Over the past few months, a small team of Seattle guitarists have been meeting on Saturday mornings to explore what might come next for us as individuals and as a community of aspiring musicians.
As we meet to explore new ways to work together, a number of the variables in the air include some ground that was explored (initially) almost seventeen years ago, so I thought it may be useful to dig out some notes from our work back in those days as reference. One of the emerging ‘containers for group improvisation’ included a group practice known as “Follow the Leader” – a sort of analog delay.
Here are my notes from the first meeting of a five week Circulation Project that I initiated years ago during another transition in Seattle Guitar Circle history.
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Seattle Guitar Circle
1998 Circulation Project
Meeting #1: Transmission of Quantity
Saturday September 5th, 1998
1416 Evergreen Point Road, Medina
Agenda
9:00 - 9:30 Sitting
9:30-10:00 Coffee and free warm-up
10:00-12:00 Circulation Meeting #1
Present for the Meeting:
- JT Milhoan
- Scott Adams
- Steven Rhodes
- John Henning
- Jaxie Binder
- Brock Pytel
- Heather Pytel
- Curt Golden
- Steve Ball
- Frank Sheldon
* * *
SECTION ONE: "Classic Circulation" - single note, single direction, free or with harmonic constraints
- We began with a classic "free" circulation (no rules, no constraints), left to right
- Added a harmonic constraint: only notes in the key of C (C, D, E, F, G, A, B)
- Principle: if in doubt about where these notes are, play any open string or any string fretted on the 12th fret
- Principle: if you don't know that you are in doubt, play any open string
- We then changed the constraint: only notes in the key of G (C, D, E, F#, G, A, B)
- same principles apply
- We changed the constraint again: only notes in the key of D (C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B)
- same principles, except the 6th string (C)
- A new constraint: only the notes of the C Whole Tone scale (C, D, E, F#, G#, A#)
- if in doubt, play C, D, or E (6th, 4th, or 2nd open string)
- One final constraint: "Octaves" - play the same note (any octave) as the person to your left. Use only your ears to determine what this note is.
* * *
SECTION 2: "Mobile Circulations" - rule-based key or harmonic changes
First Mobile Circulation: we changed modes whenever there was an intentional pause, cycling through the following modes:
1. C Major (C, D, E, F, G, A, B)
2. G Major (C, D, E, F#, G, A, B)
3. D Major (C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B)
4. Whole (C, D, E, F#, G#, A#)
5. Free (any note)
6. Octaves (same note as the person to your left, any octave)
Second Mobile Circulation: we changed modes only after the circulation went around the circle five times, cycling through the following modes:
1. C Major (C, D, E, F, G, A, B)
2. G Major (C, D, E, F#, G, A, B)
3. D Major (C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B)
4. Whole (C, D, E, F#, G#, A#)
5. Free (any note)
6. Octaves (same note as the person to your left, any octave)
The circulation completes only after everyone is playing octaves of the same note.
* * *
SECTION 3: Transmission of Quantity
Principle: play the same note played by person to your left
- First Variation: "Direct Transmission" - If the person to your left plays a different note than the person to her left, then still play only what the person to your left played, even if it is the "wrong" note.
- Second Variation: Play only what the "leader" played; If the person to your left plays something different than the leader played, ignore this and play only what the leader played.
- Third Variation: Constrained to notes in the key of C.
- Fourth Variation: each person plays two notes - an open-A reference, and then the second note of choice.
- Fifth Variation: Constrained to the notes A, B, C, D, and E with an open A reference
- Sixth Variation: Constrained to the notes A, B, C, D, and E, no reference note.
* * *
SECTION 4: Group Loops
Principles:
- One person begins playing a very simple part, improvised in the moment.
- Before playing, each person listens to what the group is playing and contributes a part which:
- complements what is already being played
- is simple enough that you could play your part for an hour without resting
- If in doubt, play a slow pulse on a single note
- Each person adds a new part in turn only when receiving a clear nod from the person to their left.
This is how we "circulate in" to a Group Loop.
- The piece begins to end when the new part that someone adds in is silence. This silence is then circulated until there is only one person left playing their part. When this person adds their silence, the Group Loop is completed.
This is how we "circulate out" of a Group Loop.
Variations after the Loop is "cooking':
- Round - small sub groups continue playing their parts while others rest. Pockets of Silence are circulated.
- Trading - groups trade 4-bar chunks of silence and playing their parts (directed by one person by naming names during the piece)
* * *
SECTION 5: "Follow the Leader"
Rule 1: there is one designated leader who comes up with an improvised looping part on the fly which is:
- simple enough that everyone in the particular group will be able to learn to play the part within 10-15 seconds
- simple enough that every instrument in the group will be able to emulate the part
Rule 2: The person to the right of the leader acts as an "analog delay" to the leader's part. The group "delay time" is determined by the person to the leaders immediate right. After an appropriate delay time, the person to the right begins to play (as best they can) exactly the part which the leader is playing.
Rule 3: Always play exactly what the person to your left is playing after waiting for the group "delay time." If the person to your left changes their part, continue to play your current part for the duration of the group delay time, and then change to the new part. If the person to your left plays "silence" wait the delay time, and then begin to play "silence."
Rule 4: The leader does not change their part until at least three other people are playing the same part. There are always at least 3 people playing each part.
* * *
Throughout the meeting, Frank provided Alexander work and made adjustments to the group.
* * *
On Wednesday night we will begin new work with the "Transmission of Quality."
Next Saturday, we will pick up where we left off with the work we did today.
* * *
Further reflection.
On roles and improv games: some history of Follow the Leader.
Follow the Leader is the ultimate, distributed analog delay. What is interesting about this?
Like all Circulations, Follow the Leader is a means of measuring the attention and 'one-ness' of a group. Can I pay attention to more than one person? Can I track multiple (simple, evolving) parts as they flow around the circle. Can I receive a pattern from the person on my left that includes melody, tone, timbre, rhythm - and then pass that on to the person on my right?
Or: can I even listen to what is happening outside of my own inner dialog? Ex. "Do I suck? What is for lunch? My back hurts. I am bored. This is boring. I am boring. Is anyone looking at me? What would Robert do? What's in it for me? What should I say next to appear smart? Why was XX talking and bugging the living ^&*(% out of me? Do I look cool playing this part? Is it complicated enough so I look like I might know what I'm doing? Am I spiritual enough? When can I talk next? Is this almost over?"
If I am the leader: can I assess the capacity of each player in the group and construct / compose sufficiently simple parts that will successfully (and musically) make it around the circle without implosions or clogged transmission - while building a loop that takes on a compelling, musical life of its own? Can I construct something quickly that has a beginning, middle, climax and end without losing track of time and reminding everyone of their last trip to Guitar Center?
Or: if I habitually lead, can I follow? Or if I habitually follow, what happens when it's my turn to lead?
Posted by: SteveBall | Monday, May 25, 2015 at 11:57 PM