481. ANALYSIS OF 20TH CENTURY MUSIC (BLUES ETC) WHICH UNKOWINGLY IS UTILISING UNCOMMON ANCIENT GREEK MUSICAL SCALES.

 

This is the single note per chord (simplicial submelody) transpositional method (3 different diatonic scales). There is the single note per chord (simplicial submelody) modulational method, which remains in the same tonality. Then the method is different than the diatonic scale. E.g. pentatonics scales (e.g. hirajoshi too)  blues hexatonic scales, other hexatonic scales , bebop scales (8, 9 or 10 notes), scales, etc.

E.g. The chords of the 12 bars blues are in C major (C,F,G7) while we solo in C minor (Eb major< with Bb, Eb, Ab, that make Cm, Fm, Gm, but still there are the root notes C, F, G, so as to stay there as long as necessary). Or soloing in pentatonic C minor, or Blues C minor , besides, of course, diatonic C major, pentatonic C major and Blues C major.  In spite of teh above paradoxes, the strict rule, that at least 50% of the time that a chord is sounding, the solo, must sound notes of  the chord. This rule seems to  hold also in the next video. It is equivalent to changing  the standard chords C,F, G, in a  limited time <50% , to more jazzy, containing 2nds, 4ths, 6th, 7nths, 9nths etc becoming minor etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzWEyHTu_Zc&list=PLtVS5-a9C-OAAkWva8ltIOmE7BkU3o1m6

The paradox is that  when playing e.g. 12 bars blues at C major scale with C, F and G7 chords, the pentatonic and hexatonic blues scale is to improvise is not the A minor (=C major) but the C minor (which tracks a transposition in Eb, or C minor). 

The bending of the dominant 5th in the natural minor to the blue note and forbidden tritone! 

The simultaneous occurring of 1M and 1m (change of major tonal to minor), so 3 and 3b (blue note). This accommodates mirror transpositions (negative harmony) as well as transposition upwards by a minor 3rd. 

The minor and major pentatonic and minor and major blues hexatonic scales.

minor 5-tonic 3-2-2-3-2 (a c d e g a )  and  minor blues hexatonic  3-2-1-1-3-2 (a c d eb e g a) 

Heptatonic version of  the blues scale :

1) By a leading 7th note  (Ancient Greek chromatic) 3-2-1-1-3-1-1

2) By a mode of the harmonic minor e.g. 2-1-2-1-3-1-2

When using a blues minor over the diatonic of a 12 bars blues, we introduce the chromatic notes 7b and

4# (the blue note). If we extend to the anacient greek chromatic we do not introduce any new chromati note. The 7b chromatic makes the 5M to 5m. The 4# makes the 2m to a 2M.

When using a blues major over the diatonic of a 12 bars blues, we introduce the blue note 3b. If we extend to the anacient greek chromatic we do introduce a new chromatic note the 5#. The 5# chromatic makes the 3m to 3M. The 3b blue note makes the 1M to 1m.

Thus we have a minor version of the ancient greek chromatic as 3-2-1-1-3-1-1

and a major version as 2-1-1-3-1-1-3

480. THE LOGIC OF CORRELATING PENTATONIC SCALE OR BLUES SCALE OR OTHER SCALES , MELODIES WITH THE CHORDS IN (12 BARS) BLUES.

The video below is  the single note per chord (simplicial submelody) transpositional method (3 different diatonic scales). There is the single note per chord (simplicial submelody) modulational method, which remains in the same tonality. Then the method is different than the diatonic scale. E.g. pentatonics scales (e.g. hirajoshi too)  blues hexatonic scales, other hexatonic scales , bebop scales (8, 9 or 10 notes), scales, etc.

E.g. The chords of the 12 bars blues are in C major (C,F,G7) while we solo in C minor (Eb major< with Bb, Eb, Ab, that make Cm, Fm, Gm, but still there are the root notes C, F, G, so as to stay there as long as necessary). Or soloing in pentatonic C minor, or Blues C minor , besides, of course, diatonic C major, pentatonic C major and Blues C major.  In spite of teh above paradoxes, the strict rule, that at least 50% of the time that a chord is sounding, the solo, must sound notes of  the chord. This rule seems to  hold also in the next video. It is equivalent to changing  the standard chords C,F, G, in a  limited time <50% , to more jazzy, containing 2nds, 4ths, 6th, 7nths, 9nths etc becoming minor etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzWEyHTu_Zc&list=PLtVS5-a9C-OAAkWva8ltIOmE7BkU3o1m6 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8SK9ur1pSqU

The paradox is that  when playing e.g. 12 bars blues at C major scale with C, F and G7 chords, the pentatonic and hexatonic blues scale is to improvise is not the A minor (=C major) but the C minor (which tracks a transposition in Eb, or C minor). 

The bending of the dominant 5th in the natural minor to the blue note and forbidden tritone! 

The simultaneous occurring of 1M and 1m (change of major tonal to minor), so 3 and 3b (blue note). This accommodates mirror transpositions (negative harmony) as well as transposition upwards by a minor 3rd. 

The minor and major pentatonic and minor and major blues hexatonic scales.

minor 5-tonic 3-2-2-3-2 (a c d e g a )  and  minor blues hexatonic  3-2-1-1-3-2 (a c d eb e g a) 

Heptatonic version of  the blues scale :

1) By a leading 7th note  on the hexatonic Blues minor (whic comes from  the pentatonic minor) (Ancient Greek chromatic) 3-2-1-1-3-1-1

2) By a mode of the harmonic minor e.g. 2-1-2-1-3-1-2

When using a blues minor over the diatonic of a 12 bars blues, we introduce the chromatic notes 7b and

4# (the blue note). If we extend to the anacient greek chromatic we do not introduce any new chromati note. The 7b chromatic makes the 5M to 5m. The 4# makes the 2m to a 2M.

When using a blues major over the diatonic of a 12 bars blues, we introduce the blue note 3b. If we extend to the anacient greek chromatic we do introduce a new chromatic note the 5#. The 5# chromatic makes the 3m to 3M. The 3b blue note makes the 1M to 1m.

Thus we have a minor version of the ancient greek chromatic as 3-2-1-1-3-1-1

and a major version as 2-1-1-3-1-1-3

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lQO0Tb43Fdk&pp=QAFIAQ%3D%3D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPjzoEUCxOI&ab_channel=MakingandBreaking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI8HpvkXWeM&ab_channel=BradHarrisonMusic

479. MIRROR TRANSPOSITIONS (NEGATIVE HARMONY) AND MIRROR MODULATIONS

An almost forgotten generator symmetry (transpositions and modulations) of the 12  and 7  notes musical universe 

478. PARALLEL VOICES MOVES LOGIC VERSUS CHORD TRANSITION LOGIC

477. A RECIPE O CHORD PROGRESSIONS FOR HAPPIER SONGS

476. RIFFS VERSUS CHORDS. MUSIC MADE BY RIFFS , OSTINATO, AND OTHER VARIATIONAL REPETITIONS OF MELODIC THEMES .

 

(see also article 74) 

Riffs are melodic-rhythmic  variating repetitions , and are the progenitors of chord arpeggios. They are used mainly for folk dance music like Irish Reels. A riff is decomposed to a number of moves. 

An other term for riff in this book, that you shall meet is "Chromatic arpeggio." 

RIFFS are as powerful for the simplicity of composing melodies  as the CHORDS are ! 

The most common pattern would be e.g. a 4 bars (=measure) or moves  pattern, so that each step (measure) or move   is again 4 beats,  and the 3 beats ar on a single note called center a while , the 4th on a second b .  Thus the move can be conceived as the single central note a. A move can be also of 3 beats, where 2 beats are on a and one beat on b.

The 4 moves,  create in this way by their cetral notes , intervals. 

Usually a riff will correspond to a single chord  (central notes in a chord) or a chord transition (central notes in two chords) .

When playing riffs, it is convenient to accompany them with a drum instrument, rather that chord-playing instrument. It is also convenient to play them in a single note (e.g. flute) diatonic instrument, as diatonic riffs, are directly playable. The we simple repeat the riff till it gets boring in which case we modulate it up or down the diatonic scale, and possible further variate it by changing the type of the involved intervals (2nds chromatic, 3rds melodic, 4ths or 5ths harmonic). If the rhythm gets boring we variate  the rhythmic pattern it too. If the order-topology shape gets boring we variate the order-topology sdhape too. In this way we can produce long duration music which is mesmerizing, healing, and full of dancing.  

A riff, that is all in a single chord, is usually a waving pattern, with initial and final notes sounding longer, and forming an interval of 3rd or 5th, and their complements. 

Example

https://www.facebook.com/reel/637744532319612

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Pkdl-UbdqHk

475. THE GENERAL CONCEPT OF BEBOP SCALES IN JAZZ

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbdVXpCbsJQ&ab_channel=DanielWeiss

The general concept of a jazz bebop 8 notes bebop scales is by superimposing two well known scales, that differ by one note . E.g. C major+F major, or A natural minor+A harmonic minor etc.

The general concept of a jazz bebop 9 notes bebop scales is by superimposing two or more well known scales, that differ in total by 2 notes . E.g. G major+C major+F major, or A natural minor+A Double harmonic minor etc.

The general concept of a jazz bebop 10 notes bebop scales is by superimposing two or more well known scales, that differ in total by 3 notes . E.g. G major+C major+F major+ Bb major , or A natural minor+A Double harmonic minor + D natural minor etc.

By soloing on a bebop scacle we can improvise over the chords of all the constituent sb-scales of 7 notes. 

474. HOW TO COMBINE THE 3-1 RULE OF MELODIC THEMES WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE CHORD PROGRESSION (FOR 2-CHORDS-SPAN OF THEMES).

 The meaning of 3-1 is that we have a melody from 4 themes a1, a2,a3,b  , where a1,a2,a3 are a repetition 3 times of a single theme or a similarity variation of a single theme, and then the melodic phrase closes with the theme b.

Similarly, it would be interpreted  the 2-1 pattern, and 1-1 pattern.

The way to relate with the harmony of a chord progression is that each theme ai, is usually a chord R, or a chord transiton (R1, R2), or a double chord transition (R1,R2,R3).

The correspondence starts by requiring that te closure theme b is an harmonic transition  resolution transition (R1,R2), e.g. R1=D7, R2=G, or R1=G7, R2=C.

Then if the underlying chords of a1,a2,a3 are (Rai, Ra(i+1)), then they could be 

a) an inversion of a resolution (see also post 29)

b) a melodic transition from major to minor or from minor to major 

c) a chromatic transition 

d) again a harmonic resolution

The 3-1 pattern is best fitting to poetry especially to 15-syllable poetry, and coresponds to 2-lines,

where a1, is 4 syllables, a2 4 sylables (together one line of 8 syllables ) , the a3 4 syllables and b 3 syllables (together the 2nd line of 7 syllables).

The 3-1 pattern fits also with teh andlauzian cadenca.

a1<-> 6m

a2<-> 5M

a3<-> 4M

b<->  3M7

Once the chord transitions (Ri, R(i+1) are defined , we define also all the melodic themes and lines

m1, m2 , m3,...mk corresponding to them, and we represent them geometrically as horizontal lines

We choose the best diatonic scale to fit them (or fit a aprt of the chord progression) , and we denote the notes of teh scale by integer numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.

This is in the context of chromatic tonality (in the sense thata we may change scale, but sill we write as if in  asingle diatonic scale and all allouter notes are caled teh blue or chromatic notes, denoted by n# or nb .

For each melodic line mi, (which may be considered a riff too , see post 476) that corresponsd to the transition (Ri, R(i+1)) we write as optional starting note  the middle (2nd note) of the 3-notes chord Ri, and as end note the middle of the chord R(i+1). It is optional because we could start and end at any note of the chords Ri, R(i+1).

Then on the melodic line mi, we write no other notes, and the timing of the notes exceps the chromatic or blue notes contained in the chord transition (Ri, R(i+1)) . It is recommended that the melodic line pass from the blue notes. In this way of pre-writing the compositon or improvisation, we leave space for free choice of the notes in the improvisation or composition, which is experimented with and chosen according to the emotions that that particular choice of intermediate notes creates. If it is palyed in a particular instrumemt, the convenience of palying also play a role in the choice. We do not also determine an up or down direction of the melodic line or a waving pattern. This may vary in the repetitions of the parts of the song or for the final choice in a composition after experimentation. Thus, as we see we do not use the pentagram , and the writing is more abstract than a final sequence of notes.

This sequence of geometric lines with abstract specifications , is called The melody geometic poem, or the RIFFS POEM.

A riff, that is all in a single chord, is usually a waving pattern, with initial and final notes sounding longer, and forming an interval of 3rd or 5th, and their complements. (very common in reels in  folk Irish music) 

The melodic-lines are grouped after the pattern 3-1, or 2-1, or 1-1, etc. 

The final resolution 1 of the pattern 3-1, is not only in harmony a resolution but also a kind of inversion or resolution of the order-topoly shapes of the 3 melodic themes, in the 3-1 pattern.

Also they are classified after the harmony as, melodic, chromatic, harmonic, resolutions, and inverses of resolutions. 

All these characterizations have of course emotional meaning.

But they are also classified according to their order topology shape. Ascending, descending, waving, stationary, spikes, etc. 

As we see, we leave the order topology shape for the experiment and emotions to decide.

When in a keyboard (like the thumpjum digital harp) this way of writing makes it very-very easy to improvise for composition experimentation. 

473. MILES DAVIS MYSTERY-MIRACLE OF MANY HOURS "A CAPELLA" IMPROVISATION IN CONCERTS AND RECORDINGS.

 Mile Davis and his bands is attributed with the mystery-miracle of many hours "a capella" improvisation in concerts and disc recordings.

A careful analysis reveals why this "miracle" occurs.

We will start with the very well known similar "miracle" of many hours of "a capella" meditational improvisation within a single diatonic scale.and a single monotone tonal chord, and we will reduce the Mile Davis Bands miracle to this. We only have to substitute the singlle diatonic scale with a ingle bebop 9-notes scale.

A single 8-notes bebop scale=the union of 2 diatonic scales in harmonic relation (an interval of 4th apart).

E.g. G-C.

A single 9-notes bebop scale=the union of 3 diatonic scales in harmonic relation (an interval of 4th apart).

E.g. G-C-F.

Now if e.g. C has a s tonal chord, the C major, then a 9-notes bebop scale has  "tonal chord", in teh example before, teh 3 major chords are G, C, F, which are also the chords used in 12 bars blues say in C major scale. But the practice of soloing in 12 bars blues in C major, resulted in soloing in the 3 diatonic scales G, C , F , or in the corresponding single 9-notes bebop scale. This exlains why the evolution of jazz and blues resulted in 9 notes bebop scales.

Then  the next 6 characteristscs of the improvisations of Mile-davies bands explain the rest

1) Mile Davis bands improvisation is a minimalistic improvisation. In other words, the number of notes is small compared to the number of rythmic beats. This makes it a slow, cool, and relatively relaxing, and pleasant music in the background.

2) There are not really chords (it is not a chord-based improvisation as e.g. in the Gypsy jazz).

Even the piano is playing mainly solos. This gives more freedom. The background is only the drums

and the bass, which essentially goes step-wise and rhythmically up and down a single 9-notes bebop scale. A Mile davis band typicaly is 5 members. The drums, the bass, piano, a trumpet and possibly a saxophone

3) Each of the 3 members who may improvise by solos (piano, trumpet, saxophone) is most ofteh times in turn and not simulteneously as in the classical New Orleans jazz.

4) The solo, in a stable way maninly in a single 9-notes bebop scale! 

5) The final experience si a group meditation of 5 muscicians , that their brains produce gamma bran waves. 

 

472. VARIATIONS OF THE BASIC TRIAD OF CHORDS 5M7 , 1M, 4M , IN BLUES.

 The basic harmonic triad of major chords in a diatonic scale is used in blues (12 bars blues or not) 

A chromatic variation-pertrubation (similar to that in the previous post  471) is to shift by a simitone up the 5M and 4M, to 5#dim7 and 4#dim7 respectively . 

The 4#dim7 resolves to 5M, while the 1he 5#dim7 resolves to 1M 

Alternative resuotuion to 1M is also the 5aug to 1M or 5M7->5aug->1M.

471. VARIATIONS OF THE BASIC TRIAD OF CHORDS 3M7 6m 2m FOR HARMONIC MINOR IN GREEK REBETIKA FOLK SONGS.

 4M7 6m 2m BECOMES SOMETIMES

7M7 3M7 6m 

4M 3M7 6m 2m

 3M7 6m, 7bM, 2m

4M 3M7 6m 2m, 2#M

 3M7 6dim7 2m

3M7 6m 2dim7 

The latter variations are more often in a specific kind of folk songs Rebetika called Chasiklidika.