Malcolm Braff's Approach to Rhythm for Improvisation
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Malcolm Braff’s Approach to Rhythm for Improvisation: Definition, Analysis and Aesthetic Daniel Jacobus Steyn de Wet A dissertation submitted to the faculty of humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MMUS. Johannesburg 2017 Plagiarism Declaration 1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and to pretend that it is one’s own. 2. I have used the author date convention for citation and referencing. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this thesis from the work or works of other people has been acknowledged through citation and reference. 3. The essay is my own work. 4. I have not allowed and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her own work. _______________________ _________________________ Signature Date Human Research Ethics Clearance (non-medical) Certificate Number: 2 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my friends and family for the support they have shown through this time. I further thank the various supervisors and co-supervisors who have at some point had some level of input into this study. On the practical side of my study I thank Malcolm Ney for the high level of classical training that I have received. I thank Andre Petersen for his input into the jazz specific aspects of my performance training. Special thanks to Dr. Carlo Mombelli for the training I received in his ensembles and at his home with regard to beautiful and improvised music. Thanks also go to the supervisors for the majority of my proposal phase Dr. Susan Harrop- Allan and Jonathan Crossley. I especially thank Dr. Donato Somma for supervising the main body of work, and his exceptional dedication, support and professionalism throughout the whole process. This project would not be what it is without him. For the financial support and opportunity to travel to Switzerland in connection with this study I thank ProHelvetia. Lastly, I thank Malcolm Braff, the main inspiration for this study. I don’t think he fully realizes how deeply and profoundly different my life has become since meeting him, and how eternally grateful I am for all of it. I am sure that I am not alone in this feeling. 3 Dedicated to my mother and my cousin who both died during the course of this study. 4 Table of Contents Plagiarism Declaration ....................................................................................................2 Acknowledgements...........................................................................................................3 Introduction ........................................................................................................................7 Motivations...................................................................................................................................7 Methodology.............................................................................................................................. 10 Special Considerations........................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 1 ........................................................................................................................... 15 Background: The Wandering Minstrel ................................................................................ 15 Improvisation: It’s About Swimming................................................................................... 17 Improvisation: “But is it jazz?”.............................................................................................. 24 Form as a Conduit: MusiCal Rules of Liberation................................................................ 27 Form as a Conduit: Free Form is a Thing Too.................................................................... 29 Form as a Conduit: It’s a ClassiC............................................................................................ 30 Form as a Conduit: All That Jazz........................................................................................... 33 Instrumentation: Toy Story................................................................................................... 34 Motivations: Spiritual Statements ........................................................................................ 38 Motivations: Be the Target ..................................................................................................... 41 Motivations: Who is Listening? ............................................................................................. 45 Tying Up Tension and Release: Table for Four?.............................................................. 48 Tying up Tension and Release: Tied to Tide .................................................................... 49 Summary..................................................................................................................................... 52 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 55 Time: MythiCally Speaking ...................................................................................................... 55 Time: It’s About Time............................................................................................................... 57 Time: SpeCtral Analysis............................................................................................................ 59 Empathy in the Performance Space: No Man is an Island ............................................ 63 Rhythmic Properties: And Around We Go......................................................................... 66 Summary..................................................................................................................................... 70 Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 72 Rhythmic Perception: Limits and Motions ........................................................................ 72 Rhythmic Perception: Motions............................................................................................. 74 Musical Perception: Harhythmanizing? ............................................................................. 76 Musical Perception: Tonality and Meter ............................................................................ 78 Musical Perception: Challenging the Limits ...................................................................... 80 Summary..................................................................................................................................... 86 Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................................... 88 Macrobeats, Microbeats, Rhythm Patterns..................................................................... 88 Macrobeats: Generally Speaking........................................................................................... 89 Macrobeats: Non-isoChronous Conditional Love............................................................... 91 Macrobeats: Transfiguration ................................................................................................. 92 Microbeats: What is PerCeptually Possible? ....................................................................... 93 Microbeats: Non-IsoChronous Considerations................................................................... 97 Summary..................................................................................................................................... 98 Chapter 5 .........................................................................................................................100 Tuplets: Rhythm Patterns .....................................................................................................100 Tuplets: Training the PhysiCal Side of Tuplets and MiCrobeats....................................104 5 Tuplets: Non-Braffian Definitions .......................................................................................105 Metric Bridges: A FunCtion of Non-isoChronous Microbeats........................................108 Metric Bridges: Leaving the Norm Behind .......................................................................110 Metric-Bridges: Why MetriC Bridges?................................................................................112 Metric-Bridges: Mantra ........................................................................................................113 Metric-Bridges: Goodmorning SinCity...............................................................................114 Harhythmanizing: Part 2......................................................................................................119 Summary...................................................................................................................................120 Chapter 6 .........................................................................................................................123 Meters: It’s All In Your Head.................................................................................................123 Meters: MetriC Labels.............................................................................................................124 Meters: Breaking Limitations...............................................................................................128