Bearden frequently experimented with his process, and he began to explore the technique of monotype in the late 1970s. Through monotype, which involves laying paper directly onto a wet painting to transfer an image, Bearden reengaged with watercolor and oil paints—materials he had not used regularly since the 1940s. Bearden often made adjustments and additions to a composition following its transfer to paper, as is visible in Reminiscing on the Ivories. The spontaneity and unpredictability of monotype appealed to Bearden, particularly in expressing the improvisational mood of his musical subjects.