ASTA 2011

© 2011, Bert Ligon

www.music.sc.edu/ea/Jazz/

Thousands of melodies we know and love are based on three basic pitches: the tonic, the dominant and the nt – 1-3-5. Many of these melodies are based on the bracketed pitches shown below from the overtone series. The tonic pitch feels like home. It won't necessarily be the first pitch, but will probably be the last. The dominant pitch is the note that points to the tonic pitch. The median tells you the modality – whether it is major or minor. The other pitches are secondary and point back to the primary pitches. Sing through and write out from memory some of the tunes listed at the end of this handout. What kinds of things were added to the primary pitches that makes each melody unique?

Overtone Series                                Where the action is:        

Hearing the Underlying Structure

The bottom line shows a reduction of Amazing Grace to its the basic structure. The top line is a version of the melody. The first downbeat and the last note is the tonic pitch. The middle point lands on the dominant, so we know there is more melody to come. The second half is structurally the same as the first half, but backwards (retrograde), making the underlying structure a palindrome.

All of the downbeats of Amazing Grace were the primary pitches. The two additional notes create a pentatonic scale. To say the melody is based on a pentatonic scale is true, but this says nothing of the structure or the importance of the primary pitches to the structure. The G major pentatonic scale is the primary pitches with two added tones. A G major blues scale is the pentatonic scale with an added chromatic tone (A# ascending, Bb descending).       

            G Major Pentatonic Scale                          G Major Blues Scale

Which came first, melody or harmony? No chicken egg debate here. Melody. Notes that point back to primary pitches became what we now call chords. Notes are shown below that point to the primary pitches and shown how they look when played together.

            Chicken or Egg? – Chords or Melody?

That these melodies point to primary pitches is analogous to a sentence containing a noun phrase and a verb phrase. What makes a sentence or melody unique may be the things that modify the primary elements. If we have nouns and verbs, we should learn adjectives and adverbs.

Begin building vocabulary by embellishing one pitch. Each pitch can have an upper neighbor (usually diatonic) and a lower neighbor tone or leading tone (usually chromatic). There are several different combinations of NT patterns shown below.

After developing vocabulary centered on one pitch, invent ways to get from one pitch to another single pitch. We can add passing tones to the list. Get ideas from the vast literature you have played and heard. Some examples are shown for ways to connect 5 to 3 and 3 to 1.

Develop some vocabulary by changing common melodies. Every improviser uses something like this line from Joshua (1). Change it to major (2). Invert the line (3). Replace the neighbor tone with an arpeggio tone (4). Replace the neighbor tone with an arpeggio tone (5) and it becomes Simple Gifts. Add some chromatic passing tones and it sounds like Charlie Parker (6).

      1                                                                              2.

      3.                                                                             4.

      5.                                                                             6.

Working with your Students:

Get some vocabulary

Take a familiar melody like the one shown below. Each phrase essential isolates and connects two pitches. The first phrase connects 1-3, the second 3-5, the third 5-3-1, and the last 5-1. Play some variation of the idea and have the class echo it back. Start simple, and then teach them more vocabulary. Have individuals lead and have the class mimic the line. Play a variation and have individuals improvise a response, not an echo.

Write out a simple framework of triad pitches. When played by itself the framework should make musical sense. Find way to connect the primary pitches in the outline. Here is an example based on the triadic framework of Amazing Grace.

Application to Tunes: Triadic Generalization

These ideas can be applied over groups of chords that point back to tonic. Most tunes that are vehicles for improvisation stay close to primary keys. The chords function to point back to the tonic chord. Melodic ideas point back to those same primary pitches. Group large areas of harmonic material, ignore the specifics of the individual chords and play lines.

These changes are the basis for parts of thousands of pieces (I Got Rhythm, Heart & Soul, etc.). The chords cycle away from and back to the tonic.

These changes are similar to Autumn Leaves and can be found in many pieces from the Baroque to the present.

Here is a line that could be improvised over either of these different progressions. This line ignores the harmonic implications, and uses the primary pitches (the triad G, B, D), or triadic generalization.

For the advanced student

A student will develop more harmonically specific vocabulary but should still include these triadic generalization ideas as a contrast. These ideas can also be used to superimpose triadic shapes over other chords.

Upper Extensions

A G major triad can be found as part of the upper extensions of many chords. Some of these chords are shown below. The same melodic idea (a line from Charlie Parker's Ornithology is shown over each chord)

Notes of the G triad provide the n9, #11 and n13 of the F7 chord.

Notes of the G triad provide the #9 & b13 of the B7 chord.

Notes of the G triad provide the #2 of the Aø7 chord.

Notes of the G triad provide the 3^rd, #5 and major 7^th of the Eb chord.

With some study, an improviser can locate the simple triad shapes implied by the following chord symbols. A triadic based quote from Deck the Halls is shown over each chord.

Notes of the G triad provide the #2 of the Aø7 chord.

Notes of the B b triad provide the #9 & b13 of the D7 chord.

Notes of the D triad provide the major 7 of the Gm chord.

Notes of the D triad provide the n9, #11 and n13 of the C7 chord.

Primary Pitches with passing tones and Upper Neighbor tones   

Amen: Melody uses primary pitches, upper neighbor tones and passing tones

Blues using Amen Form and ideas

Blues solo using Amen upper Neighbor Tones

Blues solo using Amen upper Neighbor Tones

Blues Lines using Triad Shapes

The bottom line shows the basic structure. The top line aims for those notes using NTs, PTs, arpeggio tones, rhythmic interest.

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

The 3^rd phrase (mm.9-10) of these two blues choruses emphasizes the upper neighbor tones to the G triad (A, C & E) before resolving those notes in mm.11-12.

No. 4

TRIADIC BASED TUNES:

Bert Ligon