Rock Etude: “Solar Wind for Polyphonic Synthesizer”
“Solar Wind” (See FIGURE 15-6 on page 233) is written for a synthesizer, but it can be played on the piano, too. If you do play it on a synth, you will need to use a modern polyphonic keyboard. As you will read in Chapter 16, early synthesizers are monophonic. This means that they play only one note at a time (no chords).
“Solar Wind” is intended to build technique. It is influenced by the progressive-rock era of the 1970s, specifically the music of Rick Wakeman (see Chapter 14). Since Wakeman and others like him borrowed from European classical, this piece emulates the two-hand counterpoint used in baroque music. However, this piece does not conform to the strict rules of fugal writing, so don't confuse it with authentic baroque music. This rock etude simply mimics the elements of the baroque style, specifically the fugues of J. S. Bach.
FIGURE 15-5: Blues Etude #3: “Lazy Blues”
It is highly recommended that you study baroque repertoire in order to develop facile technique and an ear for musical counterpoint. The late Canadian pianist Glenn Gould is arguably the finest modern interpreter of J. S. Bach. It would be in your best interest to familiarize yourself with Gould's recordings. If you study players like Gould, you will learn a great deal about phrasing and interpreting music.
To play “Solar Wind,” you will need to be proficient with minor scales and arpeggios (see Chapter 8). This piece is written in A minor. However, it does not use a natural G. Instead, it employs a G-sharp borrowing from the harmonic minor scale. The etude is based around an eight-bar harmonic progression, which bookends the piece. Take a moment to analyze the first eight measures and then pencil in the chords above the staff.
Baroque music flourished in Europe from roughly 1600 to 1760. The Renaissance period preceded it and the classical period followed. During the baroque era, Western harmony and tonality was standardized.
“Solar Wind” is a flashy etude that evokes the grandeur of the progressive-rock epic. However, as you will notice, this piece is a lot shorter than the average prog-rock classic. To lengthen it, try writing your own scalar/arpeggiated variations over the chords. You may also compose a melody that fits over the harmonic progression. After that, build a solo around your melodic elements. In classical, this would be called theme and variation. If you're really ambitious, try writing a bridge to this piece. Perhaps you could write a bridge that modulates into a major key.
