Runs and embellishments

Dear Ms Camille

1. In your lesson for riffs, runs and embellishments, you taught me 3 types of runs

a) 4 consecutive descending notes e.g. 7654

b) A note, a pitch higer, back to the note, a pitch lower e.g. 2321

c) I have no idea what is this sequence, '865 653 532 321 216' which brings you to my question

Unlike the runs (a) and (b) which has a clear rule, run (c)'s rule is extremely confusing (or is there even a rule?)

1A) Is run (c) supposed to be random? i.e. can I create runs like '876' or '865' instead of '865', which is what you taught me? 

1B) For run (c), why aren't there runs beginning with notes 7,4, or 1?

1C) speaking of runs, are the list of runs that you have taught me something like 'the official runs recognised by the music community'? Can I create my own runs? e.g. instead of 7654, can I sing 7653/7481/... or will they be unnatural?

1D) Can runs type (a), (b), and (c) be used interchangably? For example, is run type (a) better for doing something than run type (b)?

1E) This is related to question 1D. When you sang 'amazing grace' with runs, did you only use run type (a)/ all of them/...? 

2a) Afterwards, you taught me running up and down the notes, pulsing, and bending. Are these techniques different types of runs? 

2b) Are the techniques freestyle? e.g. instead of running up 4 pitches, can I run up 1/5/7... pitches? 

3. In what situations do I apply these embellishments? In mid sentences? At the end of sentences? Whenever I feel like it?

Thank you again and again

1A) Is run (c) supposed to be random? i.e. can I create runs like '876' or '865' instead of '865', which is what you taught me? 

No, it's not random! It's running through the pentatonic scale (123568) rather than major (12345678).

1B) For run (c), why aren't there runs beginning with notes 7,4, or 1?

The pentatonic scale excludes the 4th and 7th scale degrees. 8 and 1 can be used interchangeably (since 1 is an octave away from 8 and the scale repeats at that point).

1C) speaking of runs, are the list of runs that you have taught me something like 'the official runs recognised by the music community'? Can I create my own runs? e.g. instead of 7654, can I sing 7653/7481/... or will they be unnatural?

You can and should create your own unique runs! Listen to Jazmine Sullivan and Avery Wilson for some unique run examples.

1D) Can runs type (a), (b), and (c) be used interchangably? For example, is run type (a) better for doing something than run type (b)?

Totally up to you and how much time you have within that phrase to emellish. 

1E) This is related to question 1D. When you sang 'amazing grace' with runs, did you only use run type (a)/ all of them/...? 

I kept it pretty simple, but I wasn't thinking about using one specific type of run over another. 

2a) Afterwards, you taught me running up and down the notes, pulsing, and bending. Are these techniques different types of runs? 

Yes! A pulse or bend aren't a run by themselves, but they're often used within runs or to embellish the melody on their own. 

2b) Are the techniques freestyle? e.g. instead of running up 4 pitches, can I run up 1/5/7... pitches? 

Absolutely! I kept it simple for this lesson, but you can freestyle. 

3. In what situations do I apply these embellishments? In mid sentences? At the end of sentences? Whenever I feel like it?

Whenever you want! :)

Ah I see that I can get pretty creative 

Thank you again!

You're welcome, Kang!