JMM The Journal of Music and Meaning, vol.6, Spring 2008.

Section 6.4 [text only; for illustrations and sound files, go to the online version]

Research Report:
Different Approaches to an Improvisational Practice Based Different Approaches to an Improvisational Practice Based Different Approaches to an Improvisational Practice Based Different Approaches to an Improvisational Practice Based
on the Piano Music of Toru Takemitsu on the Piano Music of Toru Takemitsu on the Piano Music of Toru Takemitsu on the Piano Music of Toru Takemitsu




















Niels Chr. Hansen, Niels Chr. Hansen, Niels Chr. Hansen, Niels Chr. Hansen,
BA of Music (Classical Piano and Music Theory),
Graduate Student of Music Theory at the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus, Denmark
Email: nch@musik-kons.dk / Phone: + 45 25 33 88 33

Different Approaches to an Improvisational Practice Based on the Piano Music of Toru Takemitsu
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1. Presentation Presentation Presentation Presentation

Very often classical musicians have been accused of being obsolete and not spontaneous due to the fact
that we only engage in minute reconstruction of music that has been conceived and written down a
long time ago. Probably, the allegation has just as often been disproved by good arguments such as the
one that classical music becomes present by virtue of a good interpretation and derives its power to
fascinate from the small details that constitute an interpretation which is both personal and artistic.
Might there nevertheless be a grain of truth in this accusation after all? Perhaps the music would seem
even more present and meaningful if the musicians tried to improve on catching the present and
improvising on their way to musical meaning. Improvisation might as well be the object of practicing in
addition to the minute study of the musical notation.
What will be presented here are some results of a bachelor thesis aiming to develop an
improvisational practice for pianists based on the piano works of the Japanese composer Toru
Takemitsu. In the paragraphs below, the methods, aims, target group and the components of this
project will be identified. Additionally, I will try to explain why Takemitsus piano music seems to be
especially suitable for the fulfillment of these specific aims. Afterwards, some examples will be given
demonstrating how compositional characteristics achieved through musical analysis can be transformed
into concrete educational guidelines for improvisation. Subsequently, these guidelines will be unified
into a complete piece of music, which will provide the background for a concluding discussion on the
further perspectives of the work.

1.1 Aims of the Project 1.1 Aims of the Project 1.1 Aims of the Project 1.1 Aims of the Project
The main aims of this project are (a) to encourage an improvisational approach to interpreting music, (b) to counter
the fear of improvisation among performers of classical music, (c) to strengthen the understanding of contemporary music,
(d) to disseminate the knowledge of traditional Japanese music and, last but not least, of course (e) to create an
artistic product in itself.
An improvisational approach to interpreting music with respect to (a) includes the ability to apply
spontaneously the artistic effects that exist within the stylistic frame of the concerned piece of music.
These effects can relate to various categories concerning command of both musical interpretation in
general and pianistic abilities in a more restricted sense. Some examples are rhythm, timing, sonority,
touch, articulation and so on.
The command of these artistic effects does not lead to improvisation, however, unless the
performer possesses the courage to bring them into play with respect to (b). Sometimes, learning the art
of improvisation is like climbing a wall. While you are at it, the task appears to be impossible, but when
you reach the other side of the wall, then improvisation has become a natural mode of expression. The
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earlier a music student is confronted with this obstacle, the easier the overcoming of it seems to be.
That is the reason why improvisational elements should be included from the very beginning of musical
training.
This project also offers some new entryways into contemporary music by means of aim (c) due to
the fact that the methods of analysis that underlie the improvisational guidelines are intended to
provide a more thoroughgoing understanding of the music and the compositional processes behind it.
Such entryways are much needed in music teaching, as well as in professional musicology, since many
teachers lack suitable pedagogical approaches to contemporary music; the usual methods of music
analysis provided by traditional music theory do not always seem appropriate for this. By improvising
on the basis of a specific musical style, the music student acquires an insight into the compositional
process which is different from the one that he acquires through sheer analysis. This is to some extent
what has constituted the fundamental difference between the teaching of music theory at the music
academies/conservatories from the teaching at the musicological institutes of the universities in
Denmark. This is why the improvisational practice might in some cases appeal more directly, though
not exclusively, to practicing musicians educated at the music academies/conservatories (see 1.3 about
the target group).
Although Toru Takemitsus approach to music composition resembles that of the western
composer, he still takes advantage of many typical characteristics of traditional Japanese folk and court
music (Burde, p. 478). Primarily, the Japanese influence applies to music aesthetics (Lee, p. 57). For
instance, silence (Meynert, p. 21) and noise (Akira, p. 8 and Burde, p. 478) effects play an important
part in Takemitsus piano music. In traditional Japanese music these concepts are referred to,
respectively, as ma (se section 4.2.6 below) and sawari (Ohtake, p. 56).
In addition to the aesthetic dimension, apparently Takemitsu uses quite a few allusions to the
distinctive instrumental characteristics of the traditional Japanese instruments. Thefollowing quotation
from Rain Tree Sketch II (1992) could, in my opinion, be interpreted as a reference to the deep taiko drum
(the low d), the traditional Japanese zither koto (the middle part) and the shrill mouth organ sho (the top
chords).

<Ex01.jpg>
<Ex01.mp3>
Ex 1:Takemitsus music sometimes refers to specific instruments of traditional Japanese music (Rain Tree Sketch II)
(Schott Japan 1992).

Hence, in order to be able to interpret such passages correctly one must acquire a certain amount of
knowledge of traditional Japanese music. In addition, this acquaintance can be artistically very inspiring,
and every western musician ought to be granted the opportunity to throw his own musical tradition
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into relief by confronting it with a foreign musical tradition. This is one of the main reasons why aim
(d) is included.
Finally, this project aims at creating an artistic product in itself as aim (e) makes explicit, an artistic
product that sounds good and can be presented in a concert along with other pieces of composed
and/or improvised music; i.e. the project is not solely educational but also artistic. In this sense it may
just as much be characterized as artistic and educational development as it may be considered as
hardcore musicological research. Consequently, the assumptions about general improvisational theory
thus far rest primarily on practical experience and have in some cases not been scientifically verified.
This does not, of course, in any respect imply that this project would not benefit from further scientific
research within the area of improvisational theory.

Why Takemi Why Takemi Why Takemi Why Takemitsus Piano Music? tsus Piano Music? tsus Piano Music? tsus Piano Music?
An obvious question is: Why should we focus on precisely Toru Takemitsus piano music to achieve
the aims listed above?
Many teachers of musical improvisation have probably experienced how free improvisation is
generally an impossible task for a student who is not at all used to improvising. Most improvisers, and
definitely the novices, need both a knowledge base (i.e. a certain stylistic framework of rules and
restrictions) and a referent (i.e. a chosen constraint specific to a particular piece of improvised music)
in order to awaken their improvisational abilities (Dolan, p. 114). In this connection, the teachers task
is to set up this framework for the student and gradually expand the number of possibilities by
removing the restrictions. The educational material produced as part of this project (Hansen, 2007) sets
up such a framework and leaves the rest up to the teacher or to the independent student.
This explains why we should base our improvisational practice on a specific stylistic framework, but
it does not at all explain why we should choose Takemitsu. The reason for this relates to the auditory
surface of the music, which is in fact very improvisational in itself. This is due to the apparent freedom
within meter, tempo, texture, dynamics, scales and so on. The musical parameters seem to be unified
freely into a fragmentary form consisting of short and independent formal units (Koozin, p. 138). This
is in line with Takemitsus statement that a piece of music shall not give the impression of being
perfectly completed (Takemitsu, p. 61, V8). The sketchy style makes it possible to construct a form
piece by piece without breaking the musical style crucially. Such a methodology works especially well in
a pedagogical respect.
To sum up, simplicity is a key word of Japanese aesthetics (Lee, pp. 49-50) c.f. Japanese
painting, furnishing and gastronomy. This is just one of the many Japanese aspects of Takemitsus
music that can be artistically inspiring to a classically trained musician.
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In spite of the Japanese traits, the connection to western musical tradition is still strong because of
the fact that Takemitsu adopted the instruments and the compositional and notational manners of
western tradition and attached them to his Japanese aesthetics (Nordgren, p. 92). In this way
Takemitsus music is subject to the restrictions of the modern piano such as range and mechanics, but
it is not incontrovertibly bound by western conventions regarding form, meter, rhythm and melody.

General Ta General Ta General Ta General Target Group rget Group rget Group rget Group
Even though it has been stated above that improvisation should be taught at all levels of musical
education, this particular project is not targeted to beginners. In order to engage in Takemitsu
improvisation, the student needs to master not only the basics of piano playing but also specific
subtleties such as timbral nuances and small details in the use of pedal. To put it differently, the project
is not to create a traditional piano tutor, but a sort of interpretation tutor offering artistic inspiration
for the professional pianist or the advanced piano student at the music academy.
Moreover, the project could perhaps inspire music education in general to develop additional
improvisational practices suited for other levels of music training. This could also very well include the
elementary stage.
Finally, the analyses might contribute to music theory by providing alternative approaches to
contemporary music

Components of the Project Components of the Project Components of the Project Components of the Project
Taking the aims and the target group into consideration, the most appropriate way of presenting the
results of this bachelor thesis would be in the form of educational material, which is also the case here.
The 80-page textbook (Hansen, 2007) begins with a short introduction to the background of
Takemitsus music: The western music tradition, traditional Japanese music and some biographical and
stylistic data on the composer. After the introduction follows the main part, where musical analysis
outlines compositional characteristics. These are then transformed into small practical improvisational
exercises.
The main part is subdivided into numerous chapters, each focusing on a specific subject or musical
parameter. Some examples would be melodic motifs, rhythm, dynamics, pedal effects,
silence, texture, title and graphic notation. The sequence of exercises is not strictly
progressive. This allows the teacher to rearrange the order of subjects or focus on specific subjects by
comparing them to other composers or other musical styles.
The exercises fall into two main categories, however: The ones that represent (1) a tangible working
method with concrete instructions providing improvisational tools and the ones that represent (2) a
more intuitive working method discussing extra-musical sources of inspiration such as nature, poetry,
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art and interaction with other improvising musicians. General improvisation theory seems to be aware
of this distinction between knowledge and transcendence although there is no general consensus
about how to combine and integrate these two aspects when learning the art of improvisation (see for
instance Dolan, pp. 115-117). Nonetheless, in the following presentation I will mainly focus on the
exercises from the first category, which are in many cases previous to the latter.
As part of the project, a teaching course with a fellow student took place during the preparation of
the educational material. This course provided useful practical experience with the exercises of the
textbook. Furthermore, the results of the project have been presented orally on different occasions.

1.5 Methods and Previous Qualifications 1.5 Methods and Previous Qualifications 1.5 Methods and Previous Qualifications 1.5 Methods and Previous Qualifications
As it has already been suggested, musical analysis has definitely been the main method used in this
work. It is indeed not the only method that has come into use, however.
In order to locate the references to traditional Japanese folk and court music and draw the proper
conclusions with reference to them, a certain amount of ethnomusicological study has been necessary.
Also the understanding of Takemitsus way of writing for the piano and the arrangement of an
improvisational practice would not have been possible without an insight into common practice as
regards pianistic idiomatics. In addition to this come of course the numerous considerations concerning
didactics and transmission, which involve a considerable amount of pedagogical knowledge.

2. The Transformation of Compositional Characteristics into 2. The Transformation of Compositional Characteristics into 2. The Transformation of Compositional Characteristics into 2. The Transformation of Compositional Characteristics into
Guidelines for Improvisational Practice Guidelines for Improvisational Practice Guidelines for Improvisational Practice Guidelines for Improvisational Practice

So far I have listed the aims, the target group, the components and the primary methods of this project,
and now the time has come to present some specific results of the analysis. In this connection, it is to
be emphasized that the compositional principles that are gone through in the following passages only
constitute a few examples of the more comprehensive analyses of the complete textbook (Hansen,
2007).

2.1 Relative Notation through the Dynamic Sketch 2.1 Relative Notation through the Dynamic Sketch 2.1 Relative Notation through the Dynamic Sketch 2.1 Relative Notation through the Dynamic Sketch
In western music, dynamics are mostly used for elucidating or alternatively for discouraging the
inherent tendencies of the harmonies. Therefore, in most cases the left and the right hand
simultaneously follow the same dynamic process of development.
In Takemitsus music, however, which is not based on major-minor harmony in a traditional sense,
this is definitely not the case (Hansen, 2007, pp. 30-32). Here, the dynamics have in themselves become
an independent mode of expression, and the wealth of dynamic detail is enormous. For instance,
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Takemitsu uses no less than 16 different dynamic nuances in Les Yeux Clos from 1979: molto ppp, ppp, (pp),
pp, (p), pi p, p, (mp), mp, poco mf, (mf), mf, poco (f), poco f, f, ff
1
. Especially in the early piano works, this
phenomenon grows into a typically pointillistic style where every single note tends to have its own
dynamic marking:

< Ex02.jpg>
< Ex02.mp3>
Ex 2: A pointillistic passage from the second movement of Pause Ininterrompue (Editions Salabert 1962).

Pointillism is often explained with reference to twentieth-century compositional style, but the technique
is also prevalent as a dramatic effect in traditional Japanese music (Lee, p. 21). In Takemitsus
pointillistic pieces, musical gestures, i.e. dynamics, articulation and to some extent pitch and the value
of the notes, sometimes play a more important part than the exact pitches. In other words, the musical
parameters are treated as relative parameters so that the exact pitch is not important in itself, but the
important point is whether the note is either lower or higher than the note previous to it and the one
following it. Consequently, the musical gesture of the previous extract can be notated in a dynamic
sketch as follows:
<Ex03.jpg>
<Ex03.mp3>
Ex 3: Dynamic sketch deduced from a passage from the second movement of Pause Ininterrompue.

When improvising in the pointillistic style you can use such sketches either deduced from
Takemitsus music or made up by you or by others as inspiration.

2.2 Central Note Improvisation 2.2 Central Note Improvisation 2.2 Central Note Improvisation 2.2 Central Note Improvisation
A certain compositional principle that replaces traditional tonality in the piano music of Toru
Takemitsu will in the following be referred to as central note improvisation. Due to repetition and
accentuation, some notes simply seem to adopt a more prominent role than others. Combined with the
continuous use of the right pedal, this establishes a certain hierarchy of pitches that can to some extent
be compared to the tonal hierarchy established by traditional tonality, where the tonic is more
prominent than the dominant, which is more prominent than the second degree, and so on. This is, for
instance, the case in the beginning of For Away (1973) where the e and the b flat are the central notes:

<Ex04.jpg>
<Ex04.mp3>
Ex 4: Central note improvisation in the opening passage of For Away (Editions Salabert 1973).

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As we see, there is no predefined meter, and apparently, bar lines are mostly used for indicating
simultaneous chords and formal divisions. Also traditional Japanese music is generally non-metric, and
pre-defined meter is reserved for ceremonial dance music (Lee, p. 42). In For Away , most frequently,
each note has separate dynamics (Ex 5). These sudden accents color the music, and they constantly
challenge the hierarchy of the central and the secondary notes. Sometimes several notes are also joined
into short sequences of dynamic development (Ex 6):

<Ex05.jpg>
<Ex05.mp3>
Ex 5: For Away Here each note has separate dynamics (Editions Salabert 1973).

<Ex06.jpg>
<Ex06.mp3>

Ex 6: For Away An example of dynamically continuous phrasing (Editions Salabert 1973).

However, longer chains of clusters also appear:

<Ex07.jpg>
<Ex07.mp3>
Ex 7: A chain of clusters from For Away (Editions Salabert 1973).

Secondary notes appear in all ranges of the register (Ex 8), but the concentration of notes is remarkably
greater in the central register
2
than in the extreme registers (Ex 9). Typical harmonic intervals are
various kinds of dissonant ninths and sevenths (Ex 8).

<Ex08.jpg>
<Ex08.mp3>
Ex 8: For Away Secondary notes appear in all ranges of the register (Editions Salabert 1973).

<Ex09.jpg>
<Ex09.mp3>
Ex 9: For Away Great concentration of notes in the central register (Editions Salabert 1973).

Central note improvisation will be one of the fundamental principles of improvisation which will be
included in the complete piece of music presented in the third section of this research report.

2.3 The Taiko Drum 2.3 The Taiko Drum 2.3 The Taiko Drum 2.3 The Taiko Drum
Throughout Takemitsus entire piano music, deep, single notes are quite numerous (Hansen, 2007, pp.
29, 52-53). Sometimes they just fill out breaks in one of the hands (Ex 10). In other cases they even
support a dynamic crescendo (Ex 11):

<Ex10.jpg>
<Ex10.mp3>
Ex 10: Rain Tree Sketch II (Schott Japan 1992).

< Ex11.jpg>
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<Ex11.mp3>

Ex 11: Les Yeux Clos II (Editions Salabert 1979).

It would be an obvious conclusion to compare this phenomenon with the characteristic beats of the
deep variant of the taiko drum of traditional Japanese music the so-called dadaiko drum. The unusually
great interval from the deepest note to the second deepest one is very unusual in western classical piano
music, where the chords are normally spaced taking the natural overtone series as its model.
The deep notes of the dadaiko drum cloak Takemitsus music in a characteristic Japanese sensibility,
and the technique is one of the basics of Takemitsu improvisation.

2.4 Plucked String Arpeggios 2.4 Plucked String Arpeggios 2.4 Plucked String Arpeggios 2.4 Plucked String Arpeggios
When analyzing the scores of Takemitsus piano music one will definitely take note of the many
arpeggios:

<Ex12.jpg>
<Ex12.mp3>
Ex 12: Litany, 2nd movement (Schott Japan 1990).

<Ex13.jpg>
<Ex13.mp3>
Ex 13: Les Yeux Clos II (Schott Japan 1990).

<Ex14.jpg>
<Ex14.mp3>
Ex 14: Litany, 1st movement (Schott Japan 1990).

<Ex15.jpg>
<Ex15.mp3>
Ex 15: For Away (Editions Salabert 1973).

<Ex16.jpg>
<Ex16.mp3>
Ex 16: Rain Tree Sketch II (Schott Japan 1990).

<Ex17.jpg>
<Ex17.mp3>
Ex 17: Rain Tree Sketch Compare with the koto voice below (Schott Japan 1982).

Apparently, the chords are always broken upwards, and often they are combined with a decrease in
dynamics. The arpeggios draw the listeners attention to the plucked string instruments of traditional
Japanese music. The music transcribed below demonstrates the typical use of the long zither koto and
the short-necked lute biwa in the Togaku repertoire.

<Ex18.jpg>
Ex 18: Plucked string arpeggios are found for instance in the koto and biwa voices of this Senshraku movement from
the Togaku repertoire of traditional Japanese court music (transcription from Garfias, p. 247).
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The arpeggios in Ex 18 are quite similar to the ones used by Takemitsu in the previous examples.
Thus we will add the plucked string arpeggios to our expanding library of improvisational techniques.

2.5 Parallel Harmonies with Reverberation 2.5 Parallel Harmonies with Reverberation 2.5 Parallel Harmonies with Reverberation 2.5 Parallel Harmonies with Reverberation
As to texture, the following two examples are quite related: Some harmonies move in parallel motion,
thus creating a melodic outline primarily consisting of small intervals. The long notes of the melody are
sometimes filled in by some kind of reverberation (see 2.6).

<Ex19.jpg>
<Ex19.mp3>
Ex 19: Parallel harmonies with reverberation in Les Yeux Clos II (Schott Japan 1990).

<Ex20.jpg>
<Ex20.mp3>
Ex 20: Parallel harmonies in Rain Tree Sketch (Schott Japan 1982).

The intervals of the fourth and the tritone are quite prevalent, and further analysis will show that in fact
all of the harmonies are made up by the same basic intervallic structure: a fourth placed over a tritone. In
addition to this, some supplementary notes have been added coloring the harmony and making it more
or less dissonant. Furthermore, the harmonies can be divided into two categories: the a-types where the
interval between the tritone and the fourth is a minor third and the b-types where the same interval is a
major third. These two types with all their variants are used freely when improvising.

<Ex21.jpg>
Ex 21: Harmonies from Les Yeux Clos II and Rain Tree Sketch transposed into a comparable position on F-sharp.

2.6 Different Kinds of Reverberation 2.6 Different Kinds of Reverberation 2.6 Different Kinds of Reverberation 2.6 Different Kinds of Reverberation
Reverberation is a useful word for describing Takemitsus piano music, and sometimes it seems as if
reverberation constitutes the actual music on its own. This is not at all unknown in traditional Japanese
arts, where, for instance, the moment following the beat of the drum in No Theatre is considered to
be more important than the very beat (Beckman, p. 5). Likewise, the concept ma describing the interval
between the sounds plays an important part in traditional Japanese music (Ikuma, p. 201, and Ohtake,
pp. 54-55).
As a musical phenomenon, reverberation can be either active or passive (Hansen, 2007, pp. 44-47). In
active reverberation the keys are pressed subsequently, and in passive reverberation the sound is modified in
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other ways. In Takemitsus piano music, silent notes and different kinds of pedal effects belong to
passive reverberation, whereas both of the examples above are illustrations of active reverberation.
Additionally, active reverberation can be either abstract or concrete (Hansen, 2007, p. 44-47).
Concrete means that the reverberation is more or less a carbon copy of the music previous to it.
Some notes can be omitted, or the reverberation effect can be indicated by softer dynamics or verbal
expressions as the ones below (note that also rhythm and tempo can vary in the reverberation):
<Ex22.jpg>
<Ex22.mp3>
Ex 22: Concrete/active reverberation from Rain Tree Sketch indicated by a verbal expression (Schott Japan 1982).

<Ex23.jpg>
<Ex23.mp3
Ex 23: Concrete/active reverberation from Rain Tree Sketch II indicated by a verbal expression (Schott Japan 1992).

Nevertheless, abstract reverberation is the most common type, and here the reverberation is not a
carbon copy but more like an abstract comment to the preceding music. These kinds of reverberation
often employ one of the two main types of dynamic phrase disposition that we know from Takemitsus
piano music i.e. the crescendo-decrescendo and the general decrescendo (Hansen, 2007, pp. 32,
46). The previous Ex 19 is a typical example of abstract/active reverberation used in practice.

<Ex24.jpg>
Ex 24: The two main types of dynamic phrase disposition in Takemitsus piano music.

2.7 Ocean of Notes and Mirror Scale 2.7 Ocean of Notes and Mirror Scale 2.7 Ocean of Notes and Mirror Scale 2.7 Ocean of Notes and Mirror Scale
The following passage is very difficult to sight-read, even for a skilled pianist. This contrasts with the
seemingly simple structure of a repeated 10-note motif in the right hand superimposed on a repeated 8-
note motif in the left hand. The difficulty is due to the fact that the two motifs are displaced in a way so
that the fingering varies as different notes are taken over by the other hand in each repetition. In this
sense, the execution of a seemingly simple compositional principle becomes rather complex.

<Ex25.jpg>
<Ex25.mp3>
Ex 25: An ocean of notes taken from Rain Tree Sketch consisting of two displaced, superimposed motifs (Schott
Japan 1982).

Nonetheless, it is my assumption that the average listener will in most cases not perceive the exact
compositional structure but rather the musical gesture, which could be understood as some sort of
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abstract ocean of notes. This is further supported by the right pedal mark creating a pedal technique
that I refer to as crescendo pedal, i.e. the right pedal simply underlines the crescendo by being
continuously pressed down.
Such structures that are complex in their execution are extremely difficult if not impossible to
reconstruct in the context of spontaneous improvisation. If we accept the previous assumption about
the listeners perception, however, it becomes feasible to create an ocean of notes without the
structure of displaced, superimposed motifs.
In order to do this we need to take a closer look at the tone material used in the two motifs:

<Ex26.jpg>
Ex 26: Tone material used in the two motifs of the ocean of notes from Rain Tree Sketch. Intervals are indicated by
numbers.

With the exception of the 6th and the 12th intervals, the notes of the tone material seem to be arranged
as an intervallic reflection around the middle axis indicated by the vertical wavy line above. I will refer
to this as a mirror scale (or, in this case, more accurately a quasi-mirror scale), and this could
potentially be used for improvising an ocean of notes.

2.8 Unison Melodies 2.8 Unison Melodies 2.8 Unison Melodies 2.8 Unison Melodies
Traditional Japanese music is not based on harmonies in the same way as western music usually is
(Ikuma, p. 207; Nordgren, p. 92). Instead, melodies in unison and melodies in heterophony
3
(i.e. the
simultaneous playing of two or more versions of a melody) play an essential part. Takemitsu also uses
the characteristic expressivity of unison melodies in isolated parts of his piano compositions (usually no
more than 1-4 bars at a time). Namely, unison melodies are combined with diminuendos and concluded
with a fermata, sometimes indicating the beginning of a new formal section.

<Ex27.jpg>
<Ex27.mp3>
Ex 27: Les Yeux Clos (Editions Salabert 1979).

<Ex28.jpg>
<Ex28.mp3>
Ex 28: Rain Tree Sketch II (Schott Japan 1992).

<Ex29.jpg>
<Ex29.mp3>
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Ex 29: Piano Distance (Editions Salabert 1962).

<Ex30.jpg>
<Ex29.mp3>
Ex 30: Les Yeux Clos II (Schott Japan 1990).

<Ex31.jpg>
<Ex31.jpg>
Ex 31: Litany, 1st movement: Adagio (Schott Japan 1990).


An expressive variation of the unison melody, and of the heterophony as well, is the use of parallel
major sevenths (or sometimes even minor ninths):

<Ex32.jpg>
Ex 32: Les Yeux Clos (Editions Salabert 1979).

3. Constitution of a Complete Piece of Improvisation 3. Constitution of a Complete Piece of Improvisation 3. Constitution of a Complete Piece of Improvisation 3. Constitution of a Complete Piece of Improvisation
After having introduced a number of compositional principles that we can use as a basis for our
improvisation, we are now ready to combine these principles into a complete piece of music. Here, it is
an important point to distinguish between the pedagogical form used in our piece of Takemitsu
improvisation and the authentic form which is found in the actual music by Takemitsu. As Lee states,
Takemitsus approach to composition is intuitive and spontaneous rather than schematic and logical
(Lee, p. 36). In this way, Takemitsu advocates subordinating the form to the musical material and
perhaps he even encourages improvisation! From an educational point of view the student can,
however as earlier mentioned benefit a lot from having a certain stylistic framework of rules and
restrictions to refer to.

3.1 Building the Form 3.1 Building the Form 3.1 Building the Form 3.1 Building the Form
As an overall form of our improvisation we choose the traditional A-B-A-form. This choice is
substantiated by the general dominance of the principle of recognition throughout Takemitsus piano
works (Hansen, 2007, pp. 61-62). In early compositions such as Piano Distance and the second
movement from Pause Ininterrompue, small melodic motifs reappear, and in For Away, Les Yeux Clos I and
II, Rain Tree Sketch I and II and Litany actual recapitulations are to be found.
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The table below shows the complete form of the piece of music that we would like to improvise.
Subsequently, the individual elements of this table will be further specified.

<Ex33.jpg >
<Ex33.mp3>
Ex 33: Table of the formal units of the improvisation.

Generally, the A-section is characterized by the principle of central note improvisation. As we can
see, the A-B-A-form is also applied on a lower formal level as an a-b-a structure within the actual A-
section. Whereas the a-unit is dominated by the harsh and dissonant interval of a small second (e-f), the
central note improvisation of the b-unit is expected to appear slightly more consonant (c-a flat).

<Ex34.jpg>
Ex 34: The two pairs of central notes to be used in the A-part (and the recapitulation) of our improvisation.

Due to the difficulties regarding the memorization of improvised musical material, the use of
recapitulation is generally very problematic when improvising. In order to cope with this problem,
however, we have decided to begin our improvisation with the dynamic sketch that we earlier deduced
from the second movement of Pause Ininterrompue (see 2.1)
4
:

<Ex35.jpg>
Ex 35: Dynamic sketch deduced from a passage from the second movement of Pause Ininterrompue.

The middle section of the improvisation is dominated by the principle of parallel harmonies with active
reverberation. As a melodic inspiration for our improviser, I have produced a short motif containing
some characteristic intervals of Takemitsus piano music i.e. the minor second and the tritone
(Koozin, p. 128):

<Ex36.jpg>
Ex 36: The short melodic motif used as inspiration for the parallel harmonies of the middle section.

As a bridge to the recapitulation, we choose to create an ocean of notes. The crescendo effect is
further underlined by the use of crescendo pedal (see 2.7), and the melodic material is based on a
mirror scale around a middle axis placed approximately in the same register as the one that was
contained in Rain Tree Sketch (see 2.7):

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<Ex37.jpg>
Ex 37: The mirror scale used for improvising an ocean of notes in the middle section of the improvisation. The
numbers indicate the fingering of the right and the left hands.

This specific mirror scale is not only distinguished by containing exact reflections of the intervals, but
also by the fact that it is visually symmetrical on the keyboard:

<Ex38.jpg>
Ex 38: This specific mirror scale is visually symmetrical on the keyboard.

As a result of this, it is possible to use similar fingering in both hands. The notes are divided into two
separate grips in each hand so that the fingering of grip a of the right hand corresponds to the
fingering of the same grip in the left hand. Of course, it is left solely to the improviser to decide which
of the notes to use throughout his ocean of notes, but surely the grips and the symmetrical fingering
are an effective pedagogical means of furthering the memorization of the musical material.
The recapitulation is initiated by the dynamic sketch and follows the general guidelines of the A-
section.

3.2 The Result 3.2 The Result 3.2 The Result 3.2 The Result
The guidelines of the previous passage are the ones that were also given to the student performing the
improvisation which we are now about to hear. Previous to this, the student had attended a brief course
in Takemitsu improvisation consisting of six solo lessons of approximately 30 minutes. The author of
this article was the instructor, and the course was concentrated on various topics from the textbook
(Hansen, 2007).
The sound file below contains the complete piece of improvisation, and for the sake of clarity
subsequently the individual formal units have been listed in a timetable underneath the sound file.

<Takemitsu-improvisation-red1.mp3>
Sound file containing a piece of music as improvised and performed by Jakob Alsgaard Bahr, graduate piano student at
the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus, Denmark, on the basis of the instructions given above.

<Ex39>
Ex 39: A timetable of the different formal units in the improvisation by Jakob Alsgaard Bahr.

3.3 Evaluation of the Result 3.3 Evaluation of the Result 3.3 Evaluation of the Result 3.3 Evaluation of the Result
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Self-evaluation and evaluation via a teacher is probably the most important and most rewarding part of
learning the art of improvisation. It is always a threat to the educational process that usually the
sounding music cannot be retained and used as a common point of reference throughout the course of
instruction. In improvisation this aspect is even more prominent due to the fact that neither the
sounding music nor the score are present. Therefore, the lessons of the previously mentioned
Takemitsu course were recorded, and below I will briefly discuss the musical result of the preceding
improvisation exercise.
The so-called dissonant a-unit contains clusters, sudden accents and spans the whole keyboard,
whereas plucked string arpeggios, soft dynamics and a lighter touch generally characterize the
subsequent more consonant b-unit. Here, the music is concentrated around the middle register of the
keyboard.
The transition from the first unit to the second one is somehow remarkable. Already in 032 the
note c takes up a prominent role, and the general soundscape becomes slightly more consonant. This
points to a gradual transition between the two central note pairs of the a- and the b-units and can also
be traced back to Takemitsus use of central notes in compositions such as For Away (see 2.1).
In the middle section the short melodic motif is subjected to additive, motivic development. This is
evident from the following attempt to transcribe the approximate melodic curve of the entire B-section:

<Ex40.jpg>
<Ex40.mp3>
Ex 40: An attempt to transcribe the melodic curve of the B-section.

The use of additive motifs is in fact rather prevailing in Takemitsus piano music (Hansen, 2007, p. 14).
In the following passage from Les Yeux Clos II, we find an ascending melodic motif that is also shaped
as an additive motif with active reverberation:

<Ex41.jpg>
<Ex41.mp3>
Ex 41: An example of an additive motif with reverberation from Takemitsus Les Yeux Clos II (Schott Japan 1990).

In the end of the middle section the parallel harmonies with reverberation are substituted with an
apparently unison melody in two voices. However the voices do not move in strict parallel motion, but
appear to be two heterophonic versions of the main motif of the B-section. The primary harmonic
intervals seem to be octaves and major sevenths. The unison melody represents a textual thinning out
and functions as an exemplary contrast to the subsequent ocean of notes.
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The recapitulation is introduced by a sudden pedal lift leaving only the two central notes of the a-
unit. This is a sharp separation of the formal sections which contrasts well with the earlier described
gradual transitions within the A-section.

4. Further Perspectives for this Project 4. Further Perspectives for this Project 4. Further Perspectives for this Project 4. Further Perspectives for this Project
In this research report I have given an example of how to build up a complete piece of improvised
music taking some of the practical guidelines from the textbook (Hansen, 2007) as a starting point.
Even though this piece of music is to be considered as an artistic product in itself which can be
performed in a concert, the project also opens up a wide range of possibilities for practical application
as well as possibilities for further research and development.
First and foremost, further teaching experience on the basis of the textbook (Hansen, 2007) will
refine the material and provide valuable knowledge regarding the application and the applicability of
the practical exercises.
This refinement might lead to future publishing of the material in book form or electronically. In
this connection, it will be preferable with a translation of the Danish material into English.
The material can also be useful for giving workshops within the field of Takemitsu improvisation for
pianists or piano students. The results of such workshops could be presented in fully improvised
concerts or in connection with other pieces of contemporary or older music.
Moreover, the project also offers potential for further development of teaching methods and more
or less related teaching subjects. This project might inspire to the development of similar
improvisational practices based on the works of other composers contemporary or classical. On the
basis of Takemitsus music yet another possibility is to develop additional improvisational practices for
other instruments. For instance, Takemitsu often composes for the acoustic guitar, which similarly to
the piano holds a wide variety of textural means of expression. Melody instruments such as the violin,
the cello, the flute and the clarinet would especially call for further studies of the repertoire and the
idiomatics of these particular instruments. The involvement of other instruments could very well result
in actual interactive improvisation. The first step would be to let two pianists improvise together, and a
more long-term goal would be team-building courses for permanent chamber ensembles.
I am open to all sorts of comments and will look forward to exploring these possibilities further in
the years to come.

5. Acknowledgements 5. Acknowledgements 5. Acknowledgements 5. Acknowledgements
First of all, I would like to thank my fellow piano student Jakob Alsgaard Bahr for dedicating part of
his musical talent to the field of Takemitsu improvisation and for being at my disposal at different
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occasions. Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge sound technician Henrik Winther Hansen for his
helpful recording assistance and The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus for providing recording facilities
in the beautiful, brand-new Chamber Music Hall of the conservatory. Finally, my teachers Assistant
Professor Thorkil Mlle and Professor Anne land have been valuable sources of inspiration during
the project.

6. References 6. References 6. References 6. References
6.1 Literature 6.1 Literature 6.1 Literature 6.1 Literature
Akira, Tamba (1976). Aesthetics in the Traditional Music of Japan. The World of Music. Vol. 18 (2), pp.
3-10.

Beckman, Jesper (1986). Jeg hber at kunne gribe noget udenfor min egen snvre horisont En
samtale med den japanske komponist Toru Takemitsu d. 17. maj 1986 [an interview with the japanese
composer Toru Takemitsu the 17th of May 1986]. Dansk Musik Tidsskrift. Vol. 61 (1), pp. 4-8.

Burde, Wolfgang (1983). Balance zum Schweigen Japans Avantagrde zwischen nationalem Erbe und
europisch/amerikanischen Einflssen. Musik und Gesellschaft. Vol. 33 (8), pp. 475-479.

Dolan, David (2005). Back to the future: towards the revival of extemporisation in classical music
performance. The Reflective Conservatoire Studies in Music Education. The Guildhall School of Music &
Drama and Ashgate Publishing Limited, pp. 97-131.

Garfias, Robert (1975). Music of a Thousand Autumns The Togaku Style of Japanese Court Music. University
of California Press.

Hansen, Niels Chr. (2007). Tilgange til en improvisationspraksis med udgangspunkt i Toru Takemitsus
klavermusik, unpublished BA project, Det Jyske Musikkonservatorum/The Royal Academy of Music
Aarhus.

Ikuma, Dan (1961). The influence of Japanese Traditional Music on the Development of Western
Music in Japan. Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan 1961. Vol. 3, pp. 201-217.

Koozin, Timothy (1991). Octatonism in recent solo piano works of Toru Takemitsu. Perspectives of
New Music. Vol. 29 (1), p. 124-140.

Lee, Chung-Haing (1994). Japanese Elements in the Piano Works of Toru Takemitsu. Dissertation Presented
in 1991 to the Graduate Council of the University of North Texas in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements fort he Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. UMI Dissertation Services.

Meynert, Monika (1972). Japanische Impressionen. Melos / Zeitschrift fr neue Musik. Vol. 1, pp. 19-22.

Nordgren, Pehr Henrik (1973). Neue japanische Musik. Neue Zeitschrift fr Musik. Vol. 134, pp. 91-94.

Ohtake, Noriko (1993). Creative Sources for the Music of Toru Takemitsu. Ashgate Publishing Limited.

Takemitsu, Toru (1985). Anteckningar till Novembersteg (Swedish). Artes: Kvartalsskrift fr konst,
literatur och musik. Vol. 4, pp. 57-65.
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6.2 Editions 6.2 Editions 6.2 Editions 6.2 Editions
Toru Takemitsu: Pause Ininterrompue. Editions Salabert 1962, Paris.
Toru Takemitsu: Piano Distance. Editions Salabert 1962, Paris.
Toru Takemitsu: For Away. Editions Salabert 1973, Paris.
Toru Takemitsu: Les Yeux Clos. Editions Salabert 1979, Paris.
Toru Takemitsu: Rain Tree Sketch. Schott Japan 1982.
Toru Takemitsu: Les Yeux Clos II. Schott Japan 1990.
Toru Takemitsu: Litany. Schott Japan 1990.
Toru Takemitsu: Rain Tree Sketch II. Schott Japan 1992.

6.3 Recordings 6.3 Recordings 6.3 Recordings 6.3 Recordings
Takemitsu Solo Piano Works. Pianist: Kumi Ogano. Phillips, 1992
(Ex 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 41).

Toru Takemitsu The Complete Solo Piano Works. Pianist: Noriko Ogawa. BIS-CD 805, 1996
(Ex 1, 10, 16, 23, 28).

1
Of course, it should be the interpreters own decision whether to distinguish between mf and (mf), but after all the two
various indications force him to make this decision.
2
Here, it is to be emphasized that the central register of Takemitsus piano music is remarkably higher that the one
typically used by western classical music. In the example above the central register is to be found around c
2
.
3
See for instance the fue and hichiriki parts of Ex 18 from the Togaku repertoire.
4
At oral presentations I always leave it to a person from the audience to construct the dynamic sketch. This procedure
works very well.