Francesco Rocco Guitar

1st year MMus Generative Music Techniques

Abstract

An approach to improvisation for cello and guitar duo

This essay will introduce the reader to the work that the author developed with Hannah Victoria
Thomas, cellist. As a result of an intense period of exploration of the various improvisation
techniques, an improvised performance will be played at the beginning of the recitals.
A systematic step-by-step approach to improvisation techniques has been followed by the duo, as
here accurately reported. This include the exploration of various extended techniques on both
instruments, the developing of modal and tonal aspect of the harmony, polyrhythmic patterns, the
role of the dialogue in improvisation and a first approach to jazz idioms. The aim of the duo is to
perform a free improvised piece that transcend genres, deeply based on a deep listening interaction
between the two musicians, involving theoretical competences and a dynamical physical use of the
instruments .

The Task

During a class of Generative Music Techniques (G.M.T.) at Trinity Laban, the author had the
opportunity of performing a short free improvisation with the cellist Hannah Victoria Thomas. From
that moment, agreeing on the intention of including a duo performance in both the performers
recitals, an intense schedule of rehearsals has been organized in order to develop a series of skills
and techniques to approach the improvised performance.

The task has been interpreted as a precious opportunity of including a personal, original and in a way
intimate creative extemporary composition in a formal academic concert. From the first moment
both the members of the duo felt comfortable with this idea, according to the pre-existing
experiences in various music generes that made them develop a range of improvisation skills, mainly
in the folk-pop.

The first phase of the work consisted in sharing and suggesting listenings and readings.
Among the others, the author wants to underline Giovanni Sollima, Oregon, Egberto Gismonti, Derek
Bailey, Hal Crook, Ralph Towner. A consistent part of the sharing process involved traditional music,
folk and world music, from modern flamenco players up to northern European traditional tunes.

Convinced of the powerness of the impact of a choreutic performance in a traditional-style concert

programme, both the members of the duo agreed on using the G.M.T. assessment performance at
the beginning of their recitals. Two main convinctions supported this decision:

Introducing a concert with a generative performance is a practice well known in other

generes (e.g. traditional Indian music, Flamenco, vast areas of jazz etc.). Introducing a
classical music concert with the same approach will consist in a singular experience both for
the musicians and the audience. The physic effort requested by an improvisation and the
dramatic development of it towards non-predetermined directions is not just a engaging
audience tool: it can become an unique opportunity to create a transcendental link between
 the listener and the performer, that, under appropriate conditions, can last for all the
following pieces of the programme.
It is a transparent and direct way to exploring the acoustic of the venue for the musician, to
consolidate the connection with the instrument, to let the adrenaline flow and use the initial
tension in all its potential, canalizing it in a creative gesture that allows the performers
consciousness of the whole performing body.

Personal Perception

The author used various precast techniques to contribute to the project. Most of the
experiences that generated the competences involved in this duo have been collected in
about seven years of work with a world-music ensamble, Zephyros1. As a member of this
acoustic ensemble, the author explored a gamma of languages related to classical guitar,
and its role and interaction with significantly louder instruments (cello, harp, percussions).
More free, atonal and extreme approaches to improvisations come from a three year
experience at the Laboratorio Incroci, Led by composer Maurizio Pisati at Conservatorio di
Bologna2. During this period he performed as guitarist and conducted ensembles, training
the conduction practice.
He had the opportunity of experimenting with electroacoustic music in masterclasses
(among others, Fred Frith, Matteo Pennese).
A deep experience in the interaction between live electronics and guitar in theatre comes
from the Opera Addio Roma3, produced by the Research Department of Conservatorio di
Bologna and Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo.
Thanks to these experiences, the author fully agreed with the GMT Manifesto and
substantially maintained, if not increased, this convinction.
Analysis of the Process

After the last class of GMT, the author, togheter with his duo partner Hannah Victoria
Thomas, planned an intense schedule of rehearsals in order to create a solid interaction
between the two players and deeply explore various aspects and possibilities of the
improvisation world.
Considering that the first natural approach, as experienced in class when invited by the
teacher Eugene Feygelson to play a three/four minutes piece togheter, consisted
substantially in a balanced mix of tonal and non-tonal atmospheres, the duo started a
separate work on the two aspects.

1. During every session of work the musicians focused on at least one particular aspect
of tonal music. In the first sessions they explored drones, chords sequences coming
from pop/folk music, basses.
A particoularly interesting session consisted in the improvisation on the theme
Lachrimae Antiquae4, composed by the English lute player John Dowland. From the
original five-voices score, the musicians extracted separate lines, basses and
melodic material, even in fragments, and developed it starting from an historically

1 www.zephyrosmusic.com
2 www.mauriziopisati.com/teaching/
3http://www.consbo.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/191
https://vimeo.com/157193026

4 http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/f/fb/IMSLP204231-WIMA.9ce7-lp_01_lachrimae_antiquae.pdf
 informed and in-style way, consisting in a double melodic improvisation, towards a
more abstract language, expanding the original intervals and altering the implied
harmony.

An intense focus has been made on scales and modes. The duo practiced, as a sort
of ear training exercise, all the various modes from a note as warm up practice at the
beginning of the sessions. This method has been considered since that the
musicians realized that spontaneous non-systematic variations happened while
improvising in minor keys, generating temporary alterations of different grades of the
scale. The modes have been performed in a predetermined sequence, an order
starting from the brightest to the darkest (Lydian, Ionian, Mixolidian, Dorian,
Aeolian, Phrygian, Lochrian).

The duo also approached briefly a jazz standard (All the things you are by
Kern/Hammerstein). This idea came from Hannah and her recent approach to jazz
music: her first specific skills have been acquired on the current academic year in
jazz classes at Trinity Laban.

2. Hannah and the author also explored expressive solutions non related to harmony,
using extended techniques on their instruments. A particular focus on grooves has
been made, alongside a practice of percussive patterns.
Almost all the easily reachable parts of each instrument have been considered to
produce sounds, noises or percussions.

Many improvisations started with unpitched harmonics produced by the open strings
of the guitar muted with the nails of the left hand of the performer, or with the bow
playing on elastic components of the body of the cello.
The duo used in few occasions the stimulating idea of following emotive images to
project musical ideas. A practical example of this method is the attempt to modulate
the sound landscape created around the various emotive phases lived in a
love/sentimental trauma.

The process of accumulating skills, knowledge and technical competences, specifically and
separately, had as its aim the developing of the rational aspect of improvisation, in order to
have an always growing library of competences from which the interpreters could draw and
combine solutions to better react at the musical situation that they create during the
performance.
This aspect fascinated particularly the author, as he sees a parallelism with a number of
human activities in which the conscious and the subconscious are biunivocally related.
Furthermore, is belief of the author that the same duality is proper of all the performative
arts, and that the practice of improvisations can led to an increased perception of the dual
nature of more academic music genres.
The deep involving of all the body in the performative act is not only just a method to better
engage audiences but a vital part of the creative act, as it canalized the subconscious
energies in music gestures.
The evocative idea of music gesture, in fact, helped to avoid the tension caused by the
absence of a structure. In fact the duo, even if the practice of structured pieces has been
consistent, decide to perform at the recitals in a completely free and extemporary way.
Conclusion
The author, considering the highly intense and productive work developed with Hannah, can
state that the preparation for the performance has been satisfying. Considering that the duo
has already performed in the Gladys Puttick competition and the very good interaction that
he found with his duo partner, a certain grade of confidence has been reached.
The continue evolution of the process of practicing improvisations also includes moments of
deep reflections and doubts. The largest part of them derive from a non systematic
knowledge of the functional harmony: for this reason it is in the plans of the duo to continue
the training on this aspect of the performance, organizing regular meetings in order to
develop specific competences, focusing, in the close future, on jazz and modal music.

Supporting Materials
Fabio di Cocco Armonia Funzionale (ed. Ricordi)
Improvisation Derek Bailey
Improvisation and Performance Techniques for Classical and Acoustic Guitar - Ralph Towner
How to Improvise: an approach to practicing improvisations Hal Crook