multiple tonic systems (g. steps)
I think i finally understand what giant steps, and other multiple tonic tunes(such as central park west) are really meant to be and coltrane blows the way he does over them.
The basic premise:
The name multiple tonic means more than one home base, basically, and implies that these different home bases are completely equal to one another. Therefore, within a multiple tonic system, the equivalent cadence chords are also equal. For example: in a two tonic system of two maj chords a tritone apart such as CMaj7 - F#Maj7, the II chords and V chords are equivalent. So, D-7 = G#-7 and G7 = C#7. Because of this relative equallity, they are interchangeable. Check out the possibilities of cadences in a 2 tonic system.
D-7/G7/C
G#-7/C#7/C
D-7/C#7/C
G#-7/G7/C
G#-7/C#7/F#
D-7/G7/F#
G#-7/G7/F#
D-7/C#-7/F#
Now, if we are going to use all these different possibilities, it becomes clear we cannot to much to the individual chords. This works because each cadence chord belongs directly and strongly to one of the two equivalent Maj tonalaties. So no sub Vs or altering of the dominant chords, and the clear each chord is spelled out, the stronger the overall tonality (both tonalities combined) is. This is where coltranes scale patterns of 1235 and 1b345 come in.
Think of it as a big intervallic house (maybe more like a yurt) made up of two tonalities and all the rooms made up of each little chord. The walls of each room is made up of the specific scale pattern intervals played over each chord. So you see, if we are not very accurate and intervallicaly precise, the walls distort, the rooms scatter and the house falls down. What a drag. So the reason Coltrane blows so 'stiffly' over the changes is because these aren't changes, this is a goddam house!
What all this comes down to is the possibility and persuit of a universal key. In just this two tonic system we already have all the notes in the twelve tone scale and eight different cadences we can play to get to each tonality. Think of how the possibilities multiply when we go to a three, four, or five tonic system. What comes out is basically ordered chaos, like cracking ice.
So. Giant Steps is an unmusical excercise-sounding tune if we play all our bop scales and substitutions over it, because that is not at all how it is meant to be played. If you put mashed potatoes in a nice big waffle cone instead of ice cream, it will probably taste like shit.
This happens to be just about the only thing i've ever learned in a class room that was worth jack shit. School is inherently anti-artistic and caters to homogenization of musicians and their music. So i'm getting the hell out and moving to Portland, OR. Does anybody live there or know of things happening on the scene? Let me know.
The basic premise:
The name multiple tonic means more than one home base, basically, and implies that these different home bases are completely equal to one another. Therefore, within a multiple tonic system, the equivalent cadence chords are also equal. For example: in a two tonic system of two maj chords a tritone apart such as CMaj7 - F#Maj7, the II chords and V chords are equivalent. So, D-7 = G#-7 and G7 = C#7. Because of this relative equallity, they are interchangeable. Check out the possibilities of cadences in a 2 tonic system.
D-7/G7/C
G#-7/C#7/C
D-7/C#7/C
G#-7/G7/C
G#-7/C#7/F#
D-7/G7/F#
G#-7/G7/F#
D-7/C#-7/F#
Now, if we are going to use all these different possibilities, it becomes clear we cannot to much to the individual chords. This works because each cadence chord belongs directly and strongly to one of the two equivalent Maj tonalaties. So no sub Vs or altering of the dominant chords, and the clear each chord is spelled out, the stronger the overall tonality (both tonalities combined) is. This is where coltranes scale patterns of 1235 and 1b345 come in.
Think of it as a big intervallic house (maybe more like a yurt) made up of two tonalities and all the rooms made up of each little chord. The walls of each room is made up of the specific scale pattern intervals played over each chord. So you see, if we are not very accurate and intervallicaly precise, the walls distort, the rooms scatter and the house falls down. What a drag. So the reason Coltrane blows so 'stiffly' over the changes is because these aren't changes, this is a goddam house!
What all this comes down to is the possibility and persuit of a universal key. In just this two tonic system we already have all the notes in the twelve tone scale and eight different cadences we can play to get to each tonality. Think of how the possibilities multiply when we go to a three, four, or five tonic system. What comes out is basically ordered chaos, like cracking ice.
So. Giant Steps is an unmusical excercise-sounding tune if we play all our bop scales and substitutions over it, because that is not at all how it is meant to be played. If you put mashed potatoes in a nice big waffle cone instead of ice cream, it will probably taste like shit.
This happens to be just about the only thing i've ever learned in a class room that was worth jack shit. School is inherently anti-artistic and caters to homogenization of musicians and their music. So i'm getting the hell out and moving to Portland, OR. Does anybody live there or know of things happening on the scene? Let me know.
posted by Chris Mosley at 11:58 AM
4 Comments:
Hi, just discovered your blog.
Interesting take on Giant Steps, however, 1234, and 1b345 could be seen also as simply scalar and pentatonic aproaches to the written changes. All in all, I still think Giant Steps was an exercise that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Coltrane new his horn inside and out. It made possible the later expressiveness of Expression/Meditations/Crescent/etc.
Also, Steve Coleman is a crazy mofo. I dig both his music and philosophy, but that cat is out there. I think like Greg Osby a little more right now.
hey dudes who run this blog, This is like one of those lame-o shout outs to an old buddy. If this is THE Chris Mosley, that was a buddy of mine back in Texas, then give me a shout on the ole blog.
This would only apple to the Chris i know (Eli's bro/Pam and Jim's son.)
if this is not you, well, sorry for the confusion, and know that you share the same name of a buddy of mine, which just so happens to also be a musician, in the boston area.
Peace, Gabe.
When I think of Coltrane's versions of But Not For Me, The Night Has 1000 Eyes, Summertime, and even originals like Satellite and Moment's Notice, there is usually a combination of the "multiple tonic" sequences and traditional changes. In the opening measures of "But Not For Me" a progression of /ii7.../V7.../I.../..../ becomes
/I.minorIII7./minorVI.VII7./III7.V7./I.../
(or something like that).
I'm a bassist so I'm pretty oriented toward the root progression. The basslines often go up by minor thirds or down by whole steps and the chord centers are a major third apart. Since this cycles back around to the tonic pretty soon, all this harmonic activity is kind of like filler in a way.
But the thing I love about early 60s Coltrane is that for all the harmonic experimentation going on the tone is still very expressive and sunny and the mood is up. To me it's very smart pop instrumental music.
Body and Soul especially will just break your heart.
Thanks for your perspective on the harmony, did you say you picked that up in some class?
- Jerry
What you're talking about is not "Coltrane changes." The multitonic Coltrane pattern divides the octave into 3rds, major or minor, and each "tonic" is preceded by it's V7 chord. So in C, the major third pattern is:
Cmaj7/Eb7/Abmaj7/B7/Emaj7/G7/Cmaj7
(I'm using enharmonic equivalents - go ahead and call it G#maj7 instead of Abmaj7 if it makes you feel better.)
And the minor third pattern is:
Cmaj7/E7/Amaj7/Db7/Gbmaj7/Bb7/
Ebmaj7/G7/Cmaj7
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