All Aboard!
Take A Ride on the "South Indian Line"
"People get ready, there's a train a-comin''. Don't need no ticket, just get on board " - Curtis Mayfield
(...and If you actually get to where you're goin' in one piece. you'd better thank the Lord!)
The exercise here is a page from my personal workbook (as is most of the stuff I post, I guess).
In order to kill two birds with one stone, I thought I'd create` these lines for myself as a method to get closer and more personal with this odd meter Carnatic composition "South Indian Line", and post them here, to share with my fellow masochists.
(...and If you actually get to where you're goin' in one piece. you'd better thank the Lord!)
The exercise here is a page from my personal workbook (as is most of the stuff I post, I guess).
In order to kill two birds with one stone, I thought I'd create` these lines for myself as a method to get closer and more personal with this odd meter Carnatic composition "South Indian Line", and post them here, to share with my fellow masochists.
UJRE 2G I'm currently a member of a fairly well known 10 piece Jazz - Rock ensemble, aptly named the United Jazz & Rock Ensemble, Second Generation (UJRE 2G).
This band, whose original incarnation dates back to the early 1970's and whose charter members featured such names as Charlie Mariano, Kenny Wheeler, Albert Mangelsdorf, Jon Heisman, & Eberhard Weber, among others; is to this day still somewhat of an institution in Germany.
It's founder and leader (musically, spiritually & financially), both then and now, is our beloved septuagenarian pianist / composer / arranger; the one and only, Wolfgang Dauner.
This band, whose original incarnation dates back to the early 1970's and whose charter members featured such names as Charlie Mariano, Kenny Wheeler, Albert Mangelsdorf, Jon Heisman, & Eberhard Weber, among others; is to this day still somewhat of an institution in Germany.
It's founder and leader (musically, spiritually & financially), both then and now, is our beloved septuagenarian pianist / composer / arranger; the one and only, Wolfgang Dauner.
Charlie Mariano & Nadaswaram One of the tunes in the band's book is a piece entitled "South Indian Line". This composition is credited to the late great alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano and arranged by Wolfgang Dauner, but I have reason to believe it has more traditional origins, possibly even being composed by Carnatic singer / composer R.A. Ramamani.
The original recordings of "South Indian Line" featured Charlie Mariano on nadswaram, a Carnatic double reed instument, which he studied in Bangalore with a master teacher.
I've had the privilege of both recording and performing "South Indian Line" live with UJRE 2G and being featured on soprano saxophone (as I don't play nadaswaram).
The tune itself is based over a vamp in Eb concert, consisting of a cycle of 24 beats (eighth notes), which is divided up and notated as::
2 measures of 5/8; 1 measure of 4/4; and 1 measure of 3/4
The original recordings of "South Indian Line" featured Charlie Mariano on nadswaram, a Carnatic double reed instument, which he studied in Bangalore with a master teacher.
I've had the privilege of both recording and performing "South Indian Line" live with UJRE 2G and being featured on soprano saxophone (as I don't play nadaswaram).
The tune itself is based over a vamp in Eb concert, consisting of a cycle of 24 beats (eighth notes), which is divided up and notated as::
2 measures of 5/8; 1 measure of 4/4; and 1 measure of 3/4
This 24 beat, eighth note cycle could be expressed in Konnakol as:
Ta-da-gi-na-tom (5), Ta-da-gi-na-tom (5), Ta-ka-di-mi (4), Ta-ka-di-mi (4), Ta-ka-di-mi (4), Ta-ka (2).
As one of my goals here is to play over the vamp using primarily 16th notes, the first two 5/8 measures can be further broken down into a group of ten 16ths (3rd speed) like this:
Takita (dotted 8th = 3 16ths); Takita (dotted 8th = 3 16ths); Takadimi (2 8th notes = 4 16ths)
Ta-da-gi-na-tom (5), Ta-da-gi-na-tom (5), Ta-ka-di-mi (4), Ta-ka-di-mi (4), Ta-ka-di-mi (4), Ta-ka (2).
As one of my goals here is to play over the vamp using primarily 16th notes, the first two 5/8 measures can be further broken down into a group of ten 16ths (3rd speed) like this:
Takita (dotted 8th = 3 16ths); Takita (dotted 8th = 3 16ths); Takadimi (2 8th notes = 4 16ths)
Ridin' the Line Playing in odd meters has always been one of my weaker points; so the whole purpose, for me, in composing these lines is to familiarize myself with different possibilities in sub-dividing the rhythm, according to the way the vamp is constructed; sort of playing "inside" the time, rather than solely playing over the top of it, as I did on the recording (vamp begins ca. 1:54, soprano solo ca. 3:02).
Melodically, the tune is based on Melakarta #16 (Chakravakam).
In Eb concert:
Eb - Fb - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db
It could be considered in western scale terms as an Eb Mixolydian b2, or as the 5th mode of Ab Harmonic Major.
On the recording, I used a combination of the original scale together with an Eb Dorian b2 (2nd mode of Db Melodic Minor), which changes the original scale by one note (G becomes Gb, Maj 3r to min 3rd).
In these line exercises, I'm experimenting with breaking it down further by using combinations of Pentatonic b2s and Augmented Scales, as these scales contain both Maj and min 3rds, relative to the key.
It's not my goal to memorize and use these composed lines as "plug & play" phrases; rather I'm hoping it will give me some added ways of ultimately seeing and intuitively approaching an improvised solo over this multi-metered vamp.
Melodically, the tune is based on Melakarta #16 (Chakravakam).
In Eb concert:
Eb - Fb - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db
It could be considered in western scale terms as an Eb Mixolydian b2, or as the 5th mode of Ab Harmonic Major.
On the recording, I used a combination of the original scale together with an Eb Dorian b2 (2nd mode of Db Melodic Minor), which changes the original scale by one note (G becomes Gb, Maj 3r to min 3rd).
In these line exercises, I'm experimenting with breaking it down further by using combinations of Pentatonic b2s and Augmented Scales, as these scales contain both Maj and min 3rds, relative to the key.
It's not my goal to memorize and use these composed lines as "plug & play" phrases; rather I'm hoping it will give me some added ways of ultimately seeing and intuitively approaching an improvised solo over this multi-metered vamp.
B. Stern
RSS Feed
