Lesson 140: Cycle 4 Melody – Altered

In this lesson (which was originally a live stream discussion) I outline the entire process I go through when I work on a new original idea, lick, pattern, cliché or phrase from a transcription.

In this case, I have written a short 7 note melody which comes from the Altered scale (7th mode of melodic minor also called diminished-whole-tone scale or super locrian scale).

The melody is diatonic 4ths through that altered scale (1,3,b7,#9,#5,b9,#11).

Here is the process in a nutshell:

1. I conceive of and write and idea.
2. I sing and visualize the idea in every key at the piano.
3. I work on audiating the idea (hearing it in my mind).
4. I play the idea on my horn slowly while audiating in every key.
5. I play idea on saxophone at 40-60bpm using 5 different rhythmic displacements.
6. I improvise loosely with the concept.

Here is a pdf below with the idea I’m using as an example and several mp3s you can use to sing, audiate and visualize the idea.

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