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Given this comes from Ben bloody Monder I’m taking it with a grain of salt, but I’ll give it a go. Never tried chorales.Anyhow we talked about the Bach Chorales. 90% of which are playable according to Ben
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11-05-2022 05:05 AM
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Almanac family and leading voices in Mick's work, I've kept this close for a while but Mick is seriously ill. He's given up the work on his archives and manuscripts, on new materials and artist funding and is now under the constant watch of medical specialists and caretakers, myself included.
These expenses are beyond and outside of what is provided by his insurance and the funds he saved for his foundation are now being rapidly depleted.
In short, I'm asking that if you know anyone who might be in a position to help to any degree, know that there's a GoFundMe campaign I've set up (Dang, it says he wrote it, I can't figure out how to fix that).
But most of all, I know the most important thing is to honor his teachings and ideas, send your thoughts and play as if it were your last measures.
Thanks guys
Fundraiser by Mick Goodrick : Mick Goodrick is sick and is asking for your help
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Ok, it’s true that one could stay busy for a healthy lifetime exploring the literal content that Mick set down on paper.
From that wellspring I have yet to reach the surface let alone scratch it. But it is in my nature to spin off ideas out of concepts.
The Almanacs go into detail mining combinations of singular scale content. Below are a few of my favorite detour activities that I view as part of the same game. These owe no allegiance to any particular style but similarly address in an organized way, the potential movement of notes. For all the forum discussions presenting theory in opposition to ear, this is simply a case of concept generating sonic experiments to try, a fun activity unto itself. Voice leading can help to unify most anything. Some stuff sounds cool, some initially and/or eternally strange. Anything practiced enough can become part of a future ear vocabulary.
1. A way of generating progressions that expand beyond the content of a singular scale is thru the use of a modal interchange perspective that lines up the harmonic modal content from a common pivot point while drawing material from any combinations of scales you want.
2. Lately I have been wondering about how to address the chromatic cycles as in Sloninsky’s book presentation of intervals as divisions of octaves using an Almanac approach.
3. Voice leading random triad or 7th pairs that I generate by inserting a list into an internet randomizer app.
4. I watched a YouTube video of a film/video composer talking about major and minor triads in 3rds relations.
She covered upper 3rds C-E, C-Em, C-Eb, C-Ebm, Cm-E, Cm-Em, Cm-Eb, Cm-Ebm
and also lower 3rds C-A, C-Am, C-Ab, C-Abm, Cm-A, Cm-Am, Cm-Ab, Cm-Abm
She did a simple voice led presentation of each. Many movement colors and as she pointed out this being a very common game for film score composers.
So #4 is related to cycle 3/cycle 6 content. I liked the idea of focusing on a singular progression interval class and exploring various chord qualities interacting. So just as there are chords in upper/lower 3rds relations there are also chords in upper/lower 2nd relations, and 4th relations. So this is the newest toy variant. Chord pairs are plenty for now but easy enough to imagine how to connect this approach with any of the above. I wish I started on all this when I was 2 but alas I lacked a sense of purpose in those days.
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OK guys. Here we are, time to move forward. There's been a resurgence of interest in Mick's works and the almanacs are emerging as the number one opaque and intriguing of Mick's legacy works. A lot of people are aware of the volumes but it's an impossible mystery even to those who have scored a copy.
So among those who've immersed in finding the practical applications, are as many different ways to own its untapped secrets.
This summer I'll be attending the Alternative Guitar Summit camp in the Catskills and I'm thinking if there are other attendees who are interested in the Goodchord materials, I might use this week to have a mutual exchange and informal instructional session...so if any Goodchord explorers are thinking of doing the amazing weeklong camp...
But for now, I'd like to start a regular (every two weeks?) virtual group (FaceTime? Zoom? Skype) and begin at the beginning, exploring our own approaches to improvisation and how the Almanacs can work with our personal development.
I'd like to do this maybe starting January 2023, maybe for an hour on Sundays.
I think even from the most fundamental level, we can learn a lot about our own assumptions, and explore how Mick's approaches can enlighten, challenge or inform a broader concept of harmonic improvisation and arrangement.
Tell me your thoughts. This could be a kind of virtual practical seminar on improvisational voice leading or voice led improvisation. At the very least, a way we can all meet in real time and share the ways we see the materials.
Last year I did meet a few veterans of the original Goodchord camp and it was a blast. I think it'd be cool to hang with some people in a dialogue situation.
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that would be mega and while I’m not sure I’d be able to attend regularly I would definitely be interested
Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
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mainly just for fun, but I refurbished my old spreadsheet app and came up with this kind-of almanacs in PDF files.
Nowadays PDF copies of the almanacs are not rare anymore... Would anyone be interested anyway (4 scales, all cycles, a few more voicing, all keys...) ?
(hope the file attach works)
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Would love to participate, on average Sunday evenings are most predictably available for me (Brooklyn timezone). Look forward.
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I’m in! Sunday works fine for me. Please PM me with any info! Thanks you.. looking forward to this! Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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Yep Sunday would be cool for me depending on time… I may be looking after wee ones so being able to dial in and just listen to the session would also be great if that’s a possibility.
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I am from Europe and interested too. Sundays would be the best date for me.
I don't know if I have much to offer for you guys. Currently I am working on 3-part 4th voicings and inversions for melodic minor modes and using them for comping and building lines in my improvisations. This I like a lot.
The thing is, I often use Mick Goodrick's ideas and start thinking for myself and then check it against the results in his books. This slows down my working process immensely and makes me think a lot, but it is a good feeling to see the same results in the book afterwards.
So participating with a focus on listening would be fine for me...
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Anyone know where to find volume III? Also I would love to be a part of sunday discussion
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Thank you for posting this. Your presentation of the chord sequences is very well done and looks excellent. Originally Posted by e_del
I have explained earlier in the thread why I prefer not to request complete PDF copies of the books. From incomplete information posted on the thread and elsewhere on the internet, I've been able to deduce the structure of the chord sequences in the 1st 2 volumes (or most of them) without the benefit of the books (which I don't have). But what you've posted is a helpful resource for checking my own work, so I thank you for that. And yes I would be interested in seeing any more of your presentation of this material that you would like to post.
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Saturday January 21st. 2:59 PM we will have our first online meeting. Unless something catastrophic comes up, that's when we'll set up New Ideas in Harmonic Interpretations based on Mick Goodrick's Almanacs of Voice Leading (Volume 1 for now).
Things that would be handy to bring to the table:
Some coherent idea of how you look at harmony on the guitar (all levels)
One chord group you know in 4 chord types in root and 3 inversions (ex: Drop 2 in Major, minor, Dominant, -7b5 from root, 3rd in bass, 5th in bass, 7th in bass)
Some concept of where the notes are on the fingerboard.
I'm going to try to open up a private Zoom account for us, but FB video chat or FaceTime or Skype could work too
I'm thinking a monthly touching bases, third Saturday each month and we can share ideas on how we use this material and how to even get started, why would this be useful, expanding these ideas from chords to lines, chromatic linear voice leading... Each week can have a direction to explore as a guideline to applications or revelations for the next meeting.
You can PM me with your interest and I'll put together the group. You can lurk, you can share, you can teach your interpretations, you can share videos of things you can do with your discoveries...
I'm thinking 90 minutes?
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This sounds awesome @jimmy blue note and I would like to attend your meeting.
Zoom would be great, because I don't have FB or FaceTime
DM with stuff I am working on will follow...
best
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Just to clarify, that'll be Eastern US time.
And it's truly my hope to open up the possibilities of this material through discussion and NOT through being heavy on concrete instructions on how to use this. That's why the group format is useful.
When Mick first came out with this, I was vexed and I was a little shy to ask him "How do I use this?" but after I saw people beginning to get their own results, I suggested to him "So many people are getting great things here, there are so many more who could use advice from you" and he told me "That's YOUR job, I just put it out there", not meaning me personally, but you meaning everyone.
Now that it's been decades, it turns out that there are many angles within even one page that can cause us to see assumptions in a different way.
So I'll toss out some things that made me excited and some ways they've changed the way I play. I'll look at the way things are written in the book and try to relate them to things that are familiar to you. I'll point out some of the things Mick assumed you have under your belt and if they're not solid, give you a reason to shore up your knowledge base and some potential ways to create your own harmonic connections.
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Looking forward!
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I can't participate on that date - will it be possible to watch a recording later?
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I'd actually prefer if it wasn't recorded as it allows participants to take more risks when playing.
Unless it stays in a closed group.
How do you guys feel about having the session recorded?
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I would prefer it not to be recorded. At least at the beginning, but if the majority prefers a recording then that is also ok for me
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Thanks for voicing that, I am reluctant for that very reason, but I will make a synopsis and organize review time and I'm free to be in touch with those who can't make it and share what I can. Originally Posted by mheton
I'm sorry for those who can't make it. I'll try to stay organized and bring y'all up to speed.
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In an effort to better assimilate content (at least on surface level), I have been looking for ways to streamline study by using a comparative approach, observing the measurable differential by practicing more than one thing side by side. In other words, starting with something and morphing one entity into another.
Changing scales is a pretty straight forward game, just alter the intervals
of the parent scale.
Scale Type
Maj > Mel Min b3 || Maj > Har Min b3/b6 || Maj > Har Maj b6 || etc.....
Changing chord families (within whatever scale)
7th > TBN#1 - 3 to 2 (1357 - 1257)
7th > TBN#2 - 3 to 2 + 5 to 4 (1357 - 1247)
The TBN's are tricky because their identity morphs depending on the inversion/voicing.
4th chords on the other hand are versatile, downright ambiguous. Conceptually I haven't arrived at a clarity and trust as to what best represents a I chord,
Triad > 3 part 4ths - 3 to 4 (135 - 145)
7th > 4 part 4ths - 3 to 4 (1357 - 1457)
7th >TBN#1 > Cluster - 3 to 2 (1357 - 1257 - 1237) ???
Perhaps the simplest path to 7th(no 3rd) or 7th(no 5th) is omitting a note from the 7th family or conversely:
1 3 5 > 1 3 7
1 3 5 > 1 5 7
or
1 4 7 > 1 3 7
1 4 7 > 1 5 7
Looking forward to hanging 1/21.
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I think I’ve been visualising it in a different way, more intervallic. So for example for the quartal three part chords I know the structures are going from the bass. I’m not thinking about the root at all.
1 4 7
1 2 5
1 4 5
And then just practicing the order required for the cycle. (I also see this as voice movement, for instance cycle 4 starting with root position, close voiced quartal Top, Middle, Bottom moving down in modal thirds each time.)
So for cycle 4 for example in A dorian, it might be, starting with an Am11
(5) x 5 5 3 x
x x 5 2 3 x
x x 2 2 3 x
x x 2 2 0 x
X 7 4 4 x x
x 3 4 4 x x
etc
and going the other way (cycle 5) by reversing the voice leading pattern.
i also like starting with a known voicing. Kind of grounds it (less of an issue for the tertial chords obv) there’s a few with quartal structures that can be cycled:
8 x 9 9 7 x
8 x 7 7 8 x
x 3 2 3 4 x
Etc
anyway this has the overhead that you need to learn a new formula for EVERY voicing type and EVERY cycle; maybe if you get really good with inversions and root movement you can generalise a bit more? But, this is the way I’ve gone and it seems to be working.
(btw cycle 4/5 is my least favourite of the quartal cycles, but much like 3/6 with tertials as mentioned by ‘Jimmy’ it’s good for getting the ‘lay of the land’ .)
There’s probably other disadvantages that I haven’t thought of.Last edited by Christian Miller; 01-12-2023 at 02:49 PM.
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Oh TBNs are where my way of doing things sort of breaks down. I mean you could learn the two new voicing type sand rinse an repeat but I feel the idea would be more that you could locate and move notes in an ad hoc way rather than learning a bunch of new structures and grinding through them in an inflexible way.
So one way I suppose is to your (hopefully well ingrained) seventh chord cycles in the various drops and then practice naming the notes 1 3 5 7 and then changing them. At least that’s probably how I’ll do it when I get around to them.
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This Saturday January 21st at 4PM Eastern US time we'll meet for the initial discussion on Goodchord material. All are welcome. Participation is optional. Questions welcome.
I'll ask questions about your personal approaches to improvisation and real time composition and by this process highlight how the Almanacs can be used to expand or broaden the ways we see and use the fingerboard.
First meeting will be pretty broad in its reach and we can discuss future directions based on our collective knowledge.
Lots of suggestions of things to work on by ourselves between meetings and reports back within the group so we can move on into areas and discoveries that we can then share.
PM me with your Email address. I'll make a mailing list with the access Zoom link.
See you then!
I'm NOT going to record the meeting initially. I want everyone to be free to speak up with ideas or sounds without the spectre of recordings. This is conversational more than documentary.
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Thanks for organizing David
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