Raymond Johnson Drone Tones: Guided Practice

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2 Drone Tones: Guided Practice A Companion Document of Explanations and Exercises Raymond C. M. Johnson Copyright 2011 by Raymond C. M. Johnson. Version 1.1 All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Acknowledgements To all family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers who have enriched my life with kindness, generosity, and love - you are a source of inspiration, and be sure that any fruits of my labor will nourish you in return. To fellow musicians and students of the arts - thank you for all of your contributions. Without you, this work would not be possible. Iʼd also like to extend my deepest gratitude to the readers of this book and all those whose dedication and passionate work in the arts help to move humanity forward. Marina, thanks for the time you spent editing and proofreading this book. Your concision knows no bounds! About the Author Raymond Johnson is a musician whoʼs passion lies in providing inspiration through philosophy, education, and art. As a saxophonist, Raymond has performed with various bands including Soul Track Mind and Chesterfield. Raymond also holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. To download the companion Drone Tones album, please visit music.raymondcmjohnson.com. For more information please visit 2

3 Table of Contents Introduction 4 A Primer on Pitch 4 Absolute Pitch 5 Relative Pitch 5 Temperaments and Just Tuning 5 The Just Scale 5 Temperaments 6 Just and Equal Tempered Scales: Subtle Differences 8 Tunings in Practice 9 Drone Tone Exercises 10 Suggestions 11 Preparation 11 Exercise 1: Unison Drone Tones 11 Exercise 2: Interval Long Tones 12 Exercise 3: Long Tone Scales 14 Exercise 4: Interval Exercises 15 Exercise 5: Arpeggios 16 Exercise 6: Harmonic Series 16 Exercise 7: Pitch Variations 17 Exercise 8: Tonal blending 18 Create and Improvise 18 Perfect Pitch: Journey and Destination 19 References 19 3

4 Introduction I came across the concept of practicing to drones through exploring various types of cultural music and a strong desire to improve my intonation and inner ear. Drones became such an effective addition to my practice routine that I soon found myself researching the topic with a growing desire to share my discoveries with others. Drone Tones: Guided Practice is intended for musicians who are well versed in the fundamental concepts of music theory and the playing techniques of their instrument. Reading music, familiarity with scales and intervals, and basic arithmetic are all required for understanding the explanations and instructions presented in this book. A Primer on Pitch In music, pitch is an arbitrary way of organizing audible frequencies. Of course, pitch also exists objectively in reality through sounds such as bird calls and whale songs, but the pitches used in music are merely subjective groupings of frequency. Alternatively, the note names given to the audible frequency spectrum are analogous to the names of color given to sections of the visible light spectrum. Pitch may be further separated into the categories of discrete pitch and dynamic pitch. Discrete pitches are those that may be described by objective mathematical ratios or specific scalar intervals. Examples of discrete pitch include: A 440 HZ tone. the major fifth of the C Major scale 4:3 (the fourth of a major scale expressed as a proportion with the tonic) Any deviations from a discrete pitch are called dynamic pitches. Musicians may accidentally perform dynamic pitch when they are out of tune with a digital tunerʼs reference tone or when adjusting to a tuning note created by a symphonyʼs principal oboe. However, many professional instrumentalists often use small variations in pitch to either match each otherʼs intonation, or play slightly out of tune for musical effect. Dynamic pitch includes: the pitch of a singer who is flat in relation to her piano accompaniment pitch embellishments such as blue notes (see p. 18) certain notes of wind instruments that may be inherently sharp or flat 4

5 Absolute Pitch Absolute pitch (or perfect pitch) is the skill of identifying or producing a musical note without any external reference. Since many people may own their own sing or hum a popular song in its correct key, it seems that formal musical training is not required to posses absolute pitch. With an education in music, however, those with absolute pitch may sing a song a cappella true to its written key or correctly transcribe a melody by ear. Other examples of absolute pitch include: identifying the notated key of a musical piece with the ears alone naming the pitches of non-musical tones such as chalkboard screeches or sirens Relative Pitch Relative pitch is the skill one uses to hear, identify, and produce a given note in the presence of a reference tone such as a drone. While absolute pitch is a sought skill for many musicians, relative pitch is not only easier to develop, but is in many ways more practical than studying absolute pitch. Vocalists, fretless stringed instrumentalists, and brasswind players must posses varying degrees of relative pitch in order to play their respective instruments in tune. Moreover, relative pitch discernment greatly augments the skills of any musician. Solfege training is an effective approach to improving relative pitch and is the primary method of formal ear training for vocalists. Another effective method to improve relative pitch is through diligent practice and performance with a drone. Temperaments and Just Tuning The Just Scale Just intonation is a musical tuning system consisting of a series of discrete pitches that are created from a single note using simple ratios. For example, in a justly tuned C Major scale, the frequency of G is related to C by the ratio 3:2 - the frequency of G is 1.5 times the frequency of C. More broadly speaking, in justly tuned systems the fifth is related to the tonic by 3/2. Each remaining interval of the C Major scale is defined similarly as shown in the table below. 5

6 C D E F G A B C 1:1 9:8 5:4 4:3 3:2 5:3 15:8 2:1 Relationships of the C Major Just Scale Using just intonation, one may create a diatonic scale in any key using a tonic pitch and the same ratios shown in the figure above. It is also possible to construct a twelve tone chromatic scale in a similar way. However, the frequency of each note in the just scale changes depending on the tonic it is constructed from. For example, a justly tuned scale based on F contains different tuning relationships than the C scale above. C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B 1:1 16:15 9:8 6:5 5:4 4:3 45:32 3:2 8:5 5:3 9:5 15:8 12 tone justly tuned C scale Analogously, instruments in just intonation are considered optimized for playing in a specific key. Once the instrument is played in a different key, the optimization fails and the only way to recover the perfect intervals of just intonation is to retune the instrument to the chosen key. Details about the cause of these discrepancies, the syntonic comma, is beyond the scope of this text, but more information may be found in the listed readings of the References section at the end of this document. The following instruments make primary use of the just scale: human voice fretless stringed instruments such as the violin and cello wind instruments using dynamic pitch Temperaments To counteract the tuning discrepancies among keys created by the just scale, musicians have created alternate tuning systems called temperaments. Temperaments allow musicians to freely change keys by sacrificing the pure interval relationships of just intonation. 6

7 Incorporating temperament grants musicians a method of balancing the pitch sensitivity of the human ear with convenient musical instrument performance and design. The most popular form of temperament in modern music is equal temperament where each note is derived by dividing an octave into twelve equal sections - one for each note of the chromatic scale. Thus the piano along with many other instruments that use equal temperament are freely able to change keys which makes them easier to play and much more versatile. While some consider the equal tempered scaleʼs lack of stability as a disadvantage, its subtle dissonances can add an air of excitement and unpredictable energy to music. Note C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C Cents Equal Tempered Tuning in Cents The following instruments make use of equal temperament tuning: Piano Keyboard Fretted instruments such as the guitar Marimbas and xylophones There are other forms of temperament that balance key modulation with perfect intervals. Once such method called Hermode tuning performs dynamic manipulation of electrical instrument pitch. The Hermode software analyzes each note or chord on the fly and makes alterations to meet any desired pitch changes - just as a live musician would do during a performance. Thus, Hermode tuning can combine the pure sound of just intonation and still offer the versatility of temperament. Soon technology in the same spirit as Hermode may ensure the replacement of the ubiquitous equal tempered scale with an improved system that eliminates compromising. 7

8 Just and Equal Tempered Scales: Subtle Differences Naturally, human ears hear in just intonation while equal temperament is mainly a product of mechanical design. The ear easily recognizes the unstable warbling created by out of tune instruments that are attempting to play the same note. Vocalists and instrumentalists who hear such instability subconsciously gravitate toward warble-free just intonation. Only through careful listening and focus can musicians recreate the subtle instability of equal temperament. Equal temperament attempts to match the musical relationships of just intonation as closely as possible. The subtle differences between the two systems may significantly affect the mood and sound of music.the instability of equal tempered tuning may add energy to music while the harmony of just intonation may tend toward a meditative atmosphere. A detailed comparison of the 12-tone justly tuned C scale and equal tempered chromatic scale is shown below. Note Just Tuned Ratio Just Tuning - cents Eq. Temp. - cents Difference C 1: C# 16: D 9: D# 6: E 5: F 4: F# 45: G 3: G# 8: A 5: A# 9: B 15: Tuning differences of the 12-tone just tuned C scale and the equal tempered chromatic scale 8

9 The smallest difference between the two scales are in Western musicʼs most crucial intervals - the fourth and fifth. The largest pitch deviations are averaged between each remaining note with A#, the minor seventh of the C scale, having the most notable difference. 40 C Just Tuning vs Equal Temperment cents C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B note Additionally, one may also observe that equal tempered minor seconds, minor thirds, and minor sixths are slightly flat; and major thirds, augmented fourths, major sixths, major sevenths, and minor sevenths are sharp. Although these tuning differences are based on a just tuned scale in C, the discrepancies would remain the same for a justly tuned scale in any other key. Tunings in Practice Knowing the differences between just and tempered tuning helps a musician play with more accurate intonation. When playing with a piano or electric guitar, a vocalist will probably match the pitches of equal tempered tuning to sound in tune with her band. On the contrary, a group of dynamically pitched instrumentalists such as a choir, string ensemble, or brass quintet may freely play with just intonation. 9

10 Most wind instruments tread the middle ground between just tuning and equal temperament. In order to achieve the same regularity between musical keys and the ease of construction found in keyboards and pianos, wind instruments (particularly woodwinds) are engineered with an equal tempered design. However, experienced wind instrumentalists may freely adjust their pitch to use just intonation or equal temperament via techniques such as manipulating their embouchure or maneuvering a tuning slide. In general when playing with an equal tempered instrument such as piano or electric guitar, all musicians default to equal temperament. Just tuning is used when all musicians in an ensemble are capable of just intonation. Nevertheless, these guidelines are not etched in stone and any combination of tunings may be brought forward to create oneʼs desired musical sound. Drone Tone Exercises The primary use of the Drone Tones album is to increase skills in relative pitch and musical expression by fostering pitch accuracy and flexibility. Accuracy involves consistently producing oneʼs intended pitch. Whether playing alone or in an ensemble, accuracy is extremely important in delivering music to an audience. Even though a soloist has no one else to play in tune with, inaccurate tuning may cause some notes to unpleasantly infringe upon a listener. Before becoming adept in pitch flexibility, one must first gain control through developing accuracy. By internalizing interval relationships and minute tuning variations, one may transfer the sounds heard in the mind to the muscular movements that produce those same sounds through the instrument. Flexibility allows musicians to match another tuning system or musician via small adjustments in pitch. Flexibility is critical in group performance when one must tune to multiple musicians. It is also important when adapting to environmental conditions that effect instrument intonation such as temperature and humidity. With flexibility, musicians may also perform embellishments such as blue notes, slurs, and pitch bends. 10

11 Suggestions The following list of Drone Tone exercises build upon each other in difficulty. They begin with studies in pitch accuracy and move toward studies of flexibility. Mastery of each exercise is not required before moving on, but you will most likely not be able to successfully complete an exercise before gaining competence with its prerequisites. Even if youʼre not a vocalist, singing the exercises may help you develop and refine your inner ear and sense of pitch. Initially perform the exercises without vibrato. Introduce vibrato only when you become competent with each exercise. Retain your sense of musical creativity in order to keep practice spontaneous and stimulating. Since these exercises are only meant as guides, take the opportunity to explore your own studies or add variations to the exercises as you see fit. Disciplined, frequent practice will lead to steady progress and lasting results. Try to practice as much as your schedule allows in order to gain and retain progress in relative pitch. Before each practice, remember and take pride in the gains you made during previous sessions. Use these achievements as momentum to push yourself forward. Balance discipline with patience and understanding. If you are bored, it may be time to try a different exercise or work on something else entirely. If you become fatigued or continually fail to make progress, taking a break may give your body and mind the time it needs to process your practice routines into mental and muscle memory banks. Begin practice again only when you are ready and have the desire to do so. Preparation Before each Drone Tone practice session, warm-up your instrument and tune it to A = 440 Hz.. You may also want to use the repeat function of your song player to stay on a specific drone for an extended time. Exercise 1: Unison Drone Tones Play extended notes or long tones in unison with the drone while listening for any beats or warbling. The beatings indicate that your pitch is out of tune. The more rapid the beatings, the further away your pitch is from the droneʼs pitch. Therefore, your goal with this exercise is to minimize any warbling while also maintaining a uniform and pleasant tone quality. 11

12 Initially, concentrate on performing long tones in the most comfortable range of your instrument. A C long tone in the middle range Next expand to higher and lower octaves while checking for any tuning variations. Long tones on low and high C Once you can reasonably match the pitch of each drone tone while using the full range of your instrument, move forward to the next exercise. Exercise 2: Interval Long Tones Play long tone intervals against the drones. While doing this exercise, listen for the distinct character of each of interval. Does the interval sound happy, exciting, somber, mellow, uplifting, mysterious, or startling? Does the interval remind you of specific colors, memories, or other types of mental imagery? Do any of the intervals remind you of familiar songs? 12

13 Start with perfect intervals of fourths and fifths. left to right: perfect fourth and perfect fifth in C Once you are comfortable with fourths and fifths, move on to thirds and sixths. left to right: major third and major sixth in C Next focus on playing the seconds and the sevenths. left to right: major second and major seventh in C Lastly, explore interval variations such as the minor second, minor third, augmented fourth (tritone), minor sixth, and minor seventh. top to bottom, left to right: minor second, minor third, augmented fourth, augmented fifth, and minor seventh in C 13

14 With practice, you will begin to associate moods with the intervals, which will help increase your understanding of melodies and chords along with how they relate musical expression. Move forward once you are confident that you have internalized the sound of each interval for each drone across the range of your instrument. Exercise 3: Long Tone Scales Play various types of long tone scales over each drone: major natural, melodic, or harmonic minor whole tone pentatonic, blues, diminished, etc. Example Scale Exercises - top to bottom: C major scale, C natural minor scale, C whole tone scale Focus on sound quality rather than speed and dexterity for this exercise. Pay careful attention to the character of each note, and be sure you achieve the same quality of intonation and feeling that was achieved in Exercise 2. If you notice any notes that are individually out of tune, practice them separately, then gradually add the neighboring notes until you can play the entire scale confidently and in tune with the drone. Aim to play several scales for each drone along the full range of your instrument with accurate intonation and a pleasing, uniform tone quality. 14

15 Exercise 4: Interval Exercises Practice a combination of scales and intervals in the same key as the drone. Initially, you may try series of ascending and descending seconds, thirds, and fourths from the scale of your choice. Starting with small simple intervals then gradually increasing the width and complexity of each interval is suggested. ascending major thirds in C ascending fourths in C Next, progress towards larger intervals such as fifths, sixths, sevenths, and octaves. ascending fifths in C Also try series of minor thirds, minor sevenths, minor sixths, or any other complex interval while ascending and descending a given scale. ascending minor thirds In time, you may become comfortable practicing with an increase in tempo or with altering rhythms, articulation, and even improvisation. In all cases, remember to strive for accuracy and a clear tone along your instrumentʼs full range. Slow down or isolate problem areas if you notice any loss of control. 15

16 Since this exercise involves multiple intervals based upon multiple scales in all twelve keys, there is plenty of ground to cover! However, remember that the goal is to master relative pitch and intonation rather than play an arbitrary scale pattern in each key. Once you are able to play a wide variety of successive intervals with accurate intonation and good tone quality, then it is time to move forward to the next exercise. Exercise 5: Arpeggios In the same spirit as the previous exercise, begin adding various arpeggios based on your preferred scales. Keep tone quality and intonation with the tonic at the forefront of your practice while playing various arpeggios up and down the full range of your instrument. Arpeggios in C - left to right: C major, C minor, C diminished, C major 7th, C dominant 7th Exercise 6: Harmonic Series The harmonic (or overtone) series consists of a pattern of natural harmonics based upon a fundamental pitch. In a method nearly identical to the just scale, each note of the harmonic series is related to a fundamental pitch using a series of mathematical proportions. The harmonic series is as follows. first harmonic: the tonic or fundamental pitch second harmonic: the octave of the fundamental third harmonic: a perfect fifth and an octave above the fundamental fourth harmonic: two octaves above the fundamental fifth harmonic: two octaves and a major third above the fundamental Further research may be required in order to play the harmonic series on your specific instrument. For example, brasswind instruments inherently use the harmonic series to produce notes while most woodwinds require special fingerings and embouchure technique to play the series correctly. 16

17 C Harmonic Series Play the series while using each drone as the fundamental pitch. Strive for accurate intonation for each note. Initially, patience may help with this exercise because you may only be able to reach the second or third harmonic. However, with practice, you will encounter less difficulty in reaching the higher harmonics. Consider yourself competent in this exercise once you are able to play up the fourth harmonic accurately and in tune. However, the harmonic series goes on indefinitely. Many instruments are capable of reaching the 7th and 8th harmonics and beyond. Move forward once you can perform this exercise as competently as the others. Exercise 7: Pitch Variations Play any desired combination of the previous exercises while altering your pitch a quarter step sharp or flat. Take note of the changes that occur in the sound of the interval. You may notice increasing instability as you make a note sharp or flat in relation the drone. By completing this exercise on a variety of intervals throughout the full range of your instrument, you will gain the flexibility needed to vary your pitch at whim. As stated earlier, one example of pitch embellishment is the blue note. Blue notes are performed by playing a flattened third, fifth, or seventh of a scale. These slight alterations in pitch allow blue notes to add color and tension to music. Augmenting the pitch of a given interval can provide a similar effect. Blue Notes (*) in the C scale 17

18 Many genres of world music make use of these slight alterations in tuning, which give a distinct air to the music. Blue notes originated in the tribal folk songs of Africa and similar sounds can be found in Arabic and Indian cultural music. Combining these types of embellishments with more traditional forms of music can create beautifully contrasted pieces of aural art and vastly expand your musical dialect. Exercise 8: Tonal blending By completing the previous exercises, you should now have a firm grasp on the fundamental principles and advanced techniques involved in maintaining relative pitch. You may now begin experimenting with your instrumentʼs different tone colors while also keeping the pitch steady and under control. Each drone of the Drone Tones album uses a distinct tone ranging from classical instruments and choirs to synthesizers and horns. The major difference between each tone is the presence or absence of harmonic overtones. Varying amounts of overtones are also what give each instrument a characteristic sound. For example, the thinner strings of the violin produce a larger degree of high-order harmonics than the celloʼs thicker, lower pitched strings. In fact, you may have noticed in the last exercise that certain notes in your instrumentʼs harmonic series have different timbres than its natural notes. Color your sound so that it blends in with the drone. A tone that is dark and centered may work well with certain drones while a tone that is bright and colorful may work best for others. Use you best judgement in determining when you have thoroughly explored this exercise. Create and Improvise With a firm grounding in relative pitch and an expanded capacity in creativity and expression, you may find limitless applications for these exercises. Think of new and interesting ways to apply your abilities to music performance and more advanced exercises to push your skills even further. Enjoy the new boundaries of your creativity and extend them as far as your mind and body allow. 18

19 Perfect Pitch: Journey and Destination The quest for perfect pitch is a goal for many passionate musicians. But perfection compared to what? Do you want perfect pitch compared to a 440 Hz tone, a just tempered major 3rd, an equal tempered fifth, the Balinese musical scale, or a really flat lead saxophonist? Personally, I consider perfect pitch as of a combination of pitch accuracy and flexibility to achieve an intended musical expression in a variety of musical settings. Paradoxically, perfect pitch is not perfect at all times. Just as a small number of natural physical laws yield and explain a vast variety of interesting and creative outcomes in our universe, the fundamental principles behind pitch and intonation create a plethora of vivid and imaginative sounds. The destination of perfect pitch remains an everlasting journey in creativity. References 1. Lundy, Miranda. Sutton, Daud. Ashton, Anthony. Martineau, Jason. Martineau, John. Quadrivium. Walker Publishing Company, Salomon Jadassohn. A Practical Course in Ear Training. Breitkopf and Härtel, Duffin, Ross. How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (and Why You Should Care). W. W. Norton & Company, Hopkin Bart. Musical Instrument Design: Practical Information for Instrument Making. See Sharp Press, HMT Hermode Tuning Program Controlled Tuning. Werner Mohrlok. Web. 9 Sept < 6. Truax, Barry. "Just_Tuning." SFU.ca. Cambridge Street Publishing, Web. 10 Sept < 7. Bain, Reginald. "The Harmonic Series." A Web-based Multimedia Approach to the Harmonic Series. University of South Carolina School of Music, Web. 14 Sept < 19