53 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
53 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
A motif is generally defined as a short musical phrase that carries
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significance in the overall composition <20> not just a throwaway idea
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like a lick. A motif can be a phrase that repeats at different points
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like a musical hook, an important recurring theme apart from the main
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melody, a phrase that is stated then developed in various ways, or a
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melodic, rhythmic or harmonic cell. In practice a motif is usually a
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phrase carried through a solo <20> a musical statement that is developed
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to give improvisation a sense of continuity.
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There are numerous ways to develop a motif. You can adapt the phrase
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slightly to fit the next chord change, embellish it with passing notes,
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transpose it up or down the octave, play the same phrase over different
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chords, play different notes but keep the same rhythm, keep the same
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notes but alter the motif rhythmically, or keep the same notes but
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displace the motif by beginning on different beats of the bar.
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The players who stand out are the ones who can take a simple idea and
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develop it <20> beginning with a small seed of an idea and telling a story
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with it. Listen closely to solos by Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Robben
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Ford and Alan Holdsworth and you will notice they all start simple and
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gradually build their solo as one idea leads to the next. A great lick
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in a solo is never an isolated idea <20> it evolved from a collection of
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related ideas. This is the great benefit of motival playing <20> it gives
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you space to develop an idea, turn it around from different angles, and
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keep expressing it until the magic happens.
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Playing over a Dm7 chord viewed as chord ii in C Major targets a D
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Dorian sound. The D Dorian scale has the notes D E F G A B C. A motif
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can be transposed diatonically through this scale on a single string <20>
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beginning on A at the 2nd fret of the third string, then moving to B
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at the 4th fret, then C at the 5th fret, and so on. Each time the
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motif moves to the next scale tone, it is adapted to stay within the
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notes of the scale. The ear guides the transposition rather than
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theoretical calculation.
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To get maximum mileage from a motif, relocate it to different
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three-string groupings. Starting on strings four, three and two
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ascending the D Dorian scale on the second string, then moving to the
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top three strings ascending on the first string, covers the entire
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range of the neck from a single seed phrase. The same motif played
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ascending and descending, faster as 16th note runs or slower with
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rhythmic syncopation and varied note lengths, creates enormous creative
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potential while remaining entirely within scale tones and sounding
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musical throughout.
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The essence of motif development is taking a seed of an idea and
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transposing it through a scale to compose a longer line that makes
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perfect musical sense with movement and direction. Improvise a simple
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phrase, transpose it through the parent scale, transfer it to different
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string sets, and the result covers the entire neck while remaining
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coherent and musical. The creative potential is huge because the line
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is super-musical <20> built entirely from scale tones shaped by a single
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motivic idea. |