The concept fits nicely into the “playing to explore” part of my practice.
The recordings are typically around 6MB & so too big for the 4MB limit here. I tried dropping the bit rate and by doing that I can just manage to upload the HE 6 file. Sadly I can’t offer the ‘normal’ HE 1 file for comparison since it was still a few hundred bites too large.
N.B. I’m not posting this because I think it’s any good. It’s just an example of what can happen when a simple idea is taken for a walk. Producing something for others to listen to isn’t the aim of the exercise. It’s simply recorded for my interest & education, so don’t expect much (& I’m still learning to play the instrument too!).
Thanks for explaining all of this @DavidW ! popMATICS and IFR approach music from the same general philosophy.
I don’t think I need to add anything because you have done a thorough job, but if anyone has questions let me know. As @DavidW noted, our next series begins Monday, it is open to all levels, and is free to anyone. Designed for the piano but can be explored on other instruments. I’ve been curious about how it would apply to guitar (as have some of our students).
I can certainly recommend the Campfire Challenge to anyone studying the IFR method, even if piano is not your instrument (it’s not really mine), there is lots to learn and explore following the guidelines laid out over at popMatics.
I had a bit of an “a-ha”/ moment today. It’s making the connection between the Seven Worlds exploration and moving on to looking at chord progressions. Up til now, when I’m using the Seven Worlds jam tracks I’ve been getting familiar with the tonal map with different tonal centres, but I haven’t mentally made the connection to chords/chord notes and chord progressions.
Now I’m starting the course Recognising Chords, I have realised the “Missing Link” between Seven Worlds and working with chord progression using Melody Paths. And that missing link is … chord notes.
I was using the Sing the Numbers 2 tracks for 4th Harmonic Environment, and the track that only uses chord notes. Then I went to the chords 1 and 4 progression and like magic the chord notes melodies were in my head over the 4 chord.
This might seem so obvious, and it probably is, but it made my day
@mem if you were trained that music is “reading notes on the page” like me, then the idea that chord Melodies are the fundamental structures of tunes is eye opening (ear opening?). It seems to me that tunes like folk songs and Christmas songs are built from chord notes on strong beats of the measure, with variations enough to keep it from being too consonant and boring.
Adding to my previous post on melodies and chord tones. So you have chord tones for the chord of the moment, 4 of them that are each somewhat consonant to the chord and are places of relative rest. Then you have the other 3 tonal notes, which are passing notes, and are each somewhat dissonant and what drive the melody forward (along with the drive provided by the rhythm). A lot of the fascination of music is where the melody puts different consonant or dissonant tones in the measure… strong beat or weak beat. And the effects you can get by setting expectations that things will go one way, and then having them go another way.
Then there’s the non-tonal notes (5 of them), which create other effects with dissonance.
And the music makes other patterns ofentimes, with echoes of this sound turning up over there.
Sure is, and a joy to explore, experiment and discover all sorts of interesting things.
This connection I’ve just made has elluded me for a few years. The thread I started here explains my confusion. But I think I’m starting to see it and more importantly hear it now!
@mem I also think it’s great that David Reed has enough confidence in us all that he gives us exercises to discover things ourselves, and doesn’t just give us the “right answer.”
I have confidence that the IFR exercises and products work, if I can just spend enough time playing around with them and enjoying the journey.
Just started working my way through BEFORE YOU LEARN MUSIC THEORY which like IFR is one of those simple looking but profound things. See it at https://beforeyoulearn.com/
Here’s why I thought I’d like this…
QUOTE FROM THE WEBSITE….
The course starts by stating the Unifying Concept-
Music is the Interplay of Consonance and Dissonance.
No matter what aspect of music you are discussing, it can be discussed in these terms.
Then, using a relatable, real-life, metaphor we define the terms- Interplay, Consonance and Dissonance.
Next, we slowly build a music example, illustrating the musical blueprint used to create all music. We show that music is comprised of music elements-(i.e., scales, melody, harmony, rhythm etc.) that are assembled and varied like building blocks; whereas each variation will evoke a different feeling, mood, or emotion-which is the overall goal of music.
Learning music theory through this lens might seem deceptively simple, yet there are a multitude of advantages. It’s an innovative, new perspective-giving students an easily digestible, distilled down, overview of not only how music works but how everything is connected. Facilitating students with fresh, empowering grammar enabling them to explore every new term or topic with confidence-all culminating in a learning path that is not arduous-but efficient and elegant.
And I’ve just started a book mentioned by Andrew Bishko in the text of his “Go Sit on a Rock” book as the source of an exercise he suggests.
Naturally I looked up the book and as a result I picked up a Kindle copy of “The Listening Book: Discovering Your Own Music” by W.A. Mathieu. It’s a series of essays on the topic of listening & can either be read straight through, or used as a ‘dipping’ / browsing book. My expectation is to dip into it, probably sequentially, as an and when the opportunity allows. It’s a pleasant & thought provoking read so far. Nothing radically “wow” so far, but I feel it has been & will be worth the price.
I had a quick look. I see there is an eBook, is the method explained there? I was a bit confused by the “pre-requiste course” terminology. Is there a course as well as the book? Not sure what’s on offer here.
The concept looks interesting, finding simple building blocks and patterns, but the website doesn’t convey what is being offered very well (in my opinion).
@mem yes, the website is unclear. The book at the moment seems to be a prelim to addition courses hr wants to write
The book seems simple when you read it, just like IFR seems simple. I like that it dwells on simple. I am too prone to run ahead over shaky foundations
The book looks like an interesting read, I’ll have a look at the free sample on Amazon.
The idea of music being fractal is a concept that seems obvious initially. So, many things in nature are fractal, I have just been reading about the harmonic series, Pythagoras and the 12 TET. Feels like there is a very simple model in there, trying to get out. (I might have talked myself into buying the book!)
I think this guy has come up in a pervious discussion, the Groove Pizza website possibly. Anyway, this contains some interesting stuff about music and fractals. link to his blog
I’ve read over half a dozen chapters (essays) now & whilst there doesn’t seem to be anything particular to comment on I have certainly found that over the last few days I seem to be registering more everyday sounds; things that I know I always hear, but that I don’t usually listen to & note.
Do you mean sounds in general, or musical sounds/melodies?
I’m finding, with all this ear training work I’ve been doing, there are more short melodies bouncing around in my head. Some I can’t remember where they came from!
moment today. It’s making the connection between the Seven Worlds exploration and moving on to looking at chord progressions. Up til now, when I’m using the Seven Worlds jam tracks I’ve been getting familiar with the tonal map with different tonal centres, but I haven’t mentally made the connection to chords/chord notes and chord progressions.
