody for Caravan the FIRST/SECOND way that I have played it
At the end of the practice routine, I have chosen to play the head melody for Caravan the FIRST/SECOND way that I have played it
The first way that I experimented with playing Caravan is exactly how I learned it at NYJO. As I was not allowed to take videos there due to other students present, here is a video of me learning 'Caravan' by ear by myself.
Linking back to my case study into ear interpretation in jazz, this is important to be able to play.
Linking back to my case study into ear interpretation in jazz, this is important to be able to play.
As a flugelhornist of many styles, I thought that this version of Caravan leaves out some features of jazz music that I think would work well with this piece. This includes syncopation
The next way that I played caravan was with a 'Latin Feel' (sing and latin from reading an article) to it. https://www.ejazzlines.com/caravan-arranged-by-mike-sweeney
The way I did this was by shortening the second to last note which made it sound syncopated as the notes came earlier than expected. This can be evidenced clearer with the video I have attached.
Rehearsing with the pianist to check the tempo
Today, I had a rehearsal with a pianist to fit the baseline of the chords to my melody on the flugelhorn.
Experimenting with the arrangement- seeing what tempo I had wanted to play Caravan in.
Use of pedals in Caravan 17/3
Mute Research-reflection
Research and problem solving
(Summer, 2013)
In the 'Arban's conservatory method for the trumpet', it was said that there are no mutes for the flugelhorn and there are only mutes for the trumpet. This is evident in the book on page where it had said 'there are no mutes for the flugelhorn'. Therefore, I took from the book that flugelhorn may not be suitable for the use of mutes due to the size of the bell on the flugelhorn which is slightly larger than that of the trumpet.As evident in the image with the trumpet and flugelhorn labelled, the size of the bell on the instrument is larger.
The sound of the trumpet is altered depending on the type of mute used. It says this in the article where it says 'a mute changes the sound of a brass instrument in a certain way depending on the type of mute used.
In the first clip where there is a riff played by the saxophone (alto) the trumpet sound is quieter. The comping section of the drums, bass and piano are accompanying the muted trumpet (harmon mute) and the riff played by the saxophonist. The trumpet may have been muted so that the listeners could hear the riff played by the saxophone because when you listen to the second clip, the trumpet is more prominent and the volume 'overpowers' the rest of the band.
In jazz, the instrument soloing is usually louder than the rest of the instruments in the band, the comping section.
There are many other jazz trumpeters who make use of mutes, therefore looking into the practice of mutes from trumpeters other than Miles Davis will allow me to gain a greater insight into the use of mutes within jazz. I am playing the Latin jazz standards 'Spain' and 'Caravan' where I am looking for ways to alter my instrument to play more in style.
To support my point of the solo instrument being the prominent instrument during the solo sections, I have listened to another jazz standard called 'Moanin' by the Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.In this version the trumpet and the saxophone are playing together and the trumpeter is naturally playing quietly without the mute. However, when it gets to the solo section, the trumpeter increases volume and plays a prominent solo which 'overpowers' the rest of the band in a way that lets the listeners know that this is a trumpet solo. This contrast from the head melody to the solo section is what I am looking to achieve within my jazz standards.
What have I taken from these jazz examples?
Reflections- practice routine with a mute
Experimenting with the plunger mute:
Here are two videos where I am experimenting with the top of the plunger still sealed and not yet cut out. I am playing part of Caravan to experiment how this would sound in the standard as I would like to alter the sounds of my instrument using mutes, technology etc.
This plunger mute gave a 'wah' sound to my instrument, quite similar to the 'wah' guitar effect pedal I have found during my research into technology within music. Also, the the trumpeter in Snarky Puppy, Mike Maher uses the 'wah' pedal which adds an effect to the sound. Linking back to my research, the 'wah' pedal is know for mimicking the human voice by altering the tone and frequencies to slide the pitch up and down. An advantage of these pedals is that they are 'smooth and silent'. Wah pedals are smooth, silent, and easy to use, and the Dunlop original Crybaby's ultra-durable die cast still construction will last this pedal for years and years. Wah pedals should go towards the beginning of your effects loop.
These mutes are usually heard with the guitar as said in the article 'The Dunlop Original Cry Baby Wah Wah Pedal' is the original wah pedal, used by guitar greats like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton'. As this article has stated that this 'wah' pedal is the
However, I will next be experimenting with using the mute with the top of the mute empty to find out if there are other ways that sound can be created when the mute is altered.
In this experiment, I had found that I wasn't used to holding the instrument in one hand and having the instrument in the other as I experienced lack of control and couldn't play properly. In the video, I put down the mute and play with both hands on the instrument and this feels much better than
At the end of this practice routine with the mute---
My other song, Polka is a classical piece by Allen Vizzuti with dance influences. However, listening to Allen Vizzuti's playing of Polka on a CD which came with the '20 Dances for Trumpet book', this song is performed on the trumpet without a mute as the natural sound of the brass instrument is present. I will not be allowed to play with the mute for my grade 8 exam and therefore I will be practicing and recording this in my project without the mute so that I can hear what I will sound like in the exam without any alterations of pitch or ton
Research and problem solving
(Summer, 2013)
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The sound of the trumpet is altered depending on the type of mute used. It says this in the article where it says 'a mute changes the sound of a brass instrument in a certain way depending on the type of mute used.
As I am using the flugelhorn for the majority of the project as it's my primary instrument and I can play comfortably and to my strengths on the flugelhorn, I will be furthering my research from this trumpet method due to the way that these mutes alter the sound of the trumpet in terms of pitch and tone, I will be researching into the use of mutes on the trumpet to look into ways that I can alter the sound of the flugelhorn to play fusions within jazz, Latin and contemporary dance-classical pieces. 'Spain' and 'Caravan' are Latin jazz standards.
Linking back to my project, due to the trumpet being associated with classical music, within this project I will be contradicting this idea using my instrument with different playing techniques to expand the sounds that the trumpet can contribute to a range of styles rather than being restricted to playing classically. Using a brass instrument mute doesn’t actually silence the brass instrument like the meaning of the word 'mute', A mute alters the tone of the instrument by lowering the volume and altering the tonal quality/timbre of the instrument as in this version of 'Human Nature' recorded with the muted trumpet. Therefore this change in tone can relate to changing the sound of my instrument.
Some trumpet mutes can cause pitch deficiency which makes the instrument sound sharper or flatter that it actually is.
A straight mute is shaped like a cone with the small open end going inside the bell of the brass instrument and the larger part of the cone sticking out of the bell. the mute is held in place inside the bell by three pieces of cork. In the image is a straight mute I currently use with my trumpet.
I use the straight mute on the trumpet. This lowers the volume by a large amount and makes the trumpet sound 'smaller' than the sound actually is, therefore altering its timbre from a bright open trumpet sound to a much quieter and sharper trumpet. This could be because a mute produces a kind of stuffy sound when it’s made from cardboard and a more piercing, brighter sound when made out of aluminum (which is the sound I get from my instrument when I play with this mute on the trumpet).
On the website there are examples of how these mutes would sound in the trumpet .
The three recordings feature the straight trumpet mute, the trumpet cup mute and the harmon mute.
RECORD THESE
VIDEO EVIDENCE USING THE STRAIGHT MUTE TRUMPET
The plunger mute
What is a plunger mute?
A plunger mute comes from an actual plunger which is shaped in the same way as an actual plunger. The P&H trumpet plunger mute is made of rubber just like a standard plunger therefore there aren't much differences within plunger mutes actually made for the trumpet and a standard plunger. This means that the effect on the sound of a plunger and a plunger mute will be similar. Plunger mutes made for the trumpet are brought with a hole at the top of the mute as shown in this image of Wynton Marsalis playing and making use of this mute.To experiment with using a plunger mute, I could either buy a plunger mute or, make a plunger mute.However, I have then thought about what kind of sound it would make if the top of the plunger mute was left in so that there was no hole.
The plunger mute is used by holding the mute in front of the instrument and bringing it forward and backwards in order to create an effect on the sound.
The advantages of me creating my own mute is that I can experiment with the top of the mute sealed and then cut at whole out of the top to see the difference in sound on the flugelhorn
I looked at how to create my own plunger mute using an actual plunger and I did this
There are some other versions of plunger mutes...
A discussion on trumpet herald says that trumpet plunger mutes were originally plungers which is why I have looked at the advantages this could bring to me to alter the sound of my instrument (trickg, 2017-trumpet herald)https://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1494627
Therefore, I looked into a standard plunger mute which can be brought at most stores.
In this score where the plunger mute is notated, it also says 'hand over the bell' which means that if a plunger mute is not available, the hand over the bell would give a similar effect on the instrument. I could refer to this in the future of my brass playing to create a 'wah' effect that the actual plunger mute does.
This is also mentioned in another article which says 'it's usually manipulated by the brass player to cover and then uncover the bell of the trumpet or trombone, in a similar manner to the 'wah wah' sound of this mute, explained above.
This creates a good alternative for unavailability of mutes which may occur in the future of my brass playing. I could turn up to a band rehearsal without a mute, for example. In comparison, a
The way mutes are marked on scores:
The instruction to use a mute is usually marked on a score in Italian or English. (Summer, 2013). In classical written music, this is normally written in Italian which is the international language used by musicians. This is evident in a range of classical pieces:
The mute is stated by saying 'con sordino'. However an abbreviation can be used for this, for example, 'con sord' or just 'sordino'
This is contrasted in jazz music where the markings for mutes are written with markings are written in English. A chart and a score in jazz music are different. A score consists of the notes played as evident in the examples below, whereas a chart is marked by chord progressions with their duration. In a jazz chart, the called for a plunger mute could be marked as "+" an "O". The + indicates to the trumpeter to over the bell with the mute and "O" means that the bell should be uncovered.
In the scores below, there are different types of markings for the use of brass mutes and these are contrasting to the type of mute is used.
With the knowledge of the way different types of mutes are marked on sheet music will ensure that I know when and which type of mute to use when I am playing. My goal when I attend university is to play in bands of different styles on the flugelhorn to express the versatility of my instrument. Therefore, some styles may require a mute to be used which I will elaborate on below.
In the article about trumpet mutes, called 'Brass trumpet mutes', it says that 'trumpet and trombone mutes are most often used in jazz music so that the trumpeter can blend better with the fellow instrumentalists. From this I have gathered that there may be other situations where using a mute would be beneficial to my playing other than to alter the sound of my instrument.The amount of air which is needed to play a low note and the speed of the air to play a higher note makes it challenging for me as a trumpeter to play high registers at 'quiet' volumes(I am practicing this). Due to this impact of the trumpet's sound, a brass player often use a mute to help lower the volume of their instrument when playing with others such as a vocalist in pop music.
This links to another online source which has comments on each type of mute and is directed to the composer and arranger as it says 'Be sure to instruct the player to remove the mute when no longer required'.Therefore the instruction for mutes could be verbally instead of written on a score. (Hughill, 2015)
http://andrewhugill.com/manuals/trumpet/mutes.html
Contrasting views on mutes
There is also another viewpoint to consider with mutes and this is fact that the mutes are least popular due to the way they change the intonation of the instrument.
On'often lesser mutes will make you sound sharp in the lower register and flat in the upper register'- the intonation (linking to the price of the mute)
(Cooper , 2010)
'Some mutes will have 'dead' spots where a not or two doesn't resonate like the others' - putting the mute more into the instrument to solve this
The main issue with mutes could be the intonation:- what will I do to overcome this if this happens.
Harmon mute:
I have researched into a range of mutes to overcome what I have found out. The harmon mute is played by jazz trumpeter, Miles Davis who makes use of this in 'Human Nature' which alters the sound of the instrument to make the trumpet sound less bright than the original trumpet sound. The harmon mute is most commonly made from aluminum, consisting of two parts. The larger part is bell shaped (the bottom of the mute) and is secured inside the instrument by one rounded piece of cork wrapped around the mute.
Miles Davis liked to play his trumpet using the Harmon mute with the stem removed completely from the mute as shown in the image on the right where the stem is detached from the mute.
However, Miles doesn't make use of the functions of the mute which when the brass player uses their hand to open and close the end of the mute, it makes a “wah-wah” sound. Therefore as well as being known as a harmon mute, this mute is also called a 'wah-wah' mute.
Links to the wah-wah pedal
sounds like a jazz mute?
I have looked into another article due to biased information. In another article it says 'the jazz player would use the harmon most'. 'Jazz soloists tend to prefer the feel that copper harmon mutes have'
The use of the harmon mute
In Miles Davis's 'All Blues',
At the beginning of this clip, Miles Davis plays a solo on the trumpet with the harmon mute.
The mute is then removed from the trumpet so that the standard trumpet sound is heard in this next clip. The clip starts exactly where the trumpet solo starts.
Maybe mutes are not suitable during a soloLinking back to my project, due to the trumpet being associated with classical music, within this project I will be contradicting this idea using my instrument with different playing techniques to expand the sounds that the trumpet can contribute to a range of styles rather than being restricted to playing classically. Using a brass instrument mute doesn’t actually silence the brass instrument like the meaning of the word 'mute', A mute alters the tone of the instrument by lowering the volume and altering the tonal quality/timbre of the instrument as in this version of 'Human Nature' recorded with the muted trumpet. Therefore this change in tone can relate to changing the sound of my instrument.
Some trumpet mutes can cause pitch deficiency which makes the instrument sound sharper or flatter that it actually is.
Different types of mutes
The straight mute I use the straight mute on the trumpet. This lowers the volume by a large amount and makes the trumpet sound 'smaller' than the sound actually is, therefore altering its timbre from a bright open trumpet sound to a much quieter and sharper trumpet. This could be because a mute produces a kind of stuffy sound when it’s made from cardboard and a more piercing, brighter sound when made out of aluminum (which is the sound I get from my instrument when I play with this mute on the trumpet).
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(summer,2013)
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The three recordings feature the straight trumpet mute, the trumpet cup mute and the harmon mute.
RECORD THESE
VIDEO EVIDENCE USING THE STRAIGHT MUTE TRUMPET
The plunger mute
What is a plunger mute?
A plunger mute comes from an actual plunger which is shaped in the same way as an actual plunger. The P&H trumpet plunger mute is made of rubber just like a standard plunger therefore there aren't much differences within plunger mutes actually made for the trumpet and a standard plunger. This means that the effect on the sound of a plunger and a plunger mute will be similar. Plunger mutes made for the trumpet are brought with a hole at the top of the mute as shown in this image of Wynton Marsalis playing and making use of this mute.To experiment with using a plunger mute, I could either buy a plunger mute or, make a plunger mute.However, I have then thought about what kind of sound it would make if the top of the plunger mute was left in so that there was no hole.
The plunger mute is used by holding the mute in front of the instrument and bringing it forward and backwards in order to create an effect on the sound.
The advantages of me creating my own mute is that I can experiment with the top of the mute sealed and then cut at whole out of the top to see the difference in sound on the flugelhorn
I looked at how to create my own plunger mute using an actual plunger and I did this
There are some other versions of plunger mutes...
A discussion on trumpet herald says that trumpet plunger mutes were originally plungers which is why I have looked at the advantages this could bring to me to alter the sound of my instrument (trickg, 2017-trumpet herald)https://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1494627
Therefore, I looked into a standard plunger mute which can be brought at most stores.
In this score where the plunger mute is notated, it also says 'hand over the bell' which means that if a plunger mute is not available, the hand over the bell would give a similar effect on the instrument. I could refer to this in the future of my brass playing to create a 'wah' effect that the actual plunger mute does.This is also mentioned in another article which says 'it's usually manipulated by the brass player to cover and then uncover the bell of the trumpet or trombone, in a similar manner to the 'wah wah' sound of this mute, explained above.
This creates a good alternative for unavailability of mutes which may occur in the future of my brass playing. I could turn up to a band rehearsal without a mute, for example. In comparison, a
The way mutes are marked on scores:
The instruction to use a mute is usually marked on a score in Italian or English. (Summer, 2013). In classical written music, this is normally written in Italian which is the international language used by musicians. This is evident in a range of classical pieces:The mute is stated by saying 'con sordino'. However an abbreviation can be used for this, for example, 'con sord' or just 'sordino'
This is contrasted in jazz music where the markings for mutes are written with markings are written in English. A chart and a score in jazz music are different. A score consists of the notes played as evident in the examples below, whereas a chart is marked by chord progressions with their duration. In a jazz chart, the called for a plunger mute could be marked as "+" an "O". The + indicates to the trumpeter to over the bell with the mute and "O" means that the bell should be uncovered.
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| (Summer,2013) However every type of mute is not marked this way and in fact the cup mute is marked differently: |
In the scores below, there are different types of markings for the use of brass mutes and these are contrasting to the type of mute is used.
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| Cup mute notation(Summer, 2013) The plunger mute notation |
With the knowledge of the way different types of mutes are marked on sheet music will ensure that I know when and which type of mute to use when I am playing. My goal when I attend university is to play in bands of different styles on the flugelhorn to express the versatility of my instrument. Therefore, some styles may require a mute to be used which I will elaborate on below.
In the article about trumpet mutes, called 'Brass trumpet mutes', it says that 'trumpet and trombone mutes are most often used in jazz music so that the trumpeter can blend better with the fellow instrumentalists. From this I have gathered that there may be other situations where using a mute would be beneficial to my playing other than to alter the sound of my instrument.The amount of air which is needed to play a low note and the speed of the air to play a higher note makes it challenging for me as a trumpeter to play high registers at 'quiet' volumes(I am practicing this). Due to this impact of the trumpet's sound, a brass player often use a mute to help lower the volume of their instrument when playing with others such as a vocalist in pop music.
This links to another online source which has comments on each type of mute and is directed to the composer and arranger as it says 'Be sure to instruct the player to remove the mute when no longer required'.Therefore the instruction for mutes could be verbally instead of written on a score. (Hughill, 2015)
http://andrewhugill.com/manuals/trumpet/mutes.html
Contrasting views on mutes
There is also another viewpoint to consider with mutes and this is fact that the mutes are least popular due to the way they change the intonation of the instrument.
On'often lesser mutes will make you sound sharp in the lower register and flat in the upper register'- the intonation (linking to the price of the mute)
(Cooper , 2010)
'Some mutes will have 'dead' spots where a not or two doesn't resonate like the others' - putting the mute more into the instrument to solve this
The main issue with mutes could be the intonation:- what will I do to overcome this if this happens.
Harmon mute:
However, Miles doesn't make use of the functions of the mute which when the brass player uses their hand to open and close the end of the mute, it makes a “wah-wah” sound. Therefore as well as being known as a harmon mute, this mute is also called a 'wah-wah' mute.
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| Image of harmon mute |
sounds like a jazz mute?
I have looked into another article due to biased information. In another article it says 'the jazz player would use the harmon most'. 'Jazz soloists tend to prefer the feel that copper harmon mutes have'
The use of the harmon mute
In Miles Davis's 'All Blues',
At the beginning of this clip, Miles Davis plays a solo on the trumpet with the harmon mute.
The mute is then removed from the trumpet so that the standard trumpet sound is heard in this next clip. The clip starts exactly where the trumpet solo starts.
In the first clip where there is a riff played by the saxophone (alto) the trumpet sound is quieter. The comping section of the drums, bass and piano are accompanying the muted trumpet (harmon mute) and the riff played by the saxophonist. The trumpet may have been muted so that the listeners could hear the riff played by the saxophone because when you listen to the second clip, the trumpet is more prominent and the volume 'overpowers' the rest of the band.
In jazz, the instrument soloing is usually louder than the rest of the instruments in the band, the comping section.
There are many other jazz trumpeters who make use of mutes, therefore looking into the practice of mutes from trumpeters other than Miles Davis will allow me to gain a greater insight into the use of mutes within jazz. I am playing the Latin jazz standards 'Spain' and 'Caravan' where I am looking for ways to alter my instrument to play more in style.
To support my point of the solo instrument being the prominent instrument during the solo sections, I have listened to another jazz standard called 'Moanin' by the Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.In this version the trumpet and the saxophone are playing together and the trumpeter is naturally playing quietly without the mute. However, when it gets to the solo section, the trumpeter increases volume and plays a prominent solo which 'overpowers' the rest of the band in a way that lets the listeners know that this is a trumpet solo. This contrast from the head melody to the solo section is what I am looking to achieve within my jazz standards.
What have I taken from these jazz examples?
Reflections- practice routine with a mute
Experimenting with the plunger mute:
Here are two videos where I am experimenting with the top of the plunger still sealed and not yet cut out. I am playing part of Caravan to experiment how this would sound in the standard as I would like to alter the sounds of my instrument using mutes, technology etc.
This plunger mute gave a 'wah' sound to my instrument, quite similar to the 'wah' guitar effect pedal I have found during my research into technology within music. Also, the the trumpeter in Snarky Puppy, Mike Maher uses the 'wah' pedal which adds an effect to the sound. Linking back to my research, the 'wah' pedal is know for mimicking the human voice by altering the tone and frequencies to slide the pitch up and down. An advantage of these pedals is that they are 'smooth and silent'. Wah pedals are smooth, silent, and easy to use, and the Dunlop original Crybaby's ultra-durable die cast still construction will last this pedal for years and years. Wah pedals should go towards the beginning of your effects loop.
These mutes are usually heard with the guitar as said in the article 'The Dunlop Original Cry Baby Wah Wah Pedal' is the original wah pedal, used by guitar greats like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton'. As this article has stated that this 'wah' pedal is the
However, I will next be experimenting with using the mute with the top of the mute empty to find out if there are other ways that sound can be created when the mute is altered.
In this experiment, I had found that I wasn't used to holding the instrument in one hand and having the instrument in the other as I experienced lack of control and couldn't play properly. In the video, I put down the mute and play with both hands on the instrument and this feels much better than
At the end of this practice routine with the mute---
My other song, Polka is a classical piece by Allen Vizzuti with dance influences. However, listening to Allen Vizzuti's playing of Polka on a CD which came with the '20 Dances for Trumpet book', this song is performed on the trumpet without a mute as the natural sound of the brass instrument is present. I will not be allowed to play with the mute for my grade 8 exam and therefore I will be practicing and recording this in my project without the mute so that I can hear what I will sound like in the exam without any alterations of pitch or ton
The flugelhorn distance from the microphone in 'One Last Time'- Relating to my project
Recording at different volume levels - links to Chanson Napolitaine
During the first part of the recording, the flugelhorn was too far away from the microphone and this is what we had noticed when listening to the track again, the flugelhorn was quieter in the first section. The sound was so quiet that it hand sounded quite faint. We knew that this wasn't due to the microphone or anything else that we had set up because when we had listened to the last part where the flugelhorn entered again, it was louder because I was positioning the flugelhorn correctly to the microphone. When I am recording, I tend to back away from the microphone.
I knew this because, when I was playing into the microphone, I can remember when my instrument was further away from the microphone when playing parts which I wasn't so comfortable with.
However, having the flugelhorn at two different levels in one recording would be an issue because the sound of all of the other instruments would come over the quiet flugelhorn and it would sound like there isn't a flugelhorn there at all. Other than dynamics with a flugelhorn part, the volume should stay constant and not get too loud.
I have connected this with research into recording brass instruments which had said
From this, I have gained that, having my instrument in the correct position affects the recording in a positive way. In the next recording which will take place this week , I will be using my ears to hear the volume of my instrument through the headphones. This will ensure that the flugelhorn is not only prominent at some parts and is kept at a constant level throughout.
Evaluation of the Caravan recording session for the flugelhorn part
Week 13th May - 19th May
I visited the photography department of my college to find out whether I could collaborate with a photographer for the creation of my EP front image. This will help with my project as I will be able to relate the idea of females playing the flugelhorn by taking part in a photo shoot which features myself playing my instrument.The music within the EP will be a fusion using the flugelhorn with an artist image on the front cover of the EP
I had contacted another student working on their project who had offered to be present at my photo shoot and had suggested a few settings around Central London where it could take place. This is sue to the gardens that can be found around there, which could result in good backgrounds for my photos.
Females in the music industry research following my Alison Balsom Case study
I learned about gender while playing the trumpet and According to a study carried out by the Royal Albert Hall in 2017, where a very small portion of the participants associated the trumpet with being played by a woman. To be exact, the percentage was 3%. The article is written by a former trumpeter, playing for about a decade named Barbara Speed. Most of the orchestras and bands she had been too were dominated by male brass sections which I can also relate to as I have explained above(throughout my years of orchestra participation).
From
recently attending the National Youth Jazz Orchestra for a jazz
ensemble, I was surprised to see a group of females as part of the
trumpet section with one male. In previous ensembles/groups I have
attended (The University of West London's junior academy and The Ellen
Wilkinson School for Girls), most of the time I have been a solo trumpet
(the only trumpet) so I would have had to make the sound of an entire
trumpet section. This is when I had noticed the unpopularity of the
trumpet among females, especially in girls's schools.
Weekly reflection 20/5-26/5
EP cover experiment/example
I
looked into this album cover which I found online in order to look into
aspects of presentation within my photoshoot which could impact my
photoshoot in terms of the dress code. I will be creating a dress code
for my photoshoot to help me to portray the idea of being a female
trumpet/flugelhorn player on the cover of my EP.
Due to these first couple of photos not going to well, I had taken some more photos which are below.
This
has been improved with this image because, with the flugelhorn facing
to the side, you could see the full instrument properly instead of
having it facing forwards and not being able to see the full image.
Researching into rock music.
https://www.chavisrecords.net/characteristics-of-rock-music/
Researching into rock music will allow me to see how Beverley uses the techniques from rock music in her playing to be able to blend in with the sound of the band.
During the interview with Beverley, she has explained that the Cesarians are a rock band where she makes use of the trumpet and french horn, coming from the orchestral family as classical instruments.This links to the research at the beginning of my project where I looked into my idea about the use of brass instruments in the classical genre.
I have found out by looking into the official website that The Cesarians are a rock band.
Rock
is a genre with many sub genres, born out of the 1950's rock and roll
movement with characteristics very similar to those of pop music. The
similarities between 'rock' and 'pop' are described as having a 4/4/
time signature, 'verse chorus structure', 'steady beat', 'lyrical
hooks'.
Rock music is described as having a 'bombastic' sound when performed. Even though the vocalist could be singing slowly, the vocals would still sound very loud which then creates a distorted sound. In the first video of the performance, I noticed that the leader of the band is the singer as the audience and the rest of the band members look up to this band member. This is evident in the video where the vocalist was the loudest sounding member, showing the most energy compared to the rest of the band which brought attention to the singer.
On the website, it says that 'rock songs have a good dynamic and rhythm' and 'most people get rock and pop confused because they are in 4/4. In the performance, the band, including the trumpet played continuous repetitive notes in 4/4 which links to one of the techniques in rock music which is the measure of the beat.
Therefore, I will be linking the features of a rock band to The Cesarians music to see how closely linked to a rock band they are. By looking into the rock features of the music, this could help with looking into the place of the trumpet in rock music.
My project focuses on the idea of the trumpet finding another role in other styles through a fusion album. Therefore her addition of different playing techniques could impact my project as I am seeking influences from other trumpeters who are doing similar things with their playing.
On the other hand, without the use of electronic features, Beverley uses the standard sound of the trumpet in when she plays in the band.
The simple characteristics from the rock genre could be considered when arranging a brass part in rock music. With a steady beat in 4/4, having a complex brass section would contrast to the style. I got this from where it says
This first video shows the band's playing without the brass instruments, as a traditional rock ban
in this next video, when the trumpet comes into the music, it seems 'unusual' to have a trumpet sound in a rock band due to it's responsibilities in classical music which I have looked into at the beginning of the project. This unusual idea is further supported by the use of the violin in the rock band. Before the performance, Beverley had mentioned that the trumpet and violin create harmonies together within the band.
During the performance, I had also noticed the way the way that Beverley's phrases on the trumpet and french horn were kept simple with a group of notes which she said help her "blend into the sound of the band".
The way that Beverley and the violinist carve themselves a part into a rock band links to the idea of my project which is 'escaping' the genre of classical and adapting my instrument to play within jazz fusion and dance classical trumpet solos.
Mentioning to Beverley about referring to the male domination of brass instruments within my project, I had asked her about her experiences playing as part of a band as a trumpeter and french horn player. I began my research into this when I looked into Alison Balsom, a British female trumpeter of classical music. From this, I had
At the end of the performance, Beverley had advised me to look into another female trumpeter called Gunhild Carling. This links to my project in the creation of my EP cover where I will be demonstrating myself as a female brass player.
Today I have attended 'The Cesarians' performance which took place at Westminster Kingsway college where I had the opportunity to interview a trumpeter, Beverley, who I have researched into for my interviews. The band performed a set of 6 songs where the last two included the trumpet and french horn.
Due to my emails not getting to Beverley which I have explained in the reflections of my interviews, 'The Cesarians' coming to perform at the college has come to an advantage to my project as I will be able to find out what I had aimed to.
Beverley plays classical instruments, the trumpet and the french horn. Linking back to my research into classical brass instruments, I found that the trumpet was originally responsible for being the highest sounding member of the orchestra with a 'loud', 'bright' sound.
However, Beverley contradicts this idea as she is using these brass instruments in a 'rock band. However, the trumpet is not played in the same same way it would be
I will be doing this research into launching an EP because I will be creating a 3-track EP to demonstrate fusions on my instrument within Latin jazz and dance-classical fusion in 'Spain', 'Caravan' and 'Polka' and I plan on uploading my EP onto different digital music platforms including social media to show that these are the skills and techniques I have developed within different styles since my classical playing.
According to my research, an EP usually has a minimum of four songs with a maximum of 6 until it is then called an album. EP stands for Extended player and this reflects that an EP is a compilation of songs. 'The number of tracks in an EP is usually four or more', and according to a blog written by Letang(Letang, 2019).
According to my research, an EP usually has a minimum of four songs with a maximum of 6 until it is then called an album. EP stands for Extended player and this reflects that an EP is a compilation of songs. 'The number of tracks in an EP is usually four or more', and according to a blog written by Letang(Letang, 2019).
I have decided to create a 3-track EP rather than a 10 -12 track fusion album due to my aims of exploring creativity within my song options. By combining four styles into this 3-track EP, I aim to work on developing improvisational techniques to allow me to perform an improvised solo in Latin jazz ('Caravan' and 'Spain' and work on incorporating dance rhythms into a classical piece by working on Allen Vizzuti's 'Polka' (part of my grade 8 exam pieces). To expand, focusing on a small amount of tracks means that I will be able to experiment, look into different ways of altering the sound of my instrument and apply playing techniques to the style of music within my time period for this project.This is reflected in the article where it says that a 3P (a 3-track EP) allows you to 'get playful or silly, to take the music to some out-there places, to try on different personas, etc.'
Linking back to my idea of focusing on three fusions, I believe that this makes the tracks within my EP contrast eachother. By creating something 'contrasting' which contradicts the classical trumpet, this could help my EP to be listened to by a range of 'music lovers' as there will be something new with each of the tracks. This means that these fusions and unexpected styles will create a sense of anticipation for the listener. My aim with my music by creating a fusion is to bring people from different cultures and backgrounds to share their love for music remotely, instead of being separated by different genres. This could help me to gain listeners to my music. I will be looking into the publications of my EP to ensure that my fusion album gets the maximum exposure that it can. I have read into an article about '9 things to consider when launching an EP which links to my point of my EP gaining exposure. Nowadays, EP and album production are dominating the internet which mean that physical CD's are becoming less popular. In the article it says 'it is impossible to sell simply by relying on a physical CD-only release of your EP'. From this I can infer that the decrease in popularity of physical CDs can decrease the chances of my EP from being listened to. I would like my fusion EP to be recognized because of the concepts inside it and to reach female brass players.
Linking back to my idea of focusing on three fusions, I believe that this makes the tracks within my EP contrast eachother. By creating something 'contrasting' which contradicts the classical trumpet, this could help my EP to be listened to by a range of 'music lovers' as there will be something new with each of the tracks. This means that these fusions and unexpected styles will create a sense of anticipation for the listener. My aim with my music by creating a fusion is to bring people from different cultures and backgrounds to share their love for music remotely, instead of being separated by different genres. This could help me to gain listeners to my music. I will be looking into the publications of my EP to ensure that my fusion album gets the maximum exposure that it can. I have read into an article about '9 things to consider when launching an EP which links to my point of my EP gaining exposure. Nowadays, EP and album production are dominating the internet which mean that physical CD's are becoming less popular. In the article it says 'it is impossible to sell simply by relying on a physical CD-only release of your EP'. From this I can infer that the decrease in popularity of physical CDs can decrease the chances of my EP from being listened to. I would like my fusion EP to be recognized because of the concepts inside it and to reach female brass players.
Therefore most musicians rely on digital platforms to launch their EP, to gain maximum exposure in a number of different ways.This could include iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify and band camp. After this, with the artist's music published on different platforms, this can engage the fanbase from different digital forms rather than just one. Due to availability on certain platforms, this opens up a greater chance to the music being heard by a range of listeners. YouTube and Soundcloud, advertising on Facebook are all examples of this.
From this I have learnt that these digital music platforms are a modern way of publishing music and combining this with the previous idea, this enable
The next thing to think about will be promotion as listeners like to match music to a visual component as mentioned in the article. The EP must include a cover to achieve this,
Firstly, I will research into the different ways of creating an EP cover. This could include hiring a freelancer to create my cover, use stock covers to create an EP covers and hiring a friend. Out of these options, I have chosen to collaborate with a friend due to the experience or collaboration this would give me in something outside of music. I will learn how to plan and conduct a photo shoot with a photographer which will help me with photoshoots with my future albums and EPs which I wil create at Middlesex university.
Firstly, I will research into the different ways of creating an EP cover. This could include hiring a freelancer to create my cover, use stock covers to create an EP covers and hiring a friend. Out of these options, I have chosen to collaborate with a friend due to the experience or collaboration this would give me in something outside of music. I will learn how to plan and conduct a photo shoot with a photographer which will help me with photoshoots with my future albums and EPs which I wil create at Middlesex university.
Due to the idea of increasing my confidence as a female through the creation of my EP, I will be looking into ways to achieve this. Therefore this idea of a confident female could come across in the music through 'confident' improvisation. When improvising in jazz music, it is easy to 'shy away' from the music as you are worried about 'if it sounds good' or if you are playing the right notes, and I have been guilty of this in the past.
This case study has made me think of an idea which could relate my my project. With the release of my EP, the idea that the trumpet is a 'male instrument' will be contrasted with an image of a female playing a flugelhorn on the front of the EP. With my EP being recognised as I have mentioned above, this will help to build my career as solo female flugelhornist. From creating my first EP for Soundcloud (my previous music has been performances and uploading singles)
Linking back to the article, it is said that 'when people are browsing through the internet, people aren't going to her your music playing randomly' which means that the audience need persuading to see and download a copy of the EP. This is where the cover comes in as this is the first thing that they will visualise.
When I attend Middlesex University, I will be creating further EPs and Albums in the compulsory technology and recording module of the course. I will be continuing with the concept of fusing together different styles on my instrument and either staying away from classical music or fusing classical with other genres. I have chosen to do this because of the lack of freedom playing classically gives me. This can be backed up by the fact that in classical music, you have to read and play exactly what is in the score, however in jazz, I am allowed to improvise and show my skills by in a solo. In jazz 'mistakes are improvisation' as said my Miles Davis Therefore by creating an EP in this project, this prepares me for creating more EPs or an album consisting of more tracks. This is due to my research into techniques to launch an EP altering my decisions into having an album cover to represent my music to make sure my EP 'stands out' from the crowd.(Letang, 2019)
Wednesday, 29th May 2019
The cover of this album features Miles Davis holding his instrument in the same way that he plays. Miles Davis, an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer was partially known for the way he played the trumpet in a downwards position. From the Encyclopedia.com,
Backing up this idea further, in the video of the trumpet solo of the 'All Blues', performed in Italy(this was filmed in 1964) evidently Davis is playing the trumpet in a downwards position from when he starts playing at 0:19 on the video.
Miles Davis's 'Kind of Blue' Album
I I have gained inspiration from looking at some albums created by some other trumpeters and one I have came across by searching in google images is Miles Davis's 'Kind of Blue'. Kind of blue was the best selling jazz album of all time featuring the 'All Blues' with a trumpet solo entering the standard.
The cover of this album features Miles Davis holding his instrument in the same way that he plays. Miles Davis, an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer was partially known for the way he played the trumpet in a downwards position. From the Encyclopedia.com,
In Miles Davis's 'Kind of Blue' album, he demonstrates the way that he plays the trumpet on the front cover of his album in the same downwards position which is shown in his playing. I have supported this idea of Miles Davis plying in a downwards position through watching his performance to find out if this idea is present in his playing from what I have read in the article.
In this image from a an article by Jeff Purtle, the trumpet playing position is explained through the use of both hands to hold the trumpet in an upright position.
The image shows 'The Fingers Of The Right Hand and The Grip of The Left Hand as applied to the trumpet' where the right hand controls the valves and the left hand holding the weight of the horn to allow the fingers of the right hand to be able to control the valves. (Purtle,2016). This shows that the position that Miles Davis uses when playing the trumpet is different to the usual trumpet playing position.
The trumpet playing position is upright because this allows the air to flow freely and that the diaphragm is not restricted, preventing air flow. This also affects lung capacity. When this is affected, the amount of air put through the instrument is also affected which means that there wouldn't be enough air to play the instrument properly. The flugelhorn requires faster air for the high notes and slower for the lower notes with a good amount or air. I got this from an article where it says 'It will allow you the passage of air and help your sound. In addition, it is going to prevent you from getting overly tight when you play'.
Miles Davis's 'different' playing position is also evident in the introduction of the book 'Miles Davis, Miles Smiles and the Invention of post bop' which describes Miles Davis's playing position as 'S-shaped back, trumpet at a downward angle'. I have used this book to see whether my idea
Backing up this idea further, in the video of the trumpet solo of the 'All Blues', performed in Italy(this was filmed in 1964) evidently Davis is playing the trumpet in a downwards position from when he starts playing at 0:19 on the video.
With the image of a flugelhorn or trumpet on the front cover of the album as also done by Miles Davis with the trumpet, this expresses that the album consists of brass playing. However the idea that I would like to portray from an a flugelhorn album cover is the idea of females playing brass instruments despite the stereo types about this. Being a female and playing brass instruments which I did a case study on, will be contradicting the image of male trumpeters dominating.
By finding out how trumpeters use their trumpet playing positions on the front of their album, I can use this with the creation of my album cover which I aim to link with my playing. During my photoshoot, I will take a photo with my playing position to experiment how this would go.
Following on from this tomorrow, I will think about how this research into these different album covers have impacted my project or changed any of my ideas.
Thursday 30th May, 2019Following on from this tomorrow, I will think about how this research into these different album covers have impacted my project or changed any of my ideas.
At this point in my project, I have changed one of my ideas which was to create a music video alongside my flugelhorn fusion EP. I had decided on a music video as I had thought that this could be a way to express the ideas of a fusion within my music whilst being a female. However, from researching and synthesizing two ideas together, I have a new idea of having a photoshoot to feature myself holding the flugelhorn.
Combining this with my EP means that I can combine the music with an image to relate to the idea of my project.An EP cover is the visual component that a listener associates with the music within the EP.
Tomorrow, I will be looking into ways that I can do this photoshoot and I have considered collaborating with other photographers so that someone else can take the photo while I am the main subject of the image.
Also during the project, I will be filming videos using an iPhone constantly throughout the project, therefore I will be tracking my progresses in my 'Polka' piece and my jazz standards this way. Therefore I didn't have a real purpose for doing a music video for my project. The other disadvantages of a music video which would not support my project. Filming for a music video would have happened in one day, however I will be working on small parts of my fusion EP daily where it would be inconvenient to have music video recording sessions daily with another student as they have a limited availability due to commitment in other projects. Therefore, this wouldn't be planned out properly which may affect my preparation towards the deadline for the project.
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(Purtle 2016)
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My project emphasizes that brass instruments aren't only male instruments, despite the stereo types of female brass players nowadays. Linking back to a case study into genres and playing the trumpet, an article it was mentioned about males dominating the brass due to the 'male' confidence required for the upright position of playing and putting air through the instrument. This links to the case study I did on a trumpeter called Alison Balsom where I looked into the successes of a female trumpeter due to the article stating the opposite of this, male trumpeters. However, Alison Balsom's confidence as a female classical trumpeter has inspired me to create my project with this idea combined with my fusions.
Therefore by having an image of a confident female on the front cover of the EP this could help to portray this idea before the listener hears the music.
There are also other ways of promoting females in brass could be by supporting and encouraging female brass players is by informing people of the stereotypes that 'when a student plays assertively, they are not playing “like a man.” and a sensitive performance isn’t “feminine.” This could be done by spreading awareness with social media players of female brass players so they don’t continue to program and support organisations that are only promoting music performed and composed by white men. (brasschicks, 2017).
There are also other ways of promoting females in brass could be by supporting and encouraging female brass players is by informing people of the stereotypes that 'when a student plays assertively, they are not playing “like a man.” and a sensitive performance isn’t “feminine.” This could be done by spreading awareness with social media players of female brass players so they don’t continue to program and support organisations that are only promoting music performed and composed by white men. (brasschicks, 2017).
I visited the photography department of my college to find out whether I could collaborate with a photographer for the creation of my EP front image. This will help with my project as I will be able to relate the idea of females playing the flugelhorn by taking part in a photo shoot which features myself playing my instrument.The music within the EP will be a fusion using the flugelhorn with an artist image on the front cover of the EP
I have come across a challenge whilst contacting the department so as I was informed that there were no photographers available for a photoshoot during this period due to various other projects happening and the days I had planned to do this was the week commencing the 2nd June. Therefore, collaborating with a photographer for this project wouldn't have been available.
This has had an impact on the creation of the EP as creating my cover is part of the publishing of my fusion EP online due to the idea I am portraying, being a female, dressing feminine and playing the trumpet/flugelhorn. Therefore, due to their unavailability, I hadn't been able to get a photographer to work with. This could have an impact on the time-phrame for the creation of my EP as I will now have to look into collaborating with another photographer for my photoshoot.
Therefore one the same day, I had attempted to ask people I knew if they have contacts of some photographers I could work with.
Collaborating in music is one of the modules I will do at Middlesex University which means that I will be working with other musicians and also working beyond the music department to complete a project etc. Photographers, media students.
At Middlesex university where I will continue my studies within brass particularly the flugelhorn and fusions to follow on from my project which escapes classical music. Recording and producing in the studio means creates opportunities for me to create further albums in the future. Therefore, this is where an album cover may be required at another point in my playing.
By planning and attending a photoshoot, I can take these skills and apply it to the albums that I create in the future.
For the photos taken for my project, I will be bringing a photographer and a musician together to 're-interpret' my fusion album with the elements that the photographer can contribute to with effects to meet the aims and objectives of my album which are to represent flugelhorn fusions. This is where I can relate my research into creating my project brief.
Collaborating in a creative way for this project relates to my future aims as a flugelhornist at Middlesex university where I begin building a fusion band with the flugelhorn. Working with photographers and other creative students at university will aid in the production of further albums/projects that I will do. There is a module called the 'Independent project' which is very open to my aims with the opportunity to travel abroad and I believe that this unit thoroughly prepares me for this.
Reflecting on today, I feel that I have planned this well in advance so that cancellations and availability do not affect my project at this point. As I have left enough time for the photoshoot process rescheduling, I believe that my EP cover will be done within the time frame I have made to allow me to reach the end of my project having accomplished what I had intended to do.
We had a discussion where we talked about different times of having the photoshoot to ensure that we could take the pictures when there was more sun/daylight.The EP cover is the first aspect that a listener sees before deciding to listen to the EP. .My EP cover is a representation of the music within my EP, therefore the setting and background of the photo could have an impact on this. Following on from this, next week the photoshoot will be taking place where I will be visiting st Georges gardens with a friend where we will find a suitable spot to take photos for my EP cover.
We had a discussion where we talked about different times of having the photoshoot to ensure that we could take the pictures when there was more sun/daylight.The EP cover is the first aspect that a listener sees before deciding to listen to the EP. .My EP cover is a representation of the music within my EP, therefore the setting and background of the photo could have an impact on this. Following on from this, next week the photoshoot will be taking place where I will be visiting st Georges gardens with a friend where we will find a suitable spot to take photos for my EP cover.
Females in the music industry research following my Alison Balsom Case study
I learned about gender while playing the trumpet and According to a study carried out by the Royal Albert Hall in 2017, where a very small portion of the participants associated the trumpet with being played by a woman. To be exact, the percentage was 3%. The article is written by a former trumpeter, playing for about a decade named Barbara Speed. Most of the orchestras and bands she had been too were dominated by male brass sections which I can also relate to as I have explained above(throughout my years of orchestra participation).
From
recently attending the National Youth Jazz Orchestra for a jazz
ensemble, I was surprised to see a group of females as part of the
trumpet section with one male. In previous ensembles/groups I have
attended (The University of West London's junior academy and The Ellen
Wilkinson School for Girls), most of the time I have been a solo trumpet
(the only trumpet) so I would have had to make the sound of an entire
trumpet section. This is when I had noticed the unpopularity of the
trumpet among females, especially in girls's schools.
Going
back to the article, Speed also mentions the ability needed to play the
trumpet which is . When playing in an orchestra as a trumpeter, there
are usually extended bars of rests before the trumpets enter suddenly
with a loud, high registered riff. These type of phrases require a quick
blast of air and confidence to be able to reach those notes. This point
is significant as they still associate confidence confidence with
maleness. This comes from Sheryl Sandbergs Lean in 'Be confident and you
will be as successful as men are'.
Therefore, this confidence required to hit high registers with confidence on the trumpet and flugelhorn are possible to be one of the reasons these instruments are associated with males and not females.
Also I am against the idea that females would have to "play male" in order to make the same success as men do.To extend further with the trumpet being a male instrument, even the playing position for the trumpet is considered male due to the stance. The ideal position for playing is standing straight with the horn pointing straight out in front of you.
This contrasts to an image of Alison Balsom who I did a case study based on. As evident in the image, her standing position for the trumpet is appropriate with the back straight, standing tall for a confident stance for confident playing.
From this I can infer that the playing position for the trumpet does not vary between men and women. However, due to the opinions of others, this stance may not seem feminine enough. Therefore, other orchestral instruments have been associated with women depending on the playing position.
It states that the sideways stance of the flute and the downward stance of the clarinet seem more feminine for a woman. However, In the image of Alison Balsom, she shows an upright posture and holding the instrument high which allows a sufficient amount of air flow from the lungs. When the air is trapped by a poor, 'hunched over' posture, the trumpeter is likely to have poor air flow (R. Ellis, 2014)
Female clothing is also looked at when it comes to trumpet playing according to another article where it says 'when a female trumpeter is dressed for an audition in a dress or skirt, she is most likely to get turned down' which means that there is bias to woman dressing feminine and playing the trumpet.
To conclude this case study, I admire the way that Alison Balsom has been accepted as a female artist, however my starting point is to improve my confidence with my brass playing as a female which I have mentioned at the beginning of this case study, I will be relating some aspects of my project to improve my self-confidence as a trumpeter in music environments as I will be attending Middlesex University to study BA music in October. My projects fusion EP will consist of an album cover where I have come up with the idea of having a photoshoot where I can take a picture of myself holding my flugelhorn. Within this, I have an opportunity to demonstrate that females can be as confident as men and still play the trumpet and that females can dress with femininity and still play the trumpet.
Therefore, this confidence required to hit high registers with confidence on the trumpet and flugelhorn are possible to be one of the reasons these instruments are associated with males and not females.
Also I am against the idea that females would have to "play male" in order to make the same success as men do.To extend further with the trumpet being a male instrument, even the playing position for the trumpet is considered male due to the stance. The ideal position for playing is standing straight with the horn pointing straight out in front of you.
This contrasts to an image of Alison Balsom who I did a case study based on. As evident in the image, her standing position for the trumpet is appropriate with the back straight, standing tall for a confident stance for confident playing.
From this I can infer that the playing position for the trumpet does not vary between men and women. However, due to the opinions of others, this stance may not seem feminine enough. Therefore, other orchestral instruments have been associated with women depending on the playing position.
It states that the sideways stance of the flute and the downward stance of the clarinet seem more feminine for a woman. However, In the image of Alison Balsom, she shows an upright posture and holding the instrument high which allows a sufficient amount of air flow from the lungs. When the air is trapped by a poor, 'hunched over' posture, the trumpeter is likely to have poor air flow (R. Ellis, 2014)
Female clothing is also looked at when it comes to trumpet playing according to another article where it says 'when a female trumpeter is dressed for an audition in a dress or skirt, she is most likely to get turned down' which means that there is bias to woman dressing feminine and playing the trumpet.
To conclude this case study, I admire the way that Alison Balsom has been accepted as a female artist, however my starting point is to improve my confidence with my brass playing as a female which I have mentioned at the beginning of this case study, I will be relating some aspects of my project to improve my self-confidence as a trumpeter in music environments as I will be attending Middlesex University to study BA music in October. My projects fusion EP will consist of an album cover where I have come up with the idea of having a photoshoot where I can take a picture of myself holding my flugelhorn. Within this, I have an opportunity to demonstrate that females can be as confident as men and still play the trumpet and that females can dress with femininity and still play the trumpet.
Weekly reflection 20/5-26/5
EP cover experiment/example
This week, a friend from the design depart in my college had offered to make a sample of an album in the theme of an 'Escape'. I had agreed to his because collaborating with others could bring new ideas to my project which I hadn't thought of myself. This is supported by a quote I read on the article about collaborations "It challenges me to think in a different way every time I collaborate with another creative."(Chawick,2013) His definition of collaboration is "Collaboration is about allowing yourself to become contaminated with other peoples ideas and visions" as "we work in an opinion based industry". This has supported my idea of seeking new inspirations through collaborating with others. Therefore by participating in this, I will be able to experiment with different types of album covers within my EP instead of limiting my options to just an artist image.
However from looking into the book 'The musicians way' it says that collaborations can cause many challenges between people. (Klickstein, 2009) This could result in a 'clash of personalities' (CreativeBloqStaff,2019)As a result of this,when creating an EP cover, there may be confusion with what the artist wants and what the designer creates.
To collaborate with designers successfully, I will make it clear to the designer what I am aiming for and my themes. had told her my idea for the EP and why it is called an 'Escape' This is because I am escaping playing the trumpet classically and creating a fusion EP which explores different styles to expand on my techniques. To present this on the front cover of my album, this follows the idea of the music within my EP. Linking back to my research into the purpose of an EP cover, listeners like to match the music up to a visual component and 'it will attract listeners to my music,quite like a book cover where people still judge the covers before looking into what's inside. (Melina 2015)
http://blog.symphonicdistribution.com/2015/08/the-importance-of-having-good-album-artwork/
However from looking into the book 'The musicians way' it says that collaborations can cause many challenges between people. (Klickstein, 2009) This could result in a 'clash of personalities' (CreativeBloqStaff,2019)As a result of this,when creating an EP cover, there may be confusion with what the artist wants and what the designer creates.
To collaborate with designers successfully, I will make it clear to the designer what I am aiming for and my themes. had told her my idea for the EP and why it is called an 'Escape' This is because I am escaping playing the trumpet classically and creating a fusion EP which explores different styles to expand on my techniques. To present this on the front cover of my album, this follows the idea of the music within my EP. Linking back to my research into the purpose of an EP cover, listeners like to match the music up to a visual component and 'it will attract listeners to my music,quite like a book cover where people still judge the covers before looking into what's inside. (Melina 2015)http://blog.symphonicdistribution.com/2015/08/the-importance-of-having-good-album-artwork/
This
is the album cover which has been created by another art and media student. However, comparing this to an artist image that I initially had for my cover was to have a flugelhorn artist image to symbolize femininity with brass players as I have researched in one of my case studies where I supported an idea that trumpet playing was dominated by men. Therefore, I would like to contradict this idea by having a photo of a myself (female)playing the flugelhorn (me).
therefore was able to come up with some ideas for an EP which will represent a 'genre escape'. After my experiment with a photo shoot, I have compared this to use another image for the front cover of the EP.
therefore was able to come up with some ideas for an EP which will represent a 'genre escape'. After my experiment with a photo shoot, I have compared this to use another image for the front cover of the EP.
I
will not be making use of this image however I will take some
influences from this with use of my name and the name of the EP on the
front to add to my photo with me and my flugelhorn.
I
looked into this album cover which I found online in order to look into
aspects of presentation within my photoshoot which could impact my
photoshoot in terms of the dress code. I will be creating a dress code
for my photoshoot to help me to portray the idea of being a female
trumpet/flugelhorn player on the cover of my EP.
For
this album cover by Kate Amaine, another female trumpeter, she is
wearing a black feminine outfit. I have linked the cover of this album
to another article which talks about dress codes in photo shoots where
it says
'That
way you won’t stand out and take attention away from the main photo
subject'(Pratt, 2016). Therefore, wearing a plain black solid color
wouldn't take away the subject of the of the photo which is a female and
a flugelhorn.
This
has inspired me because by wearing something black and feminine, this
helps to relate to the idea that you can still be feminine and a trumpet
player, whilst the colour black allows the topic of the photo shoot to
be the main idea rather than wearing a colorful outfit. This has
inspired the plan for my dress code because the whole idea of my EP
cover is to present the idea of females playing the flugelhorn.
Monday 4th June - Photoshoot day
This
afternoon, I visited st Georges gardens to take photos for my album
cover. I chose to carry out my photo shoot today due to the obstacles I
have come across with an EP cover which didn't clearly relate to my
project.
We
began by taking photos against a wall to experiment with backgrounds.
If this place was not ideal for the photo, we would move to another
place in the park. I had thought that having a plain background would be
best for this photoshoot because as it states in the book,
These are the images I had took at the beginning of the photoshoot session
Another
photographer who I had been messaging before the photoshoot had
suggested to have the photoshoot outdoors in the evening, around 6pm to
capture photos with the sunset. So we would have gone to another spot
with the sunset to have good quality light on these photos.
However,
this time hadn't been available both for myself and the photographer
that week, therefore, in the future during my further studies into music
performance and production, I will be creating more recorded albums
where I will be taking more photos for a photoshoot. Therefore, to
improve the quality of my photos in the near future, I will be taking
into account of the lighting techniques I have been provided by the
photographers I have collaborated within this project.
These
are the photos which were taken with natural lighting when the sun had
come out. The visuals of the photos had improved with the lighting when
the sun had come out as they looked more well-lit. This links back to
the book I looked into for my case study (the guide to digital
photography) where it says 'how you control lighting is what really
makes or breaks a image' and there is a difference in quality of the
lighting between the previously taken photo and the other below.
Therefore this literature review has impacted my photoshoot positively
as I it has resulted in successful images for my EP cover.
The
photographer had then asked me pretend to play my instrument to
experiment what this would look like. I had agreed to this because this
linked to my research I did above into Miles Davis and how he used his
trumpet playing position on the front cover of his album.
However
in this image, the flugelhorn is not visible in the image due to the
position that the photographer held the camera. This means that the idea
of the image which is to present myself and the flugelhorn wasn't
achieved here. To link back to my idea, the main idea of these photos is
to present myself as being a female flugelhorn player which is what I
was trying to achieve.
This
has been improved with this image because, with the flugelhorn facing
to the side, you could see the full instrument properly instead of
having it facing forwards and not being able to see the full image.
After
looking at all of the images I have taken with different standing
positions and different qualities of lighting, I had chosen to make use
of this image.
Reflecting on today, Having
an image of myself will support female brass players as the can see a
way that a female trumpeter has built confidence and is able to play
without the judgements of being a female of having to 'act male' in
order to be accepted. The way that I was influenced by how Alison Balsom
has shaped her career as female trumpeter and gained many achievements,
despite the obstacles she has come across with her confidence which has
influenced me with confidence in my playing within my project. By
overcoming my insecurities of being a female brass player throughout my
project, I will be showing this through a photoshoot on the front of my
album which will feature me posing with the flugelhorn, showing
confidence and femininity. This being apparent to other female brass
players, I am for this to encourage them to begin or to continue with
their brass playing.
27/5-2/6
This week, I will be working on uploading my EP cover image. With the images I took last week,I will be using these and adding text. The text will include relevant annotation such as the name of my EP and the composers of the music within my EP. I gained influence from this in units 5-7 where I had contributed to the creation of an album called 'Vibez' which was a collection of music from the group into one album. I thought that this album would be a good example to refer back to for this EP I am creating as the cover includes relevant information which I believe should be included on an album/EP cover. This is a physical version of an EP, therefore I am aware of any differences there may be towards a digital version.
According to my research into the release of an EP, I will be including the relevant information I have found out to relate to my EP.As I am playing Chick Corea's 'Spain', Duke Ellington's 'Caravan' and Allen Vizzuti's Polka, for my fusion EP, I will be using the artist names when publishing as I am covering their jazz standards/pieces. - linking to research into legal publishing of my tracks - so that it doesn't get taken down
27/5-2/6
This week, I will be working on uploading my EP cover image. With the images I took last week,I will be using these and adding text. The text will include relevant annotation such as the name of my EP and the composers of the music within my EP. I gained influence from this in units 5-7 where I had contributed to the creation of an album called 'Vibez' which was a collection of music from the group into one album. I thought that this album would be a good example to refer back to for this EP I am creating as the cover includes relevant information which I believe should be included on an album/EP cover. This is a physical version of an EP, therefore I am aware of any differences there may be towards a digital version.
According to my research into the release of an EP, I will be including the relevant information I have found out to relate to my EP.As I am playing Chick Corea's 'Spain', Duke Ellington's 'Caravan' and Allen Vizzuti's Polka, for my fusion EP, I will be using the artist names when publishing as I am covering their jazz standards/pieces. - linking to research into legal publishing of my tracks - so that it doesn't get taken down
As I am playing Chick Corea's 'Spain', Duke Ellington's 'Caravan' and Allen Vizzuti's Polka, for my fusion EP, I will be using the artist names when publishing as I am covering their jazz standards/pieces.
Escape' is an album for the flugelhorn and trumpet which 'escapes' the use of the trumpet mainly in classical music. This EP consists of Chick Coreas Latin jazz standard, 'Spain', another Latin jazz standard called 'Caravan' and a grade 8 dance-classical piece called 'Polka'. These fusions on the flugelhorn show versatility within genres and the ability to combine playing techniques from both styles of playing.
I will be preparing for this now as my EP will be released in 10 days time and getting this done well in advance will ensure that I am prepared and do not delay the release of my EP as this will confuse the listeners who were waiting for the EP to be released on the 13th June.
I used a software called 'Canva' in order to edit and add text to my image. I have chosen to call my EP the name 'Escape' because the way that I am
playing fusions on an instrument originally from a classical orchestra,
I am escaping the genre by using different playing techniques to play
different styles.
This also benefits me because during my further studies at Middlesex university, I will be doing extended projects where my knowledge into photography may come into use when I have a photoshoot again. As a female musician, I believe that I will be making use of photos to use on my websites and social media pages in the future.
Researching into rock music.
https://www.chavisrecords.net/characteristics-of-rock-music/
Researching into rock music will allow me to see how Beverley uses the techniques from rock music in her playing to be able to blend in with the sound of the band.
During the interview with Beverley, she has explained that the Cesarians are a rock band where she makes use of the trumpet and french horn, coming from the orchestral family as classical instruments.This links to the research at the beginning of my project where I looked into my idea about the use of brass instruments in the classical genre.
I have found out by looking into the official website that The Cesarians are a rock band.
Rock music is described as having a 'bombastic' sound when performed. Even though the vocalist could be singing slowly, the vocals would still sound very loud which then creates a distorted sound. In the first video of the performance, I noticed that the leader of the band is the singer as the audience and the rest of the band members look up to this band member. This is evident in the video where the vocalist was the loudest sounding member, showing the most energy compared to the rest of the band which brought attention to the singer.
On the website, it says that 'rock songs have a good dynamic and rhythm' and 'most people get rock and pop confused because they are in 4/4. In the performance, the band, including the trumpet played continuous repetitive notes in 4/4 which links to one of the techniques in rock music which is the measure of the beat.
Therefore, I will be linking the features of a rock band to The Cesarians music to see how closely linked to a rock band they are. By looking into the rock features of the music, this could help with looking into the place of the trumpet in rock music.
My project focuses on the idea of the trumpet finding another role in other styles through a fusion album. Therefore her addition of different playing techniques could impact my project as I am seeking influences from other trumpeters who are doing similar things with their playing.
On the other hand, without the use of electronic features, Beverley uses the standard sound of the trumpet in when she plays in the band.
The simple characteristics from the rock genre could be considered when arranging a brass part in rock music. With a steady beat in 4/4, having a complex brass section would contrast to the style. I got this from where it says
This first video shows the band's playing without the brass instruments, as a traditional rock ban
in this next video, when the trumpet comes into the music, it seems 'unusual' to have a trumpet sound in a rock band due to it's responsibilities in classical music which I have looked into at the beginning of the project. This unusual idea is further supported by the use of the violin in the rock band. Before the performance, Beverley had mentioned that the trumpet and violin create harmonies together within the band.
During the performance, I had also noticed the way the way that Beverley's phrases on the trumpet and french horn were kept simple with a group of notes which she said help her "blend into the sound of the band".
The way that Beverley and the violinist carve themselves a part into a rock band links to the idea of my project which is 'escaping' the genre of classical and adapting my instrument to play within jazz fusion and dance classical trumpet solos.
Mentioning to Beverley about referring to the male domination of brass instruments within my project, I had asked her about her experiences playing as part of a band as a trumpeter and french horn player. I began my research into this when I looked into Alison Balsom, a British female trumpeter of classical music. From this, I had
At the end of the performance, Beverley had advised me to look into another female trumpeter called Gunhild Carling. This links to my project in the creation of my EP cover where I will be demonstrating myself as a female brass player.
Today I have attended 'The Cesarians' performance which took place at Westminster Kingsway college where I had the opportunity to interview a trumpeter, Beverley, who I have researched into for my interviews. The band performed a set of 6 songs where the last two included the trumpet and french horn.
Due to my emails not getting to Beverley which I have explained in the reflections of my interviews, 'The Cesarians' coming to perform at the college has come to an advantage to my project as I will be able to find out what I had aimed to.
Beverley plays classical instruments, the trumpet and the french horn. Linking back to my research into classical brass instruments, I found that the trumpet was originally responsible for being the highest sounding member of the orchestra with a 'loud', 'bright' sound.
However, Beverley contradicts this idea as she is using these brass instruments in a 'rock band. However, the trumpet is not played in the same same way it would be
My
photo shoot relates to future use of my images during this project and
when I finish the project in terms of my social media and website use.
During my time at Middlesex University, I will be doing a module called
'Collaboration in the music industry'. Therefore, in this project, I
have been preparing for this through developing collaboration techniques
when recording and taking part in a photo shoot.
Social
media is a modern method of communication within in the music industry
nowadays and has changed many aspects of the industry. Instagram is a
suitable platform to publically share music and gain recognition from
other artists. Social media is also often a suitable way to be contacted
for collaborations or to collaborate with other musicians due to the
functions of, direct messages and general general enquiries. Using your
social media pages to share details of your upcoming gigs or
performances can be a good way to communicate with other musicians or
people to collaborate with.
These
are the four pages I am working on for the creation of my website which
I began to create during employability sessions at college using
Wix.com, this is what the pages of my website currently look like. The
introduction page, bibliography, music and contact information.
My Website:
My Website:
Linking
back to future collaborations at Middlesex University, I will be using
my website and social to advertise myself as a female flugelhornist as I
aspire to play as part of a fusion band. I have found out from my
research into social media that once I set up a website and social media
accounts to link to my music, I will be able to communicate with other
musicians who may be willing to collaborate with the projects I do at
Middlesex.
Currently,
I will be uploading the music from my EP onto sound cloud which is
where I will be putting up my cover image. This enables me to start
building up my website which will be useful to me in the future when I
attend Middlesex University and afterwards.
Editing my images:
iMovie
I initially wanted to use iMovie due to its advantages and the functions which link to the creation of my EP. iMovie is a video editing software which allows mac and apple iPhone users to use and edit video footage.(Soffar, 2017) iMovie Allows me to share my movie in different ways and this links to my project because I will be creating my EP in order to upload thew videos onto YouTube. To support this, it also says 'use the iMovie to upload your projects directly to YouTube'. As Soundcloud hadn't worked for 'Spain' due to the use of the backing track with my flugelhorn, I have decided to use YouTube to publish my EP. I had found out about using YouTube to promote my music through researching into a book about 'Digital Music'. For my music to feature on YouTube, it has to be in a video format and my tracks were currently in mp3 versions. Therefore today I will be working with the mp3 versions of my track to publish to YouTube.
However it didn't allow me to import audio and the other times I have used it, I have only worked with videos.
Editing the image in order to publish it:
To find out how I will be presenting the cover of my EP, I will be creating 4 different versions using Vivivideo which allows me to merge video and image together
This also wasn't available to me due to the unavailability of an Apple device. To use an apple device, I had to use the macs in college, however they were occupied most of the time which meant that I didn't get enough access time for these facilities.
Therefore, i have thought into another idea which would be to use a software that will be available to me with the devices I can always use. My first step with this was to look in the app store of my smart phone to find a 'video editing' software which I could use.
After tying many video editing apps, I
had chosen to use a 'Viva Video' in the image below. The functions of
this app are similar to those of iMovie due to the editing facilities
there.I will be designing the album cover featuring the name of the album and my name.
This is the result of the images after using the Viva video for editing:
The first image didn't have my name or the name of the album, therefore the listener of the album wouldn't know what the album is, except from the image on the front. With the cover of my album like this, I felt as if here was no meaning to the image.
In this next version I had created, the name of the album is on the front cover, which has solved the issue from the previous version.
However, an error with this version is that the title of the album stands out 'too much' in my opinion and is in an inappropriate place. 
This was my last experiment and I will be making use of this cover as it includes all of the implementations I have previously described. This version is suitable for publishing because I have stated the name of my album together with my name. It is also presented neatly in the bottom corner of the screen. I have taken importance into the creation of my album cover as this is what people will see first when the look at my EP. Week's reflection 3/3-9/3
Feedback on Caravan:
One tutor had said that the drums sounded like they were recorded in a different space to the rest of the tracks. I will not be able to make amendments on the drums as they were recorded in a different space which has had an effect on the sound. I had contacted a drummer from outside of the college due to the unreliability of the musicians that I have worked with. This has come from my past experience which had effected the production of my EP as it was delayed(in the unit 8 collaborative project). Therefore I had contacted a drummer who had recorded with the backing track I had sent him to play towards and I ended up having a drum track within two days. This had helped my project as I had my drums recorded which mean that the rest of the instruments could play over the drums. This links to the responsibility of the drums in a jazz standard which I had researched into when looking into a drummer for Caravan is to 'provide the rhythm' for the melodic instruments. Referring back to the article, this is evident where it says 'to keep and excellent time feel, a foundation for the rest of the band, so they can play with ease over a bed of precise rhythms'.(Maldonado, 2018)
My band for 'Caravan' consisted of a bassist, drummer, pianist for the rhythm section and myself on the flugelhorn for the melody section. According to this research into the role of the drummer within a jazz standard setting was important because when I am playing the head melody of the standard, playing against the rhythm of the drums allowed me to keep in time with the whole recording. This will then result in a track all of the instrumentalists playing in time which I aim for as something which is 'in time' is more likely to be listened to and enjoyed by others. This benefits my EP as my purpose of this is for my EP to be listened to on the online digital platforms I will upload to, YouTube, SoundCloud. To portray the trumpet/flugelhorn as instruments which can play Latin jazz,dance fusions rather than classical music and be played by a female, not a male. Therefore, as the drums were recorded first, having the drums recorded at that time in my project ensured that there was enough time to record all of the other instruments in the band to complete my version of 'Caravan'.
Even though, the drum track was delivered in such little time, I now had a drum track which is evident that it was recorded in a different room. At this point, I don't have enough time to record the drums again as it will not be ready for the release of my EP.According to my research into why a band sound record together, in article it says that it 'helps the recording to sound more like the band does when you actually her them play live'(Jon,2011). My aim with 'Caravan' was to make my recorded performance sound as live as possible, however, I haven't achieved this with this version. Therefore, to prevent the impact of this for the EPs/albums I will do in the future at Middlesex University, I will be looking into ways to solve this issue or alternatives which could take place. To prevent this happening next time, if a drummer isn't available with the students I am working with I could use a metronome to help to keep myself in time when recording a jazz standard. With the metronome on logic, I am able to adjust the tempo to the tempo I am playing in. With my part in time, the other instrumentalists of the band can record ontop of this with the metronome playing aswell to make sure that the whole band is in time.
On the other hand, I am interested in the idea of recording a live jazz band recording with the band in one space as I will be doing a BA music course with performance where I will be working on more live performances.
This idea is supported where it says in the article 'the results will be better, livelier, than the album you might eke from a day or two in the studio' which emphasises the difference between recording and performing jazz. I have always seen jazz as a 'performed style' as it so improvisational and unpredictable in oppose to a verse-chorus structured pop song. (Kaplan, 2005)
Therefore what I have done this week has helped my future projects in university as I will be able to consider the effects of having the drums or the other instruments recording in a different space to the one I am in.
As I am not coming to the end of my project I feel that I have made progress with Caravan from having difficulty with getting a drummer and then solving this problem by collaborating with a drummer who had to record in a different space. Now, Caravan has been arranged, recorded, mixed and mastered which means that I am prepared to add this track to my flugelhorn fusion EP. This means that my EP will be released before the deadline for my project and according to my timeline at the end of my project.
http://silentsky.net/wordpress/archives/298
However I will be able to make amendments to the other part of the feedback I was given which was that 'the crash was too loud' at points. In the recording of the song below, the crash stands out more. When mixing my tracks, this hadn't been something that the producer had pointed out, and after when listening to the track back, it the crash sounds too much of a 'crash' and should have been more subtle. The role of the drummer in a jazz standard is to provide a constant rhythm to keep all of the instruments in time.
Another aspect of the music I was feedbacked on was the standard sounding 'spacious'.
There was a lot of space however, I will be backing up this idea as the space in the jazz standard links to the genre that this jazz standard is from. 'Caravan' is a jazz standard with Brazilian and Latin influences. According to this article and previous lessons with a tutor into improvising in a jazz standard, jazz consists of 'quiet' spaces. During a trumpet solo, a trumpeter may improvise in small phrases rather than performing one whole solo. In my opinion, this creates anticipation as due to improvised solos being so unpredictable, the listener wouldn't know what is to come next. Publishing of my flugelhorn fusions
The publishing of the EP on Sound cloud
What didn't go well when uploading my track to Sound cloud was that due to the use of a backing track in my cover of Chick Corea's 'Spain', Soundcloud had taken down my track for copyright reason. I have used a backing track from YouTube for my version of Chick Corea's 'Spain'.
Therefore I chose to upload this onto another platform
I will now be attempting to upload the tracks for my EP onto YouTube, following from the book I have read into explaining the different digital music platforms. Therefore this book has impacted my project as I have now discovered a new way to publish my music online without relying on one platform which may not always work, according to this occurrence.
I have chosen to call
my EP the name 'Escape' because the way that I am playing fusions on an
instrument originally from a classical orchestra, I am escaping the
genre by using different playing techniques to play different styles.Mixing Polka and Spain Videos
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6G9YHhiANJY2o4IkJv8aSIob1v2eigeS
https://jazzchill.blogspot.com/2019/05/chick-corea-explores-his-spanish-latin.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/11/how-chick-corea-wrote-spain/248948/
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/11/how-chick-corea-wrote-spain/248948/
(Ilich, 2019)
Metronome
2.
In this recording session, we attempted to have the metronome playing
while recording to ensure playing in time and staying in time throughout
the recording. This is particularly important because to have a good
quality musical recording, all of the players should be in time with
eachother. I know this because I looked at an article which outlines the
purpose f using the metronome on logic when recording. The function of
the metronome is to pay a steady beat in any time signature or tempo
that is required and the metronome will automatically adjust to this.
In this image the tempo is located under the 'Project Tempo pop-up menu' heading where the tempo is adjustable using bpm
From
my experiment in the studio playing 'Polka' to test out different
microphone positions for the classical concert hall sound that I aimed
for, I also found out what a comfortable tempo would be for my
recordings. The tempo was originally 120 bpm as this was set
automatically by Logic.
Show evidence for this -- using the mac computers
eHowever, I have
the option to turn off the metronome when it's not needed such as when I
am listening back to the track with the other instruments to make sure
that everybody is in the same time.
A
new 'Smart Tempo' shown in the image below introduced by Logic 'brings
powerful new tempo analysis and editing capabilities to Logic pro.
Smart
tempo can adapt to the tempo that a musician is recording which means
that you can record without using the metronome and have the tempo
automatically adjusted to the correct one. This allows the musician to
record at their comfortable tempo. This is important so that the
musician doesn't rush and that being evident in the recording or that
the piece or song is sower that it is supposed to be. This ensures that the song is recorded to the aimed quality.
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