Peri's Scope

It's time for more music on Tea with Liya! Today's song is a bouncy jazz piece called "Peri's Scope." While writing my post, I was thinking about how the song repeats melodic phrases to make it more cohesive. I hope you like listening to it!


Listen to the song here
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This song reminds me of some of the things I've learned about composing music.

The melody might seem pretty simple when you listen to it, but often it's a melody that might seem "simple" or "repetitive" at first that is actually the greatest composition.

You know how I said Bud Powell was one of the greatest jazz pianists? Well, it turns out there's another candidate for that title - Bill Evans, the composer of Peri's Scope.

In this song, he didn't actually use a lot of melodies. No, he didn't use a lot at all. Instead, he was just using one or two. Taking a few ideas is a good way to build a great composition. It's a lot better than using a whole bunch of ideas, isn't it?

Okay, maybe those sentences were a bit too repetitive, but I'm trying to demonstrate how you use the same phrases more than once. In one sentence, you might ask a question. In another, you say the opposite (use a few ideas/don't use a lot of ideas). Then you might add on how it's a good way to build a great composition. But, you're still talking about the same thing - don't use too many different melodies when you write a song.

Writing a song is actually a lot like writing a paragraph or a report about something. Why? You always have a main idea. You start with that idea and then add in details to develop your paragraph. In fact, which do you think is easier: improvising a speech, or writing a paragraph? I'd probably say writing a paragraph, because you have time to plan and edit beforehand. (That could be the harder option in some cases, though - for example, if there's no pencils.)

If a piano player knows how to improvise solos, there's no reason for him to say, "I can't write a song." He just has to apply the same principles. Find a main idea, and keep using it.

That's what makes Peri's Scope sound good, and that's what can make your "improvisations" sound good, too. So whether you're writing a paragraph, writing a song, or deciding what you're going to do tomorrow, don't pick up ideas and then move on from them seconds later. Find a main idea, and keep using it.

Actually, there's a second thing you need to do.... keep filling your teacup with music!

~Liya