Overview

Since EDI (Electronic Digital Instrument), in theory, can sound like any instrument, it often becomes relevant to consider what role and function the instrument should fulfill in different situations and musical contexts. The role and function a student fills can naturally emerge from the projects the student is involved in,  such as regular ensemble lessons. In instrumental teaching, the student gets to test different musical roles and functions. 

The student approaches a musical task with  the whole picture in mind. The student considers which role and function they prefer to contribute or what they believe will enhance the rest of the musical context. Is there a need for someone to play bass, or are programmed/played electronic drums needed to accurately capture a genre? Should EDI fulfill a rhythmic, melodic, or harmonic role in the musical whole? Should it accompany or take on a more of a soloistic role? Should the EDI instrumentalist have different roles in different parts of the song? 

Tips

• Discuss the different roles with the entire ensemble when deciding on the instrumentation for the song's arrangement.

• Challenge the ensemble's traditional roles by working with music in different genres and highlight what it means for instrumentation and roles.

• Define the EDI player's role and function based on the student's prior knowledge and ability. Develop through deepening, broadening and expanding their role and function.

Method Exercise

• Instrument lesson: 

  1. • Choose a song to play during a period and let the student play several different instrument parts in the same song. Work with sound design and let the student practice creating the sounds they will play with. 

     • Improvisation with Live looping: play together using Ableton Link. Choose a number of roles each and create sounds for these, either before or on the spot. Then play together and react to each other's musical input. 

• Ensemble: 

  1. • Let the student identify needs or "gaps" in the instrumentation and arrangement where they can contribute and enhance the musical result. Is there anything obvious in the intended arrangement that is suitable for EDI?

     • Let the student take the role of processing the sound signal of other acoustic instruments in real-time, processing vocal parts with vocoders and/or sound effects. 

Observations

• The teacher asks students to reflect on what roles might be possible to take on EDI and what it means for them as musicians.

• The student's choice of instrumental part influences the choice of control surface to play with.

• Teachers may need to communicate to students which part they should play or what role they should take in a song since it is not always obvious because the instrument lacks tradition .

• The ensemble consists of both traditional instruments and EDI. The EDI instrumentalists take on both rhythmic (drums) and tonal (bass) role. 

• Students have varying parts and roles in the ensemble throughout the song (such as playing bass, controlling effects on the vocals, managing backing tracks, etc).