Lee Barry Composition (And Photo) Diary

A clever way to alternate two chords with common tones, whereby moving one half-step gets you to a chord tone:

    There are 3 parallel meters used: 3/4, 12/8 and 6/8+3/4. A common characteristic in African music is a 12/8 meter that can be related to on various levels. In Western music, meter gets divided or simplified into a basic meter and syncopation is used for rhythmic complexity. Since African music is not about scored music, different metric layers can be easily added over the top without consideration of how it relates to 12/8. Rhythmic levels: Rhythm By Addition by Lee Barry

This started as an improvised vocal into a harmonizer on a dummy lyric, which suggested its ultimate mood and production. If the inferences are sinister, it is by accident only, and may have been a story in the news at the time that was incorporated to what I was doing at the moment. (The old Beatles aleatorical trick). The other Beatlesque treatment was a string quartet version I did of this, now lost as a Finale/MIDI file. Anyone that wants to write a lyric and sing a new vocal part on this is welcomed.

This started out with chords on the piano as "Time Being", the first two alternating between C minor and B major 7. It's a strange harmony that eludes a key center, much in the way that jazz is about cycles around the circle of fifths, and subdominant/dominant relationships. It ends in C minor but few of the chords are from that key. The second draft was set in 12/8 and tracked up from a drum and bass part. I didn't like where it was going--too harmonic. I found a nice melodic path (desire path) in the guitar melody.

Bowie was the first artist to successfully fuse rock with sci-fi. I wrote Dome City ten years ago, primarily inspired by the album "Outside". The chord change cliche of a major chord with the inner voice descending chromatically somehow always reminded me of early Bowie, and I still love it, cliche or not. Dome City by Lee Barry (Part 2 was actually the original idea, that I did an acoustic version of): Dome City by Lee Barry

Experiment in 3/4 with a ditty based on the Kokin-Joshi pentatonic scale.

Another version of the score through Noteflight. The cheeziest string sound ever. It is interesting that this type of slow tempo in half notes is perfect for big spaces, not a miniature hallway!

Mix 2 , now with a more layered atmosphere, inspired by layers of interior architecture divided by screens. Melody alternates between contrasted dark and light parts (Eb Mixolydian and V chord in Eb minor) Piano is a scratch.

First rough mix. Key is Eb Mixolydian. Tempo=100 Mix 1 http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/20193?search_no=22&index=0   Ideas/Metaphos: Isomelody/rhythm Dynasty Delicate Silk Porcelain Layers Abbreviated and Extended Mixes

In a strictly orchestral context, it would have another section to follow it as the final chord is unresolved. The idea is to make them musical "miniatures" all around three minutes or less. You couldn't have them any longer as they are only scoring for a still image. The harmony of this piece is not in any one key. It's kind of like jazz, where one piece can modulate through many keys in a short time. Download Score (Finale) Download MIDI File