10 Pieces of 10 for Solo Flute

This collection consists of 10 pieces for any solo instrument or voice, aimed to help musicians to ‘expand their repertoire and knowledge with the art of improvisation’. Each of the ten pieces presents a different range of ideas and challenges and comes with a set of ten tips for how to approach improvisation around the written material. Suitable for anyone completely new to improvisation as well as enjoyable material for those who already have some experience, this volume is a much-needed resource to aid with the development of creative skills and practical musicianship.

The notated scores can be played in any octave and made to suit any instrument, making it ideal for class teaching. It is suggested that players learn the material from memory in order to fully engage with the creative process, and also to allow their ears to guide them in the development of their own material.

The pieces have plenty of character and musical interest within themselves. Ornstein is a jazz saxophone player, and one immediately senses this influence in Carve, with its boisterous syncopations and funky semiquaver passages. The rhythmic groove is useful in terms of providing a sense of energy and focus for the improvisations, and the ideas presented give simple but effective tips on how the material can be explored.

Another highlight is Never eat alone, which includes lyrics. These give a further layer of potential for experimentation, especially for anyone adventurous who might want to incorporate elements of text or singing into their flute playing. The dancing rhythms of One ping only are similarly enjoyable, with irregular time signatures and a contrast between movement and lyricism.

It is cleaned and it is clean is a graphic score made up of different fragments of material that can be interpreted in various ways. It’s great to see a different approach to notation presented here, as this encourages players to let go of some of the safety nets that can come with conventional scores, and to let their imaginations roam freely. No doubt, Bashir includes a foray into microtonality, while The Tokyo Clock conjures up the sounds of a
busy city.

The suggestions that come with each piece are excellent, both educationally and also as a way of understanding the mindset of an experienced improviser. Ornstein’s ideas are full of imagination and playfulness, and encourage the development of a safe space to experiment with new ideas and step out of one’s comfort zone.

This is fun, versatile and engaging material which has a lot to offer. The individual pieces have differing levels of diffculty, and many of the ideas can also be adapted to suit less advanced players. I will certainly be making use of it in my university teaching and plan to keep an eye out for more work from Ornstein.