Comments on: Form, Melody, And Hotness http://jamesdanderfer.com/2010/02/form-melody-hotness/ jazz musician James Danderfer recordings, images, and media Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:55:51 +0000 hourly 1 By: John Doheny http://jamesdanderfer.com/2010/02/form-melody-hotness/comment-page-1/#comment-174 John Doheny Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:01:24 +0000 http://jamesdanderfer.com/?p=617#comment-174 Terence Blanchard told me something similar about writing film music, that he'd been accustomed to coming in with a sketch for his band, just the melody and changes with maybe a suggestion for 'groove,' like 'swing' or 'second-line funk,' and then having the band make it happen. Then suddenly he's writing film music where everything has to be fully realized, including piano parts in both hands. My hat's off to you for doing this, because it makes me realize how easy it is to write for a small quartet-quintet. A lot of the time of course the tune doesn't sound EXACTLY like I heard it in my head, but if you've got really good players, it often sounds a LOT BETTER. Having such a clear concept and then not getting it (at least right away) would tend to bum me out, I think. Terence Blanchard told me something similar about writing film music, that he’d been accustomed to coming in with a sketch for his band, just the melody and changes with maybe a suggestion for ‘groove,’ like ‘swing’ or ‘second-line funk,’ and then having the band make it happen. Then suddenly he’s writing film music where everything has to be fully realized, including piano parts in both hands.

My hat’s off to you for doing this, because it makes me realize how easy it is to write for a small quartet-quintet. A lot of the time of course the tune doesn’t sound EXACTLY like I heard it in my head, but if you’ve got really good players, it often sounds a LOT BETTER. Having such a clear concept and then not getting it (at least right away) would tend to bum me out, I think.

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