Visa (Charlie Parker) - Piano & Pico-8

This is a quirky, polytonal(ish) arrangement of another Charlie Parker tune called Visa. In the video above you can hear a piano version, and then a version in Pico-8.

Attached:

• Lead sheet (based on this version)
• Score
• Pico-8 cart
• Pico-8 audio (mp3)

A few interesting notes:

This was inspired by the idea of practicing "spatial independence" between the right and left hands.  Playing and improvising in say, C Major, means the hands gravitate towards a hierarchy of notes (or space) based around that key.  This can be problematic if the pianist wants to explore chromaticism because the hands are often bound to this hierarchy.  Breaking out of it can be difficult.  

The best example of this is playing in two different keys between the two hands.  Try playing Twinkle Twinkle in C Major in the right hand, but B Major in the left.  The aural dissonance is also reflected as spatial/visual dissonance at the piano.  The process of learning how to achieve this would be similar to learning other kinds of chromaticism and polytonality at the piano.

So this is what I've been practicing the last two weeks: Improvising in C Major and B Major at the same time between the two hands.  In this arrangement, the right hand is moving between playing the melody in C Major and B Major. The left hand is also moving between C Major and B Major, but at different times.

For fun, I created a Pico-8 version of this arrangement, which had its own challenges. The biggest challenge was in fine tuning the time feel - the melody and bass parts are played slightly "behind the beat."  The entire arrangement is based around triplets which, if you know Pico-8, means things are more through composed.  I also had fun with some echo effects.  At a few points, there are two echos, -1 and +1 semitones away from the melody. 

Hope you like! Happy to answer any questions!