June 25, 2012
A funky little energy ball took over just as I opened my mouth tonight, and you can hear the result on the recording.
It was a field day for learning to keep the groove interesting and fun on the fly. I juxtaposed radically different rhythms together, divided by sections. The first split was into a slow jazz thang with swing, then I explored variations on a funky theme before coming back to the main melody. The next departure was into a tribal 6/8 PV groove, before dropping back into the 4/4 of the main melody. At this point, soloing as a lead instrument seemed like the next illogical musical twist to commit to. This was followed by more soloing, this time as a lead guitar by which I flipped back forth between it and the rhythm section parts. Finally, the basses were able to take over, followed by more VP, which by this time had a more exotic and international appeal. Finally back to the head with variations that add to the funk.
To listen to DailySing - 145, click here.
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
June 24, 2012
Tonight, I experienced a true journey through my musical landscape. A part of me was the detached observer, yet I was still able to focus completely on what I was doing.
It was thrilling to watch ideas morph and grow through repetition. Each time through, the part I was singing would change in service to the song, sometimes getting more complex, but most often getting simpler and clearer.
There was a VP (vocal percussion) section where I was able to visit 4/4, 6/8, and jump from beatboxing to V... Continue reading...
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
June 23, 2012
I kept falling asleep in the middle of singing various idea, during tonight's DailySing. Being up since 5 AM is no excuse.
I started tonight with a jaunty little African steeped motor to get the ball rolling. It was lively and made you tap your foot. After some vocal exploration, I heard the music stop.... I abruptly started up in a totally different genre. This new groove lasted for a little while.... silence... A different genre again, and so on and so forth.
To listen to DailySing - 143, cli... Continue reading...
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
June 22, 2012
Tonight's DailySing felt like a jam straight through. Departing from and returning to the main melodic groove riff was fun, but I know that at some point early on, I came back to a slight variation and wasn't able to shake it to find the true original.
Oh well, I worked with that and it was all good.The next sonic region I explored was VP-land. I went from straight beatboxing to different forms of stylized VP. I call stylized VP, any vocal percussion where the varied drum and percussive sounds... Continue reading...
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
June 21, 2012
Tonight's DailySing started with confusion. My friend Will talks about a "sit up" place, which I think I've discovered quite by accident. As I understand it, it's a musical transitional moment of discomfort or "turbulence" , when we don't feel as confident. Maybe our voice wavers, we feel vulnerable, we back off instead of singing with confidence.
This is the place where the real work needs to be done. This is the place that calls for courage, the courage to feel the discomfort, the constricti... Continue reading...
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
June 20, 2012
Tonight I had odd meters on the brain before I started singing, so I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise when that's what came out of my mouth. The tempo was rapid and had a little swing to it. I didn't know if I could maintain. It wasn't a problem.
I skipped around between meters, like 5s, 7s and 9s, mostly because I really have to concentrate when I deal with odd meters, and I felt like I was on a runaway train that I had to hang on to for dear life.I decided to give the VP free reign at... Continue reading...
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
June 19, 2012
A funky beat is what came out tonight. As usual, I was thinking about the bass and the rest is history. Many a song or chant has begun with a slammin' bass riff.
As I listen to this, I am struck by how little is needed to make sounds, and by how much is needed to make the "right" sounds. This doesn't happen, unless there is some intense concentration involved.I can feel and hear the wall that I'm hitting, when I concentrate.You gotta know your scales... PERIOD!!!
It's also time to start playin... Continue reading...
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
June 18, 2012
I started tonight's DailySing with a blank slate, so that I could be true to whatever was coming through me.
While the BP helped ground the music with a mean backbeat, I left it out for long periods of time to explore my voice qualities when I solo, without the distraction of a groove. I never thought I'd ever say THAT!Other times, I changed the beat from a straight 4/4 to a 6/8 feel to see where the different peception would take me. It made for a varied and entertaining creation.To listen to... Continue reading...
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
June 17, 2012
Still high from our performance at the L.A. Mixed Roots Festival and I wondered what would come of tonight's DailySing. I was not dissapointed at the results. The main theme took a few seconds to firm up once it was established, but after that is a rather extensive study of what to do if you're going to sing a long improv all by yourself.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself, as all the ideas coming out of me seemed to flow effortlessly into one another. I found dfferent ways to depart from the main th... Continue reading...
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
June 16, 2012
I felt like Reggae tonight, but what came out, while funky, was a far cry from Reggae. The accented beat was all wrong for Reggae, but it was danceable and had a good breat.
I went through a few different ways to approach soloing, but what really stood out was the vocal percussion or VP! What started out as just a section in the improv, turned into a full scale study of how I make the various sounds, how they can be modified, how different time signatures can all hang on the same tempo.For exa... Continue reading...
Posted by Emile Dyer. Posted In : Daily Sing
I believe that singing is our birthright, and that it is good for our brains, bodies, and spirit. Singing releases oxytocin in the brain, and many studies have shown a correlation of oxytocin with human bonding, increases in trust, feelings of calmness and security, as well as reductions in anxiety. In other words, SINGING IS GOOD FOR YOU!
I get high making up music on the spot. I get high(er) when I can do it with several people at once. There's nothing like riding the crest of a creative wave, linked harmonically and rhythmically, supporting, leading, following, creating, coaxing, cajoling, p-l-a-y-i-n-g... THAT'S MY BLISS!
Singing for 15 minutes a day means trusting yourself. It means clearing your mind, opening up and discovering what sounds can come out through you, if you allow it.
To listen to each of my daily sings, click on the "songs" link on the left in the grey field above the most recent post or on the link at the end of each post.
