MAX ROACH’S IMPROVISATION APPROACH ON THE DRUMS ALSO WALTZ, DRUMS UNLIMITED, AND FOR BIG SID
Keywords:
improvisation, The Drums Also Waltz, Drums Unlimited, For Big SidAbstract
This research aimed to study the improvisation techniques applied by Max Roach in The Drums Also Waltz, Drums Unlimited, and For Big Sid in the album entitled Drums Unlimited with an emphasis on the analysis of motivic development and irregular rhythmic patterns.
According to the research, the solo improvisation without other instruments on the backgrounds in these three songs was developed through many types of methods with motivic units which were not too complicated. The songs consisted motivic units on the AABA song form in their intros and other sections developed through a variety of techniques including repetition sequence extension, diminution, inversion, retrogression, and questioning and answering. Embellishments found were adding extra notes and playing with flams. In some sentences unusual rhythmic stresses were found used to create notes resulting in an unusual movement of rhythms. Three songs were all related to their motives providing uniqueness and interestingness to solo drumming.
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