[PD] Pd performance at TED

[Pedro Oliveira]

Jumping on the discussion (not a frequent poster, but I do follow), I must
say I agree with Marco... but one question (kinda related, but at the same
time isn't): what would consist, then, "improvisation" when using Pd?

I mean, if you consider *free* improvisation the only thing I can think of,
in five seconds, is "live coding". However, if you think of an instrument
there are also "pre-given" structures one must follow, that is, pitch range,
playability, timbre and so on. Roughly, with traditional instruments (from
western tradition) you can't go that far away from the 12-tone paradigm (of
course, a few exceptions here and there with guys like Otomo Yoshihide for
the guitar or Coltrane/Evan Parker for Saxophone), but then, again... what
is *true *improvisation in the context of Pd, Max, whatever?

I'm asking because, like I said, I do agree with Marco - recombining
patterns doesn't consist of improvisation for me as well... and if
improvisation in that case consists of playing notes over the riffs and
patterns, why use a gestural controller? Just for the sake of technology?

Such topic interests me a lot, I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

On Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 1:43 PM, Marco Donnarumma <devel at thesaddj.com>wrote:

> Ingo,
> thanks for your explanation, I think to understand how he's playing.
>
>
>> The movement looks to me secondary - it's more like a dance movement and
>> not
>> too much music control.
>>
>>
> This might be a very personal take, but if movement is secondary in
> gestural control, why one uses gestural control at all?
> I believe that effective and ancillary gestures are what reinforce our
> perception of an instrument as a musical tool, rather than a mere "device".
> Imho many gestural controllers would benefit of a better focus on this
> aspect.
>
>
>> How would you play such melodic lines (like those jazz licks) - in time -
>> simply with gestural control?
>
>
> Setting an array of preset chords, triggering them with multiple switches,
> deploying a timeline which holds the trigger until the onset of the next
> beat or quarter, etc...
> I guess the list here could come up with many other methods.
> I'm not saying that's trivial, I only think that it's not the "future" as
> it is presented in the video.
>
>
>> How would you improvise on scales, pattern or
>> harmonic structures? After all he's a jazz player calling his music "beat
>> jazz".
>>
>
> What do you call improvisation in this case?
> How much is he improvising?
> I can imagine he's "improvising" with the melodic lines, but playing
> samples and presets chords doesn't match my own definition of improvisation.
>
> cheers,
> M
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Marco Donnarumma
> Independent New Media and Sonic Arts Professional, Performer, Instructor
> ACE, Sound Design MSc by Research (ongoing)
> The University of Edinburgh, UK
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Portfolio: http://marcodonnarumma.com
> Lab: http://www.thesaddj.com | http://cntrl.sourceforge.net |
> http://www.flxer.net
> Event: http://www.liveperformersmeeting.net
>
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-- 
Pedro Oliveira
www.partidoalto.net
soundcloud.com/iburiedpaul
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