Emile

Showing Tag: "riff" (Show all posts)

DailySing - 200 (8.19.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, August 20, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
A pretty joyous weekend led to the sounds that were generated tonight...

I wanted to have tonight's musical journey be interesting enough to a listener, that they would pay to see me create in front of their eyes. I think I had some moments tonight that worked very well, and while I could occasionally catch a weak transition, the overall effect wasn't bad. I was entertained while listening to the playback.

I starts off rather gently, then I added a soft backbeat while I expanded on the main mel...
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DailySing - 197 (8.15.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, August 16, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing was a tentative return to keeping my pact with myself.

I've been frustrated! Everything I do sounds the same lately, and yet through this process, I realize that I am learning to really mine a musical idea for all it's worth. 

 One of my goals is to be able to start a riff, go through its pattern, create some variations... then, after a bridge and a re-establishment of the main riff, launch into a Grateful Dead style exploration that has cohesion and depth, until coming back...

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DailySing - 185 (8.3.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, August 4, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's session was created from a snipet of a sound... Tooky-tooky!

A funky little groove surrounded my "tooky-tooky" sound at first. Then I added a percussive bridge before coming back to "tooky-tooky". By now, chest claps are my snare drum, and I start soloing in my upper register, sometimes on a jazz riff, sometimes on a 6/8 bell or clave, and even around Nayabengi. I call it the "We Will Rock You" rhythm.

Towards the end of the jam, I played with polyrhythms by combining VP with BP durin...
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DailySing - 180 (7.29.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, July 30, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
There's an up energy that I have around my music lately. I can hear it in the choices I made in tonight's DailySing, in the choices I make when I randomly pick a sound pattern from a crowded room or the street and riff on it.

I haven't been too worried about going to my defaults lately, but have been working them in new ways and from more of an architectural perspective. Crafting a sonic piece from a perspective other than that of a singer or even of an instrumentalist, but the perspective of ...
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DailySing - 168 (7.17.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, July 18, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
My thoughts were lyrical in nature and tonight's DailySing reflects that.

A friend and fellow drummer and singer turned me onto Symphonicities, an album with Sting backed up by a classical orchestra. I was able to listen to a song called I Burn For You, in which the orchestration was simultaneously rich and sparse to great effect.

I imagined my musical co-conspirator and I exchanging patterns, riffs, and ideas ad infinitum, with vocal variations on the main melody and rhythmic textures to excit...
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DailySing - 166 (7.15.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, July 16, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Thinking about using words on the fly, as rap, as spoken word, as sung lyrics.

Tonight's experiment went rather well. I decided to riff on  the idea of asking for help with a funky backbeat and bass line as a foundation. The lyrics were then interwoven as accents and counterpoint.

I played with a percussion section, followed by soloing with long tones, and finally focusing on content and meaning of my lyrics. The words from the heart work best...!

This was a solicitation done in song form, and a...
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DailySing - 142 (6.21.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, June 22, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
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...
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DailySing - 139 (6.18.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
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...

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DailySing - 132 (6.11.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
It took a little effort to find "it" tonight. I had different riffs in mind before I even started, and wanted to remain open with no preconceived ideas. At first, I changed ideas every time something came out of my mouth, until I settled on something that was in the moment.

Once I found a groove, Itried to stay fresh by changing rhythms, having multiple solos each based on differing parameters, a couple of vocal percussion moments and I was down to 3 minutes.

I let go even further and lost trac...
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DailySing - 130 (6.9.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, June 10, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I was inspired... again... by my Improv Family. I was listening to what we did last night, and a piece of a riff stuck with me and when I opened my mouth to sing, it was there, with a little variation on the second measure, no less.

I didn't think that I'd have the breath to maintain that fast paced rhythm throughout, but I did.

I tried everything from switching rhythms to crooning over a bridge, from changing instruments and timbre to singing as purely as possible.

To listen to DailySing - 130,...
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DailySing - 128 (6.7.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, June 8, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I got lost in the improv and didn't realize that time was up for an extra 38 seconds.

It started as a slow, lazy riff and meandered through various musical landscapes before picking up speed at the bridge and becoming a raucous island jam for a few measures, before dropping back down into the funk of the slow, lazy riff.

I even went for lyrics and they weren't half bad, if I do say so myself.
 
There was a moment where I inserted VP into the melody, which led to focus on the rhythm section, which...
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DailySing 126 - (6.5.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing was about holding on, for me. After establishing an island sounding riff, I gave myself over to an exploration of solos.

I wonder, how does your instrument affect how you interprete a piece of music? 

As a guitarist, I'll listen for melodic and rhythmic cues to follow.

As a percussionist, I'll listen for a pattern between the rhythms and the melody.
As a vocalist, I listen to the silence in between the notes, and try to taylor my musical ideas to fit.
As a pianist I listen to t...
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DailySing - 121 (5.31.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, June 1, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight was special!
 
I let go of whatever tension/stress/angst I've been holding inside myself. It was therapeutic! I sang with no filter and was rewarded with an interesting and varied DailySing.

I gave myself permission to make sounds that are considered un-musical, and mashed them up with riffs that I was spittin' earlier.

I took radically juxtaposed rhythms and fitted them into something altogether different. Right here in my own living room, I felt the same freedom as I feel when singing i...
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DailySing - 102 (5.12.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, May 13, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight was fun! I still feel the effects from our Improv Family session last night. One of the people there has a unique interpretation of rhythm. She is steeped in West African music and I find myself not simply drawn to her rhythmic expression, but entranced by it. Her phrasing is also very West African. I find strips of Wolloff, Serere and Bambara rhythms in her choices. Singing with her is deeply satisfying... like comfort food. Melodically, her sense of phrasing is unique... very Africa...
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DailySing - 100 (5.10.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, May 11, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I was tired and sleepy when I started tonight's DailySing. As groggy and grumpy as I was, I've now been energized!

I began with an exploration of my voice in its middle range, then ventured into falsetto solo territory. I explored different avenues, but eventually found myself playing with a riff from Deep Purple's Sweet Child In Time. This allowed me to play with various rhythms on my chest while exploring how to sing best with fists and hands slapping my sternum.

Vocal percussion came to the ...
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DailySing - 84 (4.24.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Well, this DailySing was as different from last night's session as can be. The "IT" that I discovered last night was a wavelength of energy. It's that same energy that "pops" during a screen test or that is referred to as "Pop"by many in the industry. When I listened today, I was reminded of how I let go when I sing in the car. I apparently got so carried away with creating sounds and patterns that I rarely use, that I woke up my wife last night.

Well tonight was much quieter, although just as...
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DailySing - 81 (4.21.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, April 22, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Almost missed it. I fell asleep and woke up in the nick of time. Groggy and sleepy are how I felt when I started, yet as I listen to the playback, the session was full of memorable moments, humour and unexpected choices.

It was one of those times when I stayed with a riff and explored all around it while always coming back to the main melody. I played with rhythm and even left the beat behind at one point. This felt satisfying...

To listen to DailySing - 81, click here.

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DailySing - 80 (4.20.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, April 21, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
So much for getting to my DailySing in the morning on the balcony. Maybe tomorrow...

Tonight's session was based on a riff I came up with many years ago in college, before I considered this a cappella thang. I revisited whistling the melody and its variations, as well as a vocal percussion interlude, and finally juxtaposed wildly constrasting rhythms to help me launch explorations I might not ordinarily gravitate towards.

Unexpectedly, I felt trapped by this riff. It was ingrained so deeply tha...
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DailySing - 76 (4.16.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Feeling run down and not like singing at all, but it' s turned out to be invigorating!

I do remember that at one point I fell asleep, but that comes later in the playback. So far I sound inspired. I'd listen to this if it were on a CD. That should be my project, to create a CD from all improvized pieces, then go back, overdub and flesh them all out. 

The way I'm singing tonight, it could work... Inspired creativity in the moment. I start with a riff and explore it, move away from it, come back ...
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DailySing - 75 (4.15.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, April 16, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I found tonight that one of the reasons I like doing the DailySing in the car is that I can really let go. Maybe one of these days I'll explore c-r-a-z-y and "go off", encased in my relatively soundproof silver box on wheels.

Again, I started with one basic riff, stayed with it, played with it, went away on multiple solos and came back to it each time, explored inserting vocal percussion into the melody and other parts of the jam. At one point, I adapted the Happy Birthday song to it and sang ...
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DailySing - 65 (4.5.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, April 6, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
What an interesting journey this DailySing was...
 
Once again, I finished the day's duties around 11: 30 pm, and got to "sangin'"! When I was finally able to express/channel/flow it felt like a dam springing a leak, which slowly built until the pool of creative ideas broke free and I went from some funky little ditties to the land of jazz by way of Jethro Tull's Cross Eyed Mary through speed Ska around Island riffs over Nigerian rhythms which powered my  stream of consciousness soundings. Ther...
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DailySing - 59 (3.30.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, March 31, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Today, I learned of the death of dear friend, beloved singer and fellow improviser Anne Potter. I will miss her sharp wit, quick mind and wicked sense of humour. When we improvised together, I always felt like we went to similar creative places for our inspiration, and I thought of her as my "creatin' cousin". I love her a lot and was thrown for a loop as the news of her death trickled through my body. I remembered an unflinching explorer pushing me to stay outside my comfort zone, who stayed...
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DailySing - 57 (3.28.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, March 29, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
As I observe large swaths of emptiness in my inner landscape, I am also aware of a feeling of hope emerging. This feeling had me thinking thinking about and missing my son Chance. This hopeful feeling started inside me as a question, "Where are you now?"... And came out of my mouth sounding like "wee yoo - wee yoo - oo-ooaah".

I persevered with the idea of jumping from a bass line to a melody, to a harmony, then to some solo motifs, and back again. I started with a simple syncopated little rif...
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DailySing - 44 (3.15.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, March 16, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight''s DailySing was about the unmitigated joy of unapologetic exploration! There are some really juicy moments and some good idea development going on. I picked up the shakers and started using them, and pretty soon it became a game of "how far can I keep going?". 

The first part was mostly setting up a melodic pattern, then I added shakers and slowly slipped into riffs I grew up with, from Pink Floyd and Grand Funk Railroad. I kept jumping back and forth between a 6/8 feel and a square r...
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DailySing - 42 (3.13.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
My iPod has rebooted and all is now well. I sang to celebrate, after an exceedingly long day and found myself drifting off as I was singing. I didn't find any gaps in the playback, but my focus was elsewhere at the time I was singing.
I found myself juxtaposing disparate elements like a jazz rhythm and melody in a chorus while the the verses have more of a blues feel, and the bridge sounds African. 
And I seem to be casting my net far and wide this evening, as I listen to the playback. I go fro...
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DailySing - 39 (3.10.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, March 11, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Once again it was late when I finally sang. I thought to change things up and energize myself by starting with made up language, but that didn't work. Not only did I not feel as energized as I wanted to be, I left the made up language behind and started singing. I occasionally threw in words, but that only lasted a few bars before I started reading words out loud randomly as accents to what I was singing. Words on the TV screen, words on the fridge, words on a letter, words on business cards,...
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DailySing - 27 (2.27.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, February 28, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I'm two for two! I did not leave my body for unexplored inner musical landscapes while improvising tonight. I was able to maintain focus while staying receptive and open to source. I also jumped into my improvisational arch nemesis... Made up language! I love rhythms, melodies then harmonies to play with. Words are a distraction, and made up language has been too close to words, for me to enjoy the musicality of the sounds. I really tried tonight and I was able to make the leap, although my i...
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DailySing - 25 (2.25.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, February 26, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
A lullaby from Zimbabwe was my launching place tonight. I don't know why, but it's the first thing that came out of my mouth. I've been training myself to go with whatever comes out at any given time, whether I like it or not. When I went blank and sang, the song Si, Si Si came out. Once that was explored, I kept myself blank and open. It's always educational and entertaining to listen to the playback. Some of the coolest stuff, I don't even remember singing, which is a little trippy. Listeni...
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DailySing - 14 (2.14.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
One good thing I am doing is staying true to the spirit of improvisation when I do these DailySings. I know this because I am always surprised at where I end up, whether it be on a harmonic tangent, in a percussive interlude, or at the end of the whole piece. I never know where I'm going from one second to the next. Some very happy accidents happen this way. In fact, I'd say that a good portion of new innovative musical ideas are the result of unexpected occurences, "mistakes", my piano teach...
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If you can talk, you can sing


Emile Hassan Dyer 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.

Categories

My DailySing practice is inspired by Will Hewett's Sing15 practice.

You can learn more about Sing15 at www.willhewett.com.

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"creative wave"percussive lyrical vocal solos melody "richard bona "sing out loud 'vp guy" riffs sounds patterns 4/4 4/4 feel 4/4 time 6/8 6/8 bell 6/8 feel 6/8 time a cappella a cappella thang abandon accented beat accents act of singing actors adaptability addendums aeolian african vocal delivery afro blue afro funk afro-cuban air flow alive ambient apex approach arc arc of the improv architecture arrange arrangements arranging art artless aspect of music atmosphere attacked the singing audience backbeat background hum balance ballad ballad-like bass bass line bass lines bass llne be the sound beat beatbox beatboxing beats berimbaus berzerker bird song birthday birthing the melodies blog blues bluesy body percussion body rhythms bp brain brassy bre bridge bridges burst carlinhos brown catchy tune cd channel chant chants choices choir chops chorus clapping claps clarity classical clave climactic crescendo codification of play cohesion color compose compositions concert conduit 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