Occasionally I find it useful to create a musical sigil to help focus on a certain subject. I found this procedure online and have changed it to my liking. It consists of two rhythms, one in 4/4 the other in 12/8, a selected scale of choice and the notes drawn from the sigil procedure.
1 Statement of Intent/Focus - In this case I will use Red Sand
2 Eliminate repeat letters and vowels; Reduce to 2-6 consonants which will create the rhythm events - in this case I am left with RDSN
3 Draw a circle and mark the quarters and cross quarters (this represents both the diatonic melody and also the rhythm in 4/4) *see diagram above
4 Decide on a seven note scale - I will use a Persian scale; G A Bb C# D E F G'
5 Write the alphabet around the circle starting at the top with “A” going clockwise
6 Find the letters RDSN and their corresponding scale notes - A C# Bb E
7 Note them on an 8th note rhythm, this will be the 4/4 loop
8 Next create the 12/8 loop; make a new circle marking the quarters but this time ultimately have 12 stations on the circumference of the circle like a clock. Take our notes A Bb C# E and place them on the wheel, this will give us our 12/8 polyrhythm; C#2 E5 A10 Bb11 *see diagram below
9 Superimpose this rhythm 12/8 on top of the 4/4 (I use recording software to overlay these rhythms, but have also had success in layering them with a looping device on guitar)
"A portion of my practice is usually devoted to creating a Soundscape (collage of notes and sounds), this is done with a looping device. I have on occasion locked the loop and meditated on the Soundscape. I will be incorporating these mantras along with this aspect of Tar Khem.
ink hry seshta
ink sejem ink maat "I am the Master of Secrets"
"I am He who Hears I am Harmony"
I believe I will set my practice gear up in such the way, that I can be very mobile. The guitar (usually will be my American Standard Fender Telecaster) A small solid state Marshall amplifier (very mobile) And a small soft pad pedal case containing a Loopstation - a cheap Digitech RP80 multi-effects pedal (sounds good believe it or not) along with necessary cords and accessories.
This way I can practice Tar Khem anywhere, anytime!
TAR KHEM : pronounced "tar keem" - Tar = stringed instrument and Khem = black
This is a practice that began for me in 1985 with my introduction to Guitar Craft and to the life of Robert Fripp.The purpose is to develop a relation with the instrument, which in my case is the guitar.I use the term Black not in the sense of color but rather in the sense of occult/spiritual knowledge. This is the Art of Black Guitar. Tar Khem-ia just as alchemy (al-khem-ia) is the Black Arts. This is a personal practice for guitar that brings One's Self closer to their Higher-Self through the discipline of Mastery.
– From Zen and the Art of Fripp's Guitar: The Fripp Philosophy of Guitar Craft By John Diliberto Jan 19, 2006
“If you said what is guitar craft, I'd say one, it's a way of coming into a relationship with the guitar. Obviously. We're playing guitars.
Two, it's a way of coming into a relationship with music. So that implies that music is something of itself that you can come into a relationship with. And I'd say that's quite true. As we would express it here, music is a benevolent presence which is constantly available to us. It never goes away. Never. We do, but the music never. So when we sit in there and we thrash our way through these different tunes, sometimes the music is there despite what we're doing. That's remarkable when you know it's there despite all these clanging sounds, these bum notes.
And three, it's a way of practicing the person because to come into a relationship with one's instrument and music implies also that you're someone to come into relationship with. Guitar craft is a discipline; the discipline is the way of craft. There are other approaches. This is just one of them.”
As I mentioned, Khem-ia means 'black art', it was practiced by the learned men of Egypt. This became known through Islam as the Black Art; al Khem ia. Then, the mysteries of these achievements spread to the western world as Alkhemy and finally as alchemy.
In India Khem refers to the knowledge of a musician.
The word tar ( تار') itself means "string" in Persian
The English word guitar, the German gitarre, and the French guitare were adopted from the Spanish guitarra, which comes from the Andalusian Arabic قيثارةر qitara, itself derived from the Latin cithara, which in turn came from the Ancient Greek κιθάρα kithara, which ultimately (directly or indirectly) traces back to the Old Persian word سیتار sihtar meaning “three-stringed.”
THE PRACTICE
This will Open and Close each guitar practice session and I will be writing down the results and findings in a cool suede journal I bought just for Tar Khem.
A low harmonic is used in place of the ritual bell
The first statement is in Egyptian and translates: “In the name of Khepera, Euterpe, Het-Heru, Merit, Hy, Amdusias and our Great Majesty Set. I am the Master of Secrets. I am He who Hears. I am Harmony
Khepera is the Egyptian god of transformation – Euterpe is the Greek Muse of music – Het-Heru and Merit are Egyptian goddesses of music and sound, Hy is the Egyptian word for music and is the personification of music – Amdusias is the Goetic demon that allows sacred sound to be heard. Set is the Egyptian god of Isolate Intelligence.
Tar Khem Opening Rite
Sound Harmonic 9x Listen to each tone intently and dissolve into the sound, until the object is experienced as indistinguishable from the subject
Statements
"Em renu Khepera, Euterpe, Het-Heru, Merit, Hy,
Amdusias, en Set hem hem a'A ink hry seshta ink sejem ink maat"
"This absence of sound lies down before me to conceive the Child of AUM. I send forth my Ka into this silent void and I will greet it with my Ba."
