NICK PECK FILM COMPOSER, ARRANGER, PIANIST and ORGANIST

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Ask Me

If you have an interesting question/something to say about my music, theory, instruments or just the music scene in general why not share it with us? I will endevour to answer all questions as soon as I can, but bear in mind that questions will only be published once a reply has been composed. (Note that anything offensive will not be published!) Jump to the question form

Showing all answered questions:

Posted by Mark on 2010-10-25

I personally feel that the Pareto distribution fails in this context - for the simple reason that for 20% of the time, 80% of the audience don't actually exist (its a jazz gig, right?)...

For a series of mean 'free' assesment values (F) - on a scale of 0 (polite tea dance) to 1 (dude, wheres my groove?), measured over a number (T) of equal time-slice intervals, where N is the number of non-participating observers in the room at that given point:

Groovenstien (Pseudo Scientist Monthly, Dec 1980) proved that regarless of the musical context, the value C always emerges as a constant. This usually emerges around 0.53 to 0.49, proof at last, that the audience can never make their minds up. The slight bias towards the 'free' end of the spectrum is hotly dispued amongst contemporary musicologists.

I would personally be more concerned with health and safety - and it appears that until the ongoing ethical debate of exposing test subjects to bebop in the name of medical research is solved, we will see little advancement in this little-understood corner of science...

Posted by Mark on 2010-08-09

Its right in front of you. But you cannot see it because you don't BELIEVE in it. The Bb does not manifest its presence in the mind of the ignorant one. You need to allow yourself to become 'at one' with the Bb - perhaps some scented candles and a background CD of trumpet warm-up exercises might help? Only when you truly believe in yourself and are fully receptive to its spiritual energy will the Bb reveal itself to you.

Failing that - its halfway between A and B, but don't say i didn't provide you with an excuse to waste an evening.

Posted by Su on 2010-07-16

Hi! Interesting point here. Firstly, for the purposes of discussion - lets have a working paradigm for musical expression/emotion. Does this refer to the 'action' or the 'consequence'? Are we talking about the intention to provoke an emotional response or the response itself? It doesn't take a trained musician to realize that for the same action - we can have many different consequences. ie many people can experience the same artwork, but we will all have different responses to it. 'a heap see.. but a few know'. So...

...to consider the question fairly, i think we can only deal with emotion from the perspective of what the performer is trying to achieve. Just as a case - consider the music of Steve Reich, (no implied expression on the performer, but potentially large emotional impact on the part of the listener). I hope that proves the lack of correlation between action and consequence...

In our model, the performer brings about the action of 'emotion' through a process known as 'expression'. In classical music, I guess we can broadly describe expression as bringing out particular nuances in the music that serve to articulate both the deep structure of the work (in a Schenkerian sense) and yield symbolic function with respect to a given cultural epoch.

In classical music, we have a further complication, given the nature of the dialogue between the composer and the performer. At one extreme, (for example - the music of Brain Ferneyhough) the level of nuance is so finely dictated that the performer has his/her work cut out to deal with the information that has to be parsed. On the other hand, in most baroque music - there is very little direction in the score as regards nuance. Why was this? Where the composers lazy? Did they just ASSUME that all performers were educated in the correct art of interpretation? Some years back, whilst visiting a lesser-known collection of early pianos, I came to the following conclusion: Up until the mid-20th century, the piano went through so many concurrent variations in design, that for a performer of Bach's (and even Mozart's generation), there was a colossal variation in design between each family of keyboards, (some of them highly experimental & thus confined to history). The same could be said of many other orchestral instruments and it would have been impractical to attempt to perform a given piece on the same manner between different instruments. Nowadays, the designs of the piano and other orchestral instruments are much more standardized. A composer of contemporary music can define a range of nuances with much more precision than before. (I'm not sure this obsession with control is altogether healthy). Therefore, I guess that early composers left the interpretation of nuance up to the performer, with the understanding that a 'correct' phrasing was obtained through analogy to the primary instruments of the day: (the strings and the voice).   

I know its not really part of the question, Lets consider the myth of the emotionless performance further - especially with respect to the myth that dynamic=expression... Part of this may be founded on the understanding that the Clavichord, Harpsichord et al offered no dynamic control, (unless the performer has has at his/her disposal, an double-manual instrument with coupled stops). Therefore, it would seem natural for the performing style to evolve around 'stepped' dynamics.

But there are many other nuances, (often very grandiose ones) to be found in baroque keyboard music. An an experienced harpsichord/clavichord player knows how to bring them out... density of chords, the rate at which they are spread, how long do you let the note ring before you let the jack fall back, notes separated, detached, blurred... There are also conventions that were rarely notated, for example the habit of crushing 2nds and 4ths into a dramatic major triad. In the late French baroque school, there was a documented performing style known as 'notes enegales' (unequal notes). It bares a resemblance to a kind of swung articulation.

I'm not sure if there ever really was trend for performing Bach on the piano in a very dry manner. I think what we're experiencing here is the tail-end of a historical counteraction against the excesses of 19th C romanticism. Yes, the note choices speak for themselves - but I can't see how the composer of the B minor mass would have settled for such a terse, uninvolved interpretation. The music suggests a wide range of possible interpretations. Perhaps something of a misguided fashion for the minimalist aesthetic reared its head (out of place) in recent decades, but my personal experience is that performers are finding more of a compromise these days, based on careful study and plain good taste. Thats certainly how I was encouraged to approach it as a student.

Which brings us neatly to jazz. For a number of reasons, the predominant style has often been extroverted. Historically there have been a smaller minority of players how have gained recognition through playing the 'iron fist and the velvet glove' mentality. What tends to happen, amongst the not-so-attentive public, is that they mistake the more subdued dynamic range and spacious phrasing of this breed as a kind of emotional detachment. Lets take Bill Evans as a case in point. Despite universal recognition, the average jazz listener is probably unaware of the scope of his playing beyond say 'Kind of Blue' and the Village Vanguard albums - Surface-level listeners can fall into the trap of failing to grasp the depth of nuance (take his solo in So What). They mis-interpret the subdued dynamic and spacious phrasing as 'emotionless'. Were they aware of the full scope of his playing, they would be aware that he had the ability to conjure up a demonic temperament just under the verge of control, (listen to the start of 'One for Helen' on Live at Montreaux).

Generally, you need to cultivate enough control over the instrument to realize a wide variety of tone and articulation. That means having the control to play ghosted notes when you want AS WELL AS full value notes when you want to... at any tempo... What confuses some students is that teachers will make them concentrate of playing lines with even weighting - this is NOT intended as the be-all and end-all! More of an exercise to get us to focus on the start and end of each note and having the facility to give each note it's full due. Yes, playing 8th notes at speed we are likely to aim for a more uniform attack, and its true to say that good improvised lines have their own momentum because of 'forwards-motion' of the harmony. Close listening to slower/medium tempos will reveal a wide range of articulations. I advise students to cultivate a wide range of 'touch' and to appreciate that the great pianists are recognized as much by their 'sound/attack' on the keyboard as much as their harmonic/rhythmic/melodic vocabulary. This is such a major area of jazz piano, (and one which I struggle so much with myself), its such a major topic that I'll post a full article on in in due course.

Hope that answers some of your question.

Posted by Mark on 2010-06-30

Nick says:

...err... try opening the keyboard lid... its usually under there somewhere...

Posted by Pi Fan on 2010-06-11

Nick says:

Hi! Glad you remember the band! We kind of faded out a few years back as the three of us moved too far apart to make any gigs practical (currently Vancouver, London, Ashford…)

It was also tough finding places to play as the music was probably a bit too full-on for most venues . However, Stuart @ Oranges used to give us a regular gig, and we got a slot at the local jazz festival several years running, which I enjoyed. We’d have probably fared better in London, especially with the new wave of bands on the scene.

I am very proud of all the music we made – I’m listening to it as I’m writing this as I dig the energy and the humor… Perhaps, (with the midi-streaming software I’m writing on in my spare time), we could all get together live on the net for a trans-continental live gig???

Posted by Emily Peasgood on 2010-06-09

Nick says:

Hi! I've seen students on jazz courses with a whole range of backgrounds, experience and aspirations. Some want to make music their career, for others its a desire to experience something new and a good social experience with like-minded people. Its about striking a good balance between these two.

I think they are very helpful if you are new to jazz and don't have a group of friends to practice and perform with in a structured manner. Generally speaking, the overall standard will be intermediate, as more experienced players will find it more useful to consider one-to-one tuition or a full-time course at a university or conservatoire.

There are jazz different courses offering different teaching patterns, (ie. some are just for a single kind or instrument, or vocalists), some cater are for different levels of experience and you may require a reference from a teacher for some of the advanced courses. You may choose a particular course based on who is on the faculty - don't shy away from this as the majority of jazz musician/teachers are very approachable and would go beyond the call of duty to inspire and educate! In the UK, at least, I think its fair to acknowledge the work of Pete Churchill as a key figure on several jazz courses. Also, Simon Purcell, Ursula Malewski... the list goes one...

If I were to suggest any requirements to a prospective student, my first piece of advice would be to spend some time listening to and absorbing the sounds and culture of the music so you can come with some short-term goals in mind. This will really help your teachers guide you more effectively. In terms of technique - some basic facility at your instrument (ie. instrumentalists should know their major scales in all keys and be able to pick out the melody line of an easy standard tune from the real book. Singers should bring some tunes with the chords written out in their key).

I think threes also a case for everyone surrending a small amount of personal ego and coming prepared to support everyone else and work for the good of the group. If you're not good at group work, you'll struggle to be a musician...

At the risk of playing devil’s advocate, jazz education is not for everyone. In some cases, I believe it is perfectly acceptable to develop your music outside of the accepted avenues of education, especially if you have a very individual sound-world in your head… I think the two issues to bear in mind, are 1. That you may run the risk of neglecting the social (group interaction) dimension of the music, and also, 2. with fewer venues in existence, you may be losing out on a good networking opportunity...

Also, be prepared to have fun!

Posted by John on 2010-06-08

Nick says:

Hi! Thanks for asking. Most piano players will have little trouble taking to the organ - but as you start to gain more experience, you'll come to see that its a very different kettle of fish... As an organist, you have a powerful role in dictating the dynamic and intensity of the band, both through effective use of the drawbars and the leslie to help articulate the 'form' of the song better. You also need to be aware which chord voicings sound best with which drawbar settings. For example, with all 9 drawbars fully out, you've got a very thick sound, and anything more than a 4-part chord might sound too muddy in the context.

On all organs - players store frequently used drawbar combinations in 'presets'. On the Hammond, the different presets are in fact triggered by the reverse colour keys to the left of each manual. These produce no sound, but allow us to select combinations of sounds faster than by adjusting the drawbars! Why preset 'keys' rather than 'buttons'? The keys allow us to 'trill' between different preset sounds, and are more ergonomically situated with respect to the position of the hands.

Here are a few examples of textures that you might hear in a funk/soul context. Note how the organ retains the percussive role, mimicking the Motown beat that a drummer might set up between bass drum and snare. The offbeats are all that are required!

In the next example, a sustained note provides mounting tension, whilst pulsing inner chords provide more motion than a single held voicing. Note the action of the swell pedal.

In a more 'gospel' context, try pulling only the white drawbars out for a more 'hollow' sound. Drop voicings reinforce the counter-melody line:

Finally, palm swipes combined with drop-block chords and inner motion for an exciting tutti moment...