Tuesday, June 5, 2007
A Passing Rain
A Treble Kalimba Piece by Sharon Eaton

This is classic kalimba playing. The first measure defines a simple "matrix riff" consisting of two notes on each side. Most of the rest of the song consists of slight deflections from this matrix riff, i.e., in measure 2, just two notes are changed from the basic riff.

As the song evolves into fullness, a melody is woven through that matrix. Even around measures 16, 17, 18, a few notes from that matrix persist to sort of anchor the kalimba music, though sometimes they appear on the wrong beat (relative to the starting riff).

Then in measures 25 through to the end, the melody is full blown and even drives the underlying chord progression (i.e., there is still something like the matrix riff, but it is drifting around). Finally at measure 44, we come back to the starting matrix riff and make a little coda to end the piece - a classic example of "return" in music.