Etude 1: One Fractal
This was the first of several mini technical etudes, developed after locating multiple instances where the same fractal shape occurred within the G major scale. The aim was to create a musical paragraph using solely idiomatic pattern based composition that could also serve as a vehicle for technical development, in this case the etude provided a challenge for executing sweep picking in a very controlled manner. The first motif alternates between fractals in a descending fashion across string set 1-3 before leading to a second shape on string set 2-4, where the shape alternates, ascending and descending.
Etude 2: Point to Point 1
This etude was the first in a series of three etudes that explores the fluid application and melodic development of a fractal structure. Some time earlier one of my guitar teachers introduced me to Hans Otte’s Das Buch der Klänge (1984). I found Otte’s minimalistic approach, where gradual and deliberate changes sculpt the music very interesting and quite meditative, this concept later influenced me to write this etude which explores how a single fractal can evolve across the fretboard.
The starting point of this etude is a right expansion fractal in G minor, an open E string, a non scale tone is employed as a pedal tone to add a subtle tension. This combined figure is repeatedly arpeggiated, whilst the fractal shape shifts diatonically through the scale one tone at a time until it arrives on the other side of the guitar neck an octave higher. In fig. 19 I have highlighted where each voice shifts, this starts with the central voice, followed by the left and then the right voice.
Overall the particular aim of this etude was to firstly listen deeply to the contrast, and dissonance that individual tonal shifts can produce and how they affect the overall mood. Secondly, it aims to improve fretboard navigation by facilitating fluid movement between diatonic horizontal fractal patterns.
Etude 6: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.
For the past few years I have made it a tradition at Christmas time to take a part of a well known Christmas melody and harmonise it.
Usually I create a basic sketch and then record an improvisation which I later share with family and friends. December 2024 with this masters project underway, I chose to take an excerpt of the song melody to Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (1943) written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. I explored harmonising these few bars of the melody specifically with a combination of Vitchev’s voicings and harmonic fractals, focusing on textures that contrast between consonance and dissonance. In the score, I have marked where specific voicings and fractals occur, also highlighting modifications to original shapes that were more aesthetically pleasing to me. At this point many of the voicings and fractals felt comfortable at slower tempos, although there were still a few places where connecting voicings was difficult.
Etude 7: Autumn Leaves
This etude was designed as compositional exercise to combine and explore chords from Vitchev’s Between the Voicings (2008) within the context of a familiar chord progression. This etude started by mapping out a guide tone line that navigated smoothly through the harmony of the tune. I then proceeded to harmonise the guide tone line with Hristo’s four note voicings, keeping the melody tone as the top voice in each chord. The etude also serves as a technical workout in connecting and blending voicings.
Apart from initially choosing which voicings to use and practising certain transitions between voicings I didn’t feel that there was anything technically problematic. However, when presented with finding voicings to gestalt the A minor b5 in the five instances it occurs within the piece it was necessary to modify an existing minor chord voicing to adapt to the harmony, as voicings for minor 7b5, m6 and m6/9 chords are not presented in the book. Vitchev (2008) addresses this, stating that this particular chord family will be addressed in a future volume, until then he suggests a number of substitutions that can be used instead utilising existing dominant chord voicings contained in the book.
Etude 10: Hybrid Picking Fractals
This etude was specifically designed to address a mechanical issue that I encountered. Prior to the start of this project hybrid picking is not a technique I have extensively incorporated into my playing style. As the project progressed hybrid picking appeared to be the best candidate when articulating the four note voicings found in Between the Voicings (2008) and fractals on non adjacent strings. There were multiple instances where I expressed my frustration in blooper videos with how this technique presented specific challenges. One of those challenges was switching between notes on adjacent strings and notes placed on two non adjacent strings with the middle (m) and ring (a) fingers. To address this issue I created a motif which developed into an etude. The main pattern is based on a fractal with the static note in the left column, the central and right voice on non adjacent strings switch places before the right voice returns to its first position with the central voice moving to the adjacent spring above, the motif is represented below in fig.22. This pattern develops further in the etude by reversing itself.
