|
|
|
©1999 James Walker
The use of four-mallet techniques in jazz affords the mallet player the opportunity to explore different textures when improvising. While single-line melodic improvising will still be the obvious choice for most situations, the use of different textures can add a new dimension to a player's repertoire.
There are three basic textures in music:
This phrase is an example of a monophonic texture (commonly referred to as "single-line playing"):
Adding a second voice in harmony with the original melody, in the same rhythm, creates homophony (or, "double stops"):
With four mallets, homophony can be expanded to four-note block chords:
Here, octave doubling has been used to emphasize the melodic line, with harmony added in the interior voice:
In this example, both the original melody and the harmony line are doubled at the octave:
The harmony line, or "counter" line, in this phrase is distinct from the original melody, creating a polyphonic texture ("counterpoint"):
Here, both lines from the previous example have been embellished; the melody is doubled in octaves, and the counterline has been harmonized:
The best way to incorporate these textures into one's playing through practice, is to select a texture, and improvise within that context. Then, select two textures, and practice shifting gears from one texture to another. This will develop one's sense of how a given texture affects the music, increasing or decreasing the forward momentum and energy of a performance. Eventually, these different textures become second nature, occurring organically in performance. The example below probably contains more textures than one would normally find in a four-measure phrase, but it demonstrates how the use of different textures can add musical elements unavailable in single-line playing. (Contrast this with the original single-line melody at the top of this page.)
(This page and all the materials within copyright ©1999 James Walker, All Rights Reserved. No portion of this page may be duplicated or distributed without the author's written consent.)
|
(click the "lessons" icon to return to the index of lessons at malletjazz.com)
