ATROPHY

 

Tenor Saxophone Solo: Erik Brandell

Bass: Christine Lanusse

This song started off as a musical idea which developed during a session exploring Exercise 9 - Fractal Mirrors

The B section begins with an F#7 chord, to avoid falling into the same cliches of my own playing I changed the starting chord to the first inversion, then voiced it as a spread triad. From here I explored where I could move this sound, eventually I decided to experiment with LCR voicings, fractals and spread triads within and around the F# Phrygian dominant mode, this led to the first sequence , after looping the sequence for some time I tested different variations which lead to two distinct chordal sequences on the second and fourth cycles of the B section.

Towards the end of the C section there is a line that serves as a bridge back into the A section. This line, initially improvised, comprises three triads: D, C#m and back to D preceding three instances of a right fractal shape moving through the scale horizontally implying E11 and D6 chords before resolving to E6 in preparation for the return back to the F#m9 at the beginning of the last A section . 

 

The video clips below are excerpts of exploratory sessions showing the development of the song. I have colour coded the clips to show where Vitchev's concepts are employed.

 

Red: Between the voicings (2008) voicings

Purple: Playing the scale with a pedal tone 

A motif is starting to take shape.

The main motif is now established and steps are taken to move the idea forward.

Searching for variations that completment the original idea. Moving into the first chord of the B section.

Exploring ideas for a B section. Utilising fractal shapes to compliment spread triad inversions.

Mapping a sequence for the C section. Improvising chords and finding an underlying melodic movement to make the voicing more aesthetically pleasing.

 

Bridge back to A section employing fractal movement.