CHROMATIC THREECHORDS , TETRACHORDS AND PENTACHORDS AS THE BASE OF CREATING SIMPLICIAL COUNTERMELODIES AND BASSLINES FOR MELODIES.
(SEE ALSO FOR POST 225, 321 and 325 )
AS IN HARMONY THE BASIC CONCEPT IS THAT OF 3-NOTES CHORD, IN SIMPLICIAL COUNTERMELODIES THE BASIC CONCEPT IS A CHROMATIC TRIAD (TRICHORD) IN OTHER WORDS 3 SUCCESIVE NOTES SEPARATED BY INTERVALS OF 2NDS (CHROMATIC)
THERE ARE THE DORIAN-AEOLIAN OR DECELERATING (IN SEMITONES 2-1) THREECHORD,
THE FRYGIAN-LOCRIAN OR ACCELERATING (1-2) ,
AND THE IONIAN-LYDIAN-MYXOLYDIAN OR UNIFORM (2-2)
USUALLY EACH MELODIC TRHREECHORDS IS COVERED BY ONE UNDERLYING CHORD!
SUMMARIZING
From the harmonic minor and double harmonic minor and Neapolitan scale (see below about tetrachords) we get the next thre-chords of the chromatic gendre
1-3
3-1
1-1
And also from the enharmonic gendre
SUMMARIZING 20 THREECHORDS(3-notes subscales)
3 DIATONIC GENDRE (EQUILIBRIUM, TRANQUILITY)
1-2
2-1
2-2
3 CHROMATIC GENDRE (LYRIC, SAD )
1-3
3-1
1-1
4+10 COMMON FROM THE ENHARMONIC GENDRE (EPIC,HAPPY)
4 CHORD ARPEGGIO TYPES
3-4 (MINOR CHORD)
4-3 (MAJOR CHORD)
3-3 (DIMINSHED CHORD FROM THE DIMINISHED SCALE)
4-4 (AUMENTED CHORD)
2-3
3-2
5-3
3-5
5-2
2-5
5-7
7-5
THE ANCIENT GREEK ENHARMONIC GENDRE
1-4
4-1
THE SHORT LIST IS ONLY 11 =3+3+5 MELODIC TRIADS OR THREECHORDS
3 DIATONIC GENDRE (EQUILIBRIUM, TRANQUILITY)
1-2
2-1
2-2
3 CHROMATIC GENDRE (LYRIC, SAD )
1-3
3-1
1-1
5 CHORD ARPEGGIO TYPES , ENHARMONIC GENDRE
2-VOICES HARMONY
5-4 (5TH POWER CHORD)
3-VOICES HARMONY
3-4 (MINOR CHORD)
4-3 (MAJOR CHORD)
3-3 (DIMINSHED CHORD FROM THE DIMINISHED SCALE)
4-4 (AUMENTED CHORD)
THE EVEN SHORTER LIST IS ONLY 9 =3+3+3 MELODIC TRIADS OR THREECHORDS
3 DIATONIC GENDRE (EQUILIBRIUM, TRANQUILITY)
1-2 (FRYGIAN, EVITZ)
2-1 (IONIAN, MUSTAAR)
2-2 (LYDIAN, ATZEM)
3 CHROMATIC GENDRE (LYRIC, SAD )
1-3
3-1
1-1
3 CHORD ARPEGGIO TYPES , ENHARMONIC GENDRE
2-VOICES HARMONY
5-4 (5TH POWER CHORD)
3-VOICES HARMONY
3-4 (MINOR CHORD)
4-3 (MAJOR CHORD)
THUS WHEN WE IMPROVISE FOR A SIMPLICIAL COUNTERMELODY WE "LISTEN" INSIDE US THE MELODIC TRIAD OR THREECHORD WE WANT AND WE PLAY IT ON THE CHROMATIC INSTRUMENT (CONTRABASS, CELLO, TROMBONE OR VIOLIN ETC)
AS 3-NOTES CHORDS USUALLY EXTEND TO 4-NOTES CHORDS SIMILARLY THE CHROMATIC TRIADS (TETRACHORDS) ARE EXTENDED TO CHROMATIC TETRADS (TETRACHORDS) AND PENTACHORDS (CHROMATIC PENTATONICS) WITH TOTAL LENGTH A INTERVAL OF 4TH OR 5TH , WHICH WAS ALSO THE BASE HALF-OCTAVE SCALE IN ANCIENT TIMES.
SO FOR EACH CHORD THERE IS NOT MORE THAN A PARALLEL CHROMATIC TRIAD OR TETRACHORD OR CHROMATIC PENTATONIC AS SIMPLICIAL COUNTERMELODY.
Nevertheless if we are akling about the fast dancing countermelody of a singing melody then for each chord amd its 3 notes thaere are 3 tetrachords to make such countermelodies with many notes.
USUALLY THE CHROMATIC TETRACHORDS OCCUR AS "BRIDGES: OF THE UNDERLYING CHORDS. I such a combination From we realize that we are utilizing about as many tetrachords as the undrlying chords of the harmony of the chord progression.
Converselly in general EACH MELODIC TETRACHORDCHORD IS COVERED BY TWO UNDERLYING CHORD!
It is important to notice that , the simplicial countermelody has the same simplicity as the harmony of the chord progression of the song, but somehow it might be easier to play, as it ususally requires only a main scale to know in advance and as it can vary , it does not require remembering the chord progression, although it does require to be listening familiar with the song and it harmony.
We may notice that this improvisation technique may be considered "horizontal" because it utilizes smale consecutive in the scale sequences of notes almsot up to 50% of the time. The :horizontal improvisation ususally has more than 50% of steps that are intervals of 2nds. On the other hand a "vertical" improvisation is the one that we can play with a guitar , when we play the chord progression and during the time of a chord we play arpeggios of the chord. Such "vertical" improvisations have more than 50% of the time intervals of 3rds and 4ths or 5ths.
The current method differs from that of the chromatomelodic themes method of composing melodies as in post 340, not only because with chromatomelodic thems we compose melodies rather than simplicial countermelodies , but also because a chromatomelodic temes sounds during a single chord of the chord progression while in the current method with tetrachords , during a single chords sounds usually a single note and the terachords sounds as a bridge of notes to go to te stable note ofthe next underlying chord.
In fact the horizontal concept of threechords and tetrachords to create a melody as "dancing in tetrachord around the longer lasting notes" ( about one for each chord) is an alternative to the old fashioned idea of a small melodic theme and then variatiions by translation, inversion and elognation
Simplicial countermelodies (drone countermelodies) with the sliding effect of violin or trombone can be done with the digital instrument Geoshred pro in the tablet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTW3WUVDRhM&ab_channel=JordanRudess) where the slidibg of the finger across the digital string has the same effect as the slide of the trombone. It requires of course to have tune the strings in the geoshred pro as the overtones of a brass instrument,
We may classify the diatonic tetrachords or diatonic gendre tetrcahords (in other words occuring in diatonic scale by the position of the 1st note as with modes. But
1) The Ionian 1st tetrachord 2-2-1 is identical with the Myxolydian 5th (Major sound, decelerating move)
2) The Aeolian 6th tetrachord 2-1-2 is identical with the Dorian 2nd tetrachord (Minor sound)
3) The Frygian (syntono) tetrachord 1-2-2 is identical with the Locrian tetrachord (Strong minor sound or accelerating move)
4) The Lydian tetrcahord 2-2-2 is the only one whise total legth is 6 semitones larger than a 4th (major sound or uniform, transitional requiring resolution) .
5) Thus there are 4 only diatonic tetrachords the Ionian (major sound) , Dorian (minor sound) , Frygian (strong minor sound) )and Lydian (transitional major sound requiring esolution).
From other celebrated scales we derive more tetrachords;
From the harmonic minor
6-7-1-2-3-4-5#-6 or in semitones 2-1-2-2-1-3-1 we derive additional tetrachords of the chromatic and enharmonic gendre the
1-3-1 and
2-1-3 (diminsihdd chord with 2nd) and
3-1-2 (diminished chord with 4th) and
1-2-1
From the double harmonic minor
6-7-1-2#-3-4-5#-6 or in semitones 2-1-3-1-1-3-1 we derive additional tetrachords of the chromatic gendre the
1-1-3 and
3-1-1
From the Inverse Persian scale or Purvi Theta scale (3-1-1-3-2-1-1) or Byzantine parachromatic scale
we get the tetrcahord of the chormatic gendre
3-2-1
From the double melodic minor or Arabic scale or leading wholetone or neopolitan major scale see also post 21) (1-2)-(2-2)-(2-2-1) w get the additional tetrachord
2-1-1
from the Neapolitan scale (different from the major and the minor Neopolitan)= (1-3-1)-1-(-2-2-2) we get the inverse tetrachord ofthe previous
1-1-2
From the MAJOR BLUES SCALE (ALSO CALLED COUNTRY SCALE) C; D; Eb;E; G; A; C with interval structure 2-1-1-3-2-3. as wel as from the stanrd pentatonic scale we get the enharmonic gendre tetrachords
2-3-2 and
3-2-3
Thus we may summarize about 4+6+14+3=24+3 tetrachords (SEE ALSO FOR POST 225) (NOTIVE THAT HERE THE CLASSIFICATIONIS BASED IF THE EXIST IN A 7-NOTES SCALE, WHILE IN POST 225 IF THE HAVE TOTAL LENGTH AN INTERVAL OF 4TH)
DIATONIC GENDRE
1) 2-2-1 (IONIAN, RAST)
2) 1-2-2 (FRYGIAN , SYNTONO, KURDI)
3) 2-2-2 (LYDIAN)
4) 2-1-2 (AEOLIAN OUSAK)
CHROMATIC GENDRE
5) 1-3-1 (HIJAZ)
6) 1-1-3 (parachromatic, blues)
7) 3-1-1 (double harmonic minor)
8) 1-1-2 (ANCIENT GREEK TONAL)
9) 2-1-1 (SABA, blues, double melodic minor or Arabic)
10) 1-2-1 (blues)
ENHARMONIC GENDRE
11) 3-2-1 (diminished chord with 4th)
12) 3-1-2 (diminished chord with 4th)
13) 1-2-3 (diminished chord with 2nd)
14) 1-3-2
15) 2-3-1
16) 2-1-3 (diminished chord with 2nd)
17) 2-3-2 (from the pentatonic scale)
18) 3-2-3 (from the pentatonic scale)
19) 4-1-2 (from the blues 6-note scale, major chord with 4th)
20) 4-2-1 (major chord with 4th))
21) 2-4-1 (minor chord with 2nd at inversion)
22) 2-1-4 (minor chord with 2nd, suss)
23) 1-2-4 (minor chord with 2nd , suss)
24) 1-4-2 (minor chord with 2nd at inversion)
FROM THE ANCIENT GREEK ENHARMONIC GENDRE
25) 1/2-1/2-4
26) 1/2-4-1/2
27) 4-1/2-1/2
It is very instructive to notice that these diatonic tetrachords have applications in conceiving the pattern on the slide of the default Bb scale of the trombone in a very simple way (thesame with he other brass winds with valves)
The basic overtones of the trombone are (in notes of the default scale( 1-5-1'-3'-5'-1''. Thus only 3 different steps of the diatonic scale the root chord 1-3-5. And the simple pattern is that
1) The overtone 1, has in its slide (descending pitch) the Ionian-Myxolydian tetrcahord
2) The overtone 5, has at its slide the Dorian-Aeolina tetrachord
3) The overone 3 , has at its slide the Frygian-Locrian tetrachord
For the brass winds with the valves, as the the highest note of these tetrachords is always the not-valved-pressed, it is more instructive to correspond to the overtones the threechords, and we have that
1) The overtone 1, has in its valves (descending pitch) the Ionian-Lydian-Myxolydian- threehord
2) The overtone 5, has at its slide the Dorian-Aeolina threechord
3) The overone 3 , has at its slide the Frygian-Locrian threechord
