Improving the practice and performance of contemporary music

Halt

Seek harmony with a co-player
Hold still, so that the others can find harmony with you

Seek harmony with another co-player
Hold still, so that . . . . . . .

Seek harmony with each of your co-players

Seek harmony with a co-player
AND at the same time hold still

CD 8
  • To seek harmony with a co-player means to go from a complicated state into a simpler one (e.g. by using intervals, from a seventh to a sixth, from a sixth to a fifth). The complicated is to be simplified.
  • Rhythmically this could mean going from syncopation to a common periodicity.
  • One player should hold his rhythm, his dynamics and/or his pitch, i.e. not play any more changes, so that someone else can harmonise with him.
  • During the course of harmonisation with everyone, a kind of consonance, synchronism, and periodicity evolves between all players.
  • Stylistically, the piece can be given a historic character by actually employing a tonal harmony (“impressionist”).
  • When two players come together in terms of sound in order to harmonise, they should stay in the same register or octave, respectively, so that the two tones really are in close proximity of each other.
CD 10
  • Each longer tone must “be given an inner direction”.
  • Periodic rhythms should get closer to each other until they are completely synchronous. With a ritardando, a rhythm can be adjusted to another existing one and thus achieve a certain effect.
  • For dynamic variety, loud entrances can “force” the other players to play louder.
  • For HALT, glissandi are especially effective, because they enable you to move to another pitch or situation very well. “This kind of unification of harmonic structure is wonderful.” The glissandi can also be accelerated or slowed down.