When is it one’s style, one’s sound, one’s language and when is it just a habit or how the notes fall naturally on the instrument?
Being hopelessly afraid of falling into a habit, I am constantly looking for new ways to say new things.
I keep playing written mid-twentieth century music. I find that I enjoy the use of symmetrical scales and intervallic melodies that was the voice of that era. Lately I, and a student of mine, are studying Jeanjean etudes. He only wrote one book for flute. So, I found some clarinet etudes that we are learning together.
I will find a particular section of the written piece that I like and transcribe the lick into all twelve keys. I’ve done this as long as I can remember.
Occasionally when I organizing my music, I find transcribed patterns from flute sonatas that I learn at Wichita State University when I was studying with Frances Shelly.
Here is a harmonic minor scale with a sharp 4 from Jeanjean’s #11 Etude Moderne’s for flute transcribe to all 12 keys. P.S. this may have a name in the jazz idiom. Feel free to leave a comment on what this scale is called!