Valley Blues

Another month, another composition. This time a 16 bar blues. Why? One reason is that I wanted evoke the spirit of the kind of music in British new wave ('kitchen sink') movies. That gave me a brief, and therefore required a discipline that has been absent until now. Much though I might enjoy being a free-spirit at play, maybe it is important to learn something of the discipline of a well-established structure - and then play around with it. I have been encouraged by contributors to this forum to make use of structure and to be more disciplined, so here is a piece in which I have tried to do that.

I began with the 16 bar chord sequence (from which I did not deviate) on the treble clef stave of the piano. I added the double bass, using this as my almost unwavering timing. I could have used drums, but that seemed too run-of-the-mill. However, I still wanted a percussive contrast to the double bass both in timbre, and to find off-beats, which is where the brushed cymbal came in. To provide a centre of attention I required an instrument that would reach into the upper registers, and whilst a tenor saxophone would have been the obvious, more lyrical choice, a B flat clarinet seemed less ostentatious, and fitted better with the kitchen sink movie idea. The line I wrote last was that on the bass clef stave for the piano. These last two parts (clarinet and bass hand on the piano) were undoubtedly the most demanding and most interesting: bending the beat and trying to challenge the chords. These are where my interest currently lies, and about which I have most to learn. Is this the type of thinking in which other people engage when starting on a new composition?

I made the conscious choice to repeat the 16 bars using each of the different chord inversions for the F7 chord, trying to 'bring out' something distinctive about that inversion. Do you consider that the idea worked? If not, what would you have done differently?

One of the things about which I am unsure is whether it worked where I used the clarinet almost as a percussive instrument. I like the sound of it, but I am worried that it sounds silly.

Was I right to use the double bass, instead of drums, as the steady pulse throughout the piece? (I learned from my previous piece (Latin Jazz) that double basses do neither really short notes nor fine precision rests.)

I greatly value constructive feedback as it may be the only way I can become more skilled at composition.

I think the idea is good. But it sounds a bit "mechanic". The drums are simple and the bass is constantly in "walking" mode. Also, in this style, one would expect syncopations, that are not present. Teka care with the clarinet (you should writ it is in concert pitch) because the player needs to rest, from measure 33 there is a non-stop phrase for more than 20 measures.

Luis Hernandez, I am grateful that you have taken the time to listen to the piece. Thank you kindly for your comments. It is only from feedback and constructive criticism that I can learn - and I wish to learn.

In what I am about to write, my intention is to be exploratory, not defensive. If what I write here sounds defensive, please accept my apologies.

I think you are absolutely right: the piece does sound rather mechanical. I have tried to replicate the sense of some of the live jazz/blues music that I have listened to, which, to my ear, sounds more than a little mechanical. Part of my intention was to write a piece that fits into its genre. What I am unable to do is assess whether what I have written does indeed fit into the genre, and sounds mechanical because of that, or if it sounds mechanical because I am not yet capable of composing in this genre in a more interesting way.

The double bass is indeed in 'walking mode' throughout (with the odd 'hop'). This is because when I have listened to this kind of music, the drum beat is relentless. As I chose to use the double bass as the source of the beat, I did not see that I had much choice. I know that a plucked double bass is unable to produce meaningful sound when played too fast, so short notes are out. The other possibility for variation in timing was to leave out some notes, but I thought that this would disturb the source of the beat (for a live band). I also realise that in using the term 'walking mode', you may be referring to the fact that the double bass never carries the melody. In my previous piece (Latin Jazz), there were sections in which the double bass did carry the melody. I am wondering if you think that doing so (in Latin Jazz) was more successful than not doing so in Valley Blues.

The idea of the brushed drums was based on what I have listened to live. However, I varied the rhythm, so that no stanza has an identical drum rhythm. Part of my rationale was to offer variety (more interesting), but at the same time, by using quieter percussion, not disturb 'the source of the beat'. From what you have written, I guess that you consider it would have been better to emphasise a rhythmic drumbeat and allow the double bass to be more melodic.

You are absolutely correct that, in some places, I have provided no breathing pauses for the clarinet. I had a sense that something was wrong, but I was unable to identify it. My bad! Thank you for identifying it for me.

Regarding syncopation, I did two things. First, I had been actively encouraged to establish norms first, from which to depart later. It may be that I have been (far) too thorough in establishing the beat, and given insufficient time for what is more interesting. Second, there are places in the piece, once those norms have been established, where I have used the piano left hand (bass clef stave) to find different off-beats. (Of all aspects of the piece, this is the aspect with which I was most satisfied.) I am guessing, therefore, that in mentioning syncopation, you are thinking of more-fully developed counter-rhythms, and not simply off-beats.

Have I been successful in not being defensive?

One other point. I realise that I have been totally stupid. I have posted this piece (Valley Blues) and my previous piece (Latin Jazz) in the Chamber Music Forum (which is where I posted my first piece (May Melody)). I never thought to check to see whether there is a Jazz Forum - which there is. Do you know whether it is possible to move my two later pieces/postings into the Jazz Forum? If so, do you think that it would be sensible for me to request that they are moved?

I am sincerely grateful for all your comments, and will do my best to act on them.