Motivic Development - A Tool For Improvisation

August Estberg

In this thesis I explore motivic development to see what effect it has on my improvisation. This exposition will summarize the studies I have done at the NoCoM master program at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg, Sweden. I will present my reflections, ideas, audio clips and experiments. The work is divided into two main parts where the first one will describe the process of how I work with the eight different techniques to develop motives. The second part is the investigation of how I use motivic development as a foundation to improvise and compose. My conclusion is that motivic development can bring direction, structure and my personal sound into my improvisations. It is a great way for me to set up rules and limitations to make it easier for the listener to follow my intension. Author: August Estberg Supervisor: Senior Lecturer Thomas Markusson Examiner: Professor Anders Hagberg

References

Stephen Nachmanovitch, Free Play: the Power of Improvisation in Life and the Arts (Bo Ejeby Förlag,1990).

Gordon Delamont, Modern Melodic Technique (Kendor Music Inc, 1976).

Hal Crook, How to Improvise (advance music GmbH, 2001).

Ted Pease, Jazz Composition: Theory and Practice (Berklee Press, 2003).

Simon Toldam https://www.simontoldam.com/

Mulle Holmqvist https://www.mulleholmqvist.se/

Peter Bruun https://www.peterbruun.info/kuv

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In this solo by Bill Frisell i heard how he used the melody a lot in his improvisation over Very Early. He uses the first motive of the song as a springboard to see where it takes him. Both in the first and second A part.

This short example is Marcus Roberts using gorupings to play over the barline. in this case he groups quarter notes in a five grouping.

Bill Frisell on Very Early by Bill Evans, Bill Evans (Studio Album by Paul Motian) recorded may 1990, JMT.

Keith Jarrett piano motives from Stella by Starlight by Victor Young. Standards live recorded July 2, 1985, ECM.

Jim Hall, guitar solo on "Alone Together", By Arthur Schwartz. Recorded August 4, 1972 at Playboy Club, New York, with Ron Carter.

Keith Jarrett on It Could Happen to You by Jimmy Van Heusen. Tokyo '96, recorded march 30 1996, ECM

Transcriptions. Some of the music I have transcribed where I found motivic development being used. These are a handful of examples that I have been inspired by. Both full solo transcriptions and specific motivic outtakes. These four examples are from some of the musicians i have listened to that has inspired me to start investigating motivic development.

Marcus Roberts on "Caravan" by Duke Ellington, Marsalis Starndard Time, Vol. 1, recorded May, 1986.

Bill Frisell on "Time Remembered" by Bill Evans, Bill Evans (Studio Album by Paul Motian) recorded may 1990, JMT.

In this example I have transcribed the beginning of Jim Halls solo. In the first eight measures of the solo he starts with one motive with transposed repetition and displacement in the first five measures. After that he introduce another motive that gets developed by a fragmentation with a two-note motive.

This example is transcriptions of Keith Jarrett playing Stella By Starlight on his Standards Trio Live album. The first example is how he uses transposed repetition with variation. He is presenting the theme after his solo and develops thematic material from the melody.

In the third example from It Could Happen To You, Keith is using Transposed repetition with both melodic and rhythmic variation.

Joe Lovano on "Walkin' up" by Bill Evans, Bill Evans (Studio Album by Paul Motian) recorded may 1990, JMT.

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