Lee Barry Composition (And Photo) Diary

An interesting exercise is to take an existing melody (as I did with the Bach cello suite) and map it over another rhythm. You can compose your own or use an existing one. With Be Bach I used the sequence of notes in the Suite and mapped it over a bop rhythm that I composed. After the melody was done I added chord changes. (Someone should write a program that will do this automatically.) Here is the source Bach cello Suite:      A more recent video:   Using isorhythm in a bass line:   

A new tuning (F-Ab-C-F--an open F minor chord). The harmonics make the tuning interesting.  The 'A' figure are harmonics played at the fifth and seventh fret on the Ab, C, and F strings. The 'B' idea consists of stopped notes at the ninth and twelfth fret. Since I do not yet have tab template for this tuning it is difficult to notate here, but the images of hand positions will give you an idea of how it is played.   Hand Position 1 (5th Fret Harmonics):         Hand Position 2 (7th Fret Harmonics):            Hand Position 3 (9th Fret Stopped):       Hand Position 4 (12th Fret Stopped):   I used this tuning on The Brocken Spectre on my Virga album. Obviously, the key is F Minor (with occasional b5). The genesis of the idea was layered ostinati using harmonics. A Fretless part was added last (standard tuning).     A possible riff, which uses mostly open strings and double st...