WOODWINDS Dr . Daniel Schnee is an ethnomusicologist and multi-instrumentalist who has performed worldwide with
over 20 different JUNO and Grammy Award-winning musicians . He has also been internationally recognized as a graphic score composer , and is a former student of both Ornette Coleman and legendary Japanese
GUTAI artist Shozo Shimamoto .
By Dan Schnee
An Intro to Chromatic Studies
Often , when I mention the word “ chromatic ,” people think of the chromatic “ scale ,” merely running up and down their instrument in half steps . But the world of chromaticism is much more creative and complex than that , so in this article , I would like to share with you one particular method I use to improvise and compose chromatic music .
The ancient Chinese masters often used related terms to discuss form and structure in art . The most significant of these are what I call the “ Three Fa-s .” The first is ku-fa , translated as “ bone means .” This refers to the various structural requirements and considerations necessary to create truly masterful works . But the goal was not the mastery of purely formal properties of painting . Their greater goal was to create works that captured the nature of form , the very essence of structure : ku-ch ’ i , “ bone spirit .” This ku-ch ’ i speaks to what is “ above shapes ” ( Li ), its universal principle ( s ). And through the expression of Li , they would achieve a natural mastery that was far beyond structure , arriving at a freedom from method ( liao-fa ) so natural and effortless it seemed like no method at all ( wu-fa ). Indeed , the great masters of any art and music create in such a manner .
So , to allow for chromatic flexibility ( wufa ) while having something structural to study ( ku-fa ), I use rows of chromatic tone sequences , like this :
These are varying combinations of the 12 chromatic half steps available in standardized Western music , set in rows . Although some intervallic repetition in such an exercise is natural , this system guarantees enough variety to ensure you don ’ t fall into instinctual , repetitive patterns . It trains your reflexes and mind without limiting your vocabulary to pre-rehearsed riffs and phrases . By moving beyond fixed scales and chords , you can develop the ability to literally play anything without hesitation , without using conscious memory .
Practice with Tone Rows To start creating these tone rows , I cut out 12 little paper squares and write the tone names on them . Then , I throw the squares up in the air , collect them at random off the floor , and write down their order . And , if a couple of intervals repeat from the line before , I just change their order . There are probably more efficient ways to create these rows , but I find the whole process kind of fun – something interesting to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon . And if you get tired or bored after a couple pages of these , you can always take a couple of the rows , reverse them from back to front , and put them further down the page .
So now that we have some rows , there are a number of things we can do to practice improvising chromatic ideas . Using the first three pitches from the first row of the image ( B F # C ), we can start by playing the first note then improvise / pick a note nearby , doing this for each tone in the row . Thus , we end up playing something like this : B C # F # E C D … Go slowly so you have the time to improvise the extra pitches without stumbling or feeling rushed . This is not about speed , but rather developing the ability to play any sequence of notes at random without hesitation .
Then , when this is comfortable for you , improvise two notes between the written pitches , using random intervals , e . g . B D E , F # A B , C B A … Then , move on to three and four notes , always making sure to go slowly enough that you are not panicked or stumbling forward .
Next , move on to doing alternating sequences up and down so you do not get in the habit of always going in one direction . Switch up the direction , and try keeping track of it , for example two notes up , then one down : B C E E , F # G A B , C A G # G …
At first , it will be easier to do this without a metronome . It is most important to be able to improvise these structures easily , adding time afterwards . Then , when you use the metronome , start by playing each tone on the beat ( quarter note = 70 ).
Once this is easy , move the metronome up a few clicks until you are playing at medium speed . Then move the metronome back down to where you can play eighth notes easily , each beat consisting of one written note from the row and one improvised note . Go slow and do it comfortably without stumbling .
When you are completely comfortable with this , repeat the process with an eighth note triplet on each beat : one written note from the row and two improvised notes . Then do this with four sixteenth notes and finally a sixteenth note quintuplet . Keep track of the base metronome markings for each of the note groupings and try to move each up a click at a time , playing with clarity and ease . Keeping track of your progress will also guarantee you see clear results , which builds confidence and reduces procrastination .
This exercise is designed to be a way of combining organization with chromatic spontaneity – just letting your instincts fly without hesitation . Even spending just 15 minutes a day on the process will guarantee great results within days . Don ’ t forget to invent your own exercises too , and play around with the process . Good luck !
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