COMPOSITIONAL DEVICES FOR
EXPLORING PHRASE MATERIAL

by Laurie Merriman

 

 

EXPANSION

to lengthen-to make bigger
(more space, slower time,
more energy)

 

 

DIMINUATION

to reduce in size
(less space, faster time,
less energy)

 

 

MIRRORING

put on other side

 

 

RETROGRADE

reverse - going from back to front

 

 

DEVELOPMENT

isolating a small portion and building a new phrase based on that material

 

 

TRANSFORMATION

personality change, change of emphasis
(space, time, energy)
change of focus

 

 

TRANSPOSITION

exchange body parts
(arms to legs),
floor to air, parallel
to turned out, travel
to stationary,
line to circle, etc.

 

 

CHANGE LEVEL

low, medium, high

 

 

SPLICING

inserting new ideas
within the phrase

 

 

EMBELLISHMENT

adding new ideas on
top of phrase

 

 

ACCUMULATION

building the phrase
through repetition: 
1, 12, 123, 1234...

 

 

TEXTURAL FOCUS

isolation of the underlying texture of the phrase and developing that

 

 

DECONSTRUCT  

pull the phrase apart
and put it back

 

 

RECONSTRUCT

together in a new form

 

 

REPETITION

repeat sections of
phrase in any position
of the phrase

 

 

CANON

"round"
-overlapping, reverting, simultaneous, etc...

                                   

 

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