Re: [Harp-L] What are the simplest and best diatonic practicestrategies/meth...

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

This exercise actually can be extended in a way that plays the entire
scale through two octaves, four different ways.

What you're doing is playing the scale in one direction - up or down -
then going to the neighboring scale degree and going in the opposite
direction. 

The variations come from:

- whether the next scale degree is above or below the ending note. 

This determines the overall direction. If each starting note is one
scale degree above the last, the overall direction will be ascending.
If each succesive starting note is a degree lower, the overall
direction will be descending/

- which scale goes up and which one comes down.

Each version of the exercise plays the scale in only one direction for
each scale degree. it needs a matching exercise that also plays it in
the opposite direction.

The first version of the exercise has an overall ascending direction,
and starts with an ascending scale:

Ascend 1 to 8

Descend 9 to 2

Ascend 3 to 10

Descend 11 to 4

Ascend 5 to 12

Descend 13 to 6

Ascend 7 to 14

Descend 15 to 8.


Now you can reverse direction for the individual scales while still
maintaining an overall ascending direction. 

Descend 8 to 1

Ascend 2 to 9

Descend 10 to 3

Ascend 4 to 11

Descend 12 to 5

Ascend 6 to 13

Descend 14 to 7

Ascend 8 to 15.

Now you're two octaves above where you first started. 

Time to move in an overall descending direction.

Descend 15 to 8

Ascend 7 to 14

Descend 13 to 6

Ascend 5 to 12

Descend 11 to 4

Ascend 3 to 10

Descend 9 to 2

Ascend 1 to 8

Now it's time for the last leg, which will land you back on your
starting note.

You've landed on 8, an octave above the starting note. 

Ascend 8 to 15

Descend 14 to 7

Ascend 6 to 13

Descend 12 to 5

Ascend 4 to 11

Descend 10 to 3

Ascend 2 to 9

Descend 8 to 1

You're home.

Now, you may think that because you've played the scale starting on
each scale degree that this prepares you to play in the modes that
start on each scale degree. But HEARING those same physical action
patterns when the tonal center is shifted can throw you off. Now, try
putting on a drone for one of the scale degrees (e.g. D for a C major
scale for Dorian mode) and try the exercise that way. It will sound and
feel very different.

DIATONIC SPECIAL CONSIDERATION:

The scale plays differently in each of the three octaves of a standard
diatonic. It's a good idea to play the entire exercise twice, once
starting and ending in Hole 1, and again starting and ending in Hole 4.

Winslow

--- Michael Peloquin <peloquinharp@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Larry writes:
> >I like to take a scale and add on one additional scale degree to the
> end -
> >playing up and down, without stopping at the "top" or repeating the 
> >"topmost"
> >note. This changes the scale from a SCALE to a series of melodic
> tones that
> >form  a line.
> >
> >For instance - Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do, Re, Do, Ti, La, Sol,
> Fa,  
> >Mi,
> >Re, Do.
> >
> >By not thinking of the melodic line as a SCALE, more music is
> allowed to
> >flow through the series of notes - simply a choice of these
> particular  
> >notes.
> 
> This is great advice. I always encourage this method for 7 note
> (major, 
> modes, etc.) scales.
> Going up to the 9th(2nd) degree of the scale and then back down,
> keeps 
> things musical. It makes a 17 note scale. In 4/4 time this always
> ends you 
> back on the tonic/home note of the scale on a down beat. Much more
> musical.
> 
> Anybody going to SPAH? Hit me up on this concept and others when you
> see me.
> 
> Michael Peloquin
> http://www.harpsax.com
> Come check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/harpsax
> 
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