Recent Posts

In the previous article I described a practice process I have been using recently for generating compositional ideas with the electric bass, for info you can read that article here. 

In this article however I aim to briefly discuss how I have been using the same approach for practicing improvising and developing improvisational vocabulary. 

The compositional approach I employed in the previous article utilised a long, low bass drone in which to audiate ideas. In this case, for developing solos, sections of the piece were looped and used as the basis for the practice. 

In my recent endeavours to explore creating bass guitar-centric music as a vehicle for exploring my own artistic development I took on a particular compositional approach which I hoped would help bring a new awareness to the origin and nature of my creative ideas. In short, it has done exactly that (to a degree) which I will only briefly allude to here as the main focus of this article is to articulate the process I took and the conditions set.

In relation to my previous post about my old wrist injury I was curious to transcribe something that would test my technical limits and test how far I can develop past what I feel my right hand is capable of. 

When I was 15 I was cycling from a friend's house to not more than half a mile home, when I suffered a rather impressive and as I've come to accept, life-changing limb injury for one travelling on two wheels.

Skip the next few paragraphs if you are squeamish...

It has been a while since I shared some of my current works in progress due to personal circumstances forcing a break, but now this post aims to be an overview of projects that I shelved and am now returning to develop. Below you will find snippets taken from these in either demo form (as the whole audio mix currently exists), or as examples of melodic, or textural ideas lifted from the project. I will endeavour to briefly explain each of these snippets, how they were created, why, what makes them interesting to me, and how they may be developed in the future. I will also give some generalised context to the piece that the snippet belongs to, as some pieces have a particular compositional process.

Is just doing something better than doing nothing in the practice room?

I recently read a 2010 study of 43 adolescent basketball free-throwers where the researchers attempted to find what the differences were between the practice habits of 'experts, non-experts, and novices'. Their practice goals, strategies, and self-reflection on their performance was monitored by requesting the participants to voice aloud their thoughts as they practiced taking free-throws.

'Shrinking Steps - Nate Chivers, for 4-string electric bass

Nate Chivers is a contemporary music composer studying for his PhD in  composition at the Royal Northern College of Music, UK. We recently discussed the opportunity for me to record one of his pieces ‘Shrinking Steps’ a contemporary solo bass piece and style of performance that is quite alien to me. For Nate, as an established contemporary composer it would be interesting to understand how his piece would be interpreted by an instrumentalist unfamiliar with the techniques and approaches utilised within.

In the earlier works for Second Circle I occupied the driving seat with much of the arranging and production work done alone and a mixture of detailed or not so detailed instructions given to collaborators to work with. I have hoped for the next stage of the ensembles development to move towards a more collaborative arrangement with the musicians, allowing them the space to explore their creativity and contribute musical ideas in the generation of new pieces rather than receive and interpret instruction. However, challenges arise in all areas of life, not least in artistic endeavour. Recent and very understandable individual circumstances for the musicians involved in the Second Circle project mean a plan for regular rehearsal and repertoire development in the pursuit of a full set or album of new musical material has become unfeasible.

"The ability to internally imagine sound meaningfully is not only important for music achievement [...] , but is also critical for creative thinking ability" (Webster 1990)

During the recording/composition stages of creating the pieces in 'At Home' there have been a couple of instances where an intuitive creation process has naturally occurred. Most recently in the creation of the ambient piece 'Home' (https://nicholasjameswaldock.uk/reflections/home-an-epilogue/) and before for the piece Lucky's Strike.

Contextualisation

Gerry Commane’s, also known as Gearoid Ó Comain or Gerdy Commane’s is a 32 bar, 4/4, AABB Irish Reel tune in D Major. A ‘Reel’ in traditional folk music is associated with a style for dancing, as is most forms of traditional folk music.