Echosystem

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This started with a noodling around with the tetrachord G-Ab-B-C on a fretless bass, with the bass gravitating finally to C, defining a C minor tonality. I tuned a 4-string to C-G-C-G and did a loping contra bass part, then did another quasi-ostinato part employing lots of open strings. Finally I added a Floyd-ish guitar part to drive the music even further. There is an 'egyptian orchestra' part that I left out, but if included and more well-composed would make this tune sound more Arabic. The tetrachord used as a cell for melodies is decidedly Arabic-sounding, but is merely part of a C harmonic minor scale--not exotic at all. But that is the interesting thing about tetrachordal playing: it is a fragment of scale that can be used to make something sound ethnic.

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