Category: Composition/Theory

Nogueira Amarga for Middle School Jazz Ensemble

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I’ve completed another demo recording of one of my big band compositions for middle school level jazz ensemble. I wrote Nogueira Amarga for the Northview Middle School in Hickory, NC under the direction of my friend David Wortman. The title is a pun on the name of the town they are in. I searched for a translation of “hickory” in Portuguese and it came up “norgueira amarga,” which literally translates (at least according to the software) as “bitter walnut.”

Here’s the audio sample. Like I did with an earlier piece, this one is recorded with me playing all the brass parts and the piano, Frank Southecorvo  on saxophones, Michael Gamble on bass, and Justin Watt on drums. I want to thank Frank, Michael, and Justin for taking the time to help me get these recordings made and playing so well on them.

This chart will be published on PDF Jazz Music, so if you’re a middle school band director and want to get a copy of it check the above link and if it’s not available already it will be soon.

Learning Traditional Jazz Chord Progressions

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Traditional jazz, like every musical genre, has its own set of patterns that help distinguish it from other styles of jazz. Getting into the chord changes of traditional jazz tunes shows that there are common patterns that a lot of this music starts with. Ivan, from Playing Traditional Jazz, identifies fifteen of them. Becoming familiar with these patterns will not only help you memorize tunes more easily but also help you improvise over these changes as you develop strategies for blowing over similar changes in the context of new tunes and different keys.

1. THE RED ROSES PATTERN
Definition: Tune begins on the tonic (usually two bars) and then moves on to the 7th (also two bars), meaning that in the Key of F the first chord would be F major and the next E major (or E7th).

2. THE SALTY DOG PATTERN
Definition: The tune begins (usually two bars) on the chord of the 6th note in the scale (e.g., a tune in the key of G starting on the chord of E or E7th). This is normally followed by the chord on the 2nd note of the scale, and then on the 5th note of the scale, thus continuing the ‘circle of fifths’.

3. THE GEORGIA PATTERN
Definition: The tune starts on the tonic, proceeding to the chord of the 3rd and then on to the 6th. So in the key of C, this would mean C major, followed by E7th and then A7th (sometimes A minor).

4. THE SWEET SUE PATTERN
Definition: Begins on the Dominant 7th, with the Tonic as the next chord. (Often this pattern is then repeated before further developments.) To put it simply, if you’re in the key of C, you begin these tunes on G7th (usually two bars) and then move on to C.

5. THE BYE BYE PATTERN
Definition: Begins on the tonic. This is followed by the 6th flat major, then tonic again, and then 6th. So in the key of C this would be: C – Ab – C – A.

6. THE MAGNOLIA PATTERN
Definition: The tune starts on the Tonic, then moves to the Tonic 7th; then the chord of the 4th note in the scale; and then the 4th minor (or sometimes dininished). So, in the Key of C, this would mean: C : C7 : F : Fm .

7. THE MY OLD MAN PATTERN
Definition: The tune starts on the Tonic chord and then follows this with the commonest chord progression of all – known to musicians as 2 – 5 – 1. So a tune beginning on the chord of C major, for example, would progress on to D major (the chord of the second note of the scale), followed by the chord of G7th (the dominant seventh – the fifth note of the scale) before returning to C major. A very satisfying 8-bar musical phrase can be built on two bars each of these four chords.

8. THE DRAGON PATTERN
Definition: The tune starts on the chord of the Tonic and then follows this with the minor chord on the third note of the scale.

9. THE SAINTS PATTERN
Notes: Everybody knows When the Saints. Its progression is instantly recognisable and fairly simple. But, as far as I know, it has not been widely used.
Definition: Starts with (what could be easier?) six bars on the Tonic chord. Then briefly the Dominant 7th. Then it uses the Magnolia progression (see above).

10. THE APPLE TREE PATTERN
Definition: Start on the chord of the Tonic; then move on to the chord of the 4th note of the scale; and then back to the Tonic. So in the key of C, the first three chords would be C – F – C.

11. THE LOVE MY BABY PATTERN
Definition: Begin with 4 bars on the Dominant 7th and then 4 bars on the sixth note of the scale. To put it simply, if you play the tune in the key of G, the first 4 bars will be on D7th and the next 4 on E7th.

12. THE BILL BAILEY PATTERN
Definition: First six bars on the Tonic, next eight on the Dominant 7th. Next two on the Tonic. Start second sixteen on the Tonic, etc. End 4 – 4 minor – 1 – 6 seventh – 2 seventh – 5 seventh – 1 – 1. The tunes listed below do not all stick to it 100%, but they do so as nearly as makes little difference.

13. THE TWELVE-BAR BLUES PATTERN
Definition: Twelve bars, essentially:
1 1 1 17th 4 4 1 1 57th 57th 1 1
Subtle variations within that pattern are encouraged.

14. THE FINAL EIGHT PATTERN (also known as THE SUNSHINE CHORD PROGRESSION)
Definition: In the Key of C, the eight bars would be:
F major F minor C major A7 D7 (or D minor) G7 C major C major
In other words:
Chord on the 4th of the scale
Chord on the 4th Minor (or diminished)
Chord on the Tonic
Chord on the 6th seventh
Chord on the 2nd seventh
Chord on the 5th seventh
Major Chord on the Tonic
Major Chord on the Tonic

15. THE MINOR PATTERN
Definition: Much of the tune (sometimes just the first part) is in a minor key.

For more information about these common chord changes, including extensive lists of tunes that use them, check out Traditional Jazz Chord Progressions. Special thanks to Mick, cornetist with the Low-Down Sires, for finding this excellent resource.

Blackhawk Blues for Middle School Jazz Ensemble

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A bit over a year ago I composed Blackhawk Blues for the North Buncombe Middle School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Mary Jo Sparrow. Last week I finally got around to finishing a demo recording of it. I made this recording with my own equipment and with only four players. I’m performing all the brass parts and the piano. Frank Southecorvo played all the sax parts. The bass part is played by Michael Gamble and drums by Justin Watt. I’d like to thank Frank, Michael, and Justin for playing those parts for me.

This chart was accepted for publication, so as soon as all the loose ends are tied up you should be able to purchase it for your middle school or high school jazz ensemble through PDF Jazz Music.

Why Are Parallel Fifths Bad Voice Leading?

~ wilktone ~ 7 Comments

I recently posted a music theory puzzle of a Bach chorale excerpt which contains parallel fifths. I was reminded that some music students may not understand why parallel fifths are considered “bad.” In fact, a great deal of contemporary music uses parallel fifths and to our modern ears they don’t usually sound wrong.

The usual answer is that it “destroys the independence” of each voice, which is true. However, there are also some practical reasons for avoiding parallel fifths in compositions for a cappella voices – it’s hard to sing. ComposerOnline put together an nice video presentation that demonstrates this.

There are also some historical reasons why Baroque Era composers began consciously avoiding parallel fifths. Beginning around the 8th or 9th century polyphony (the idea of using multiple melodic lines together, rather than just unison voices or voices with drones) developed. The religious chants were sung in monasteries by both men and boys in octaves already, so it seems obvious in retrospect that they might also sing them in parallel fifths. This is known as “parallel organum.” David W. Barber describes organum in his book, “Bach, Beethoven, and the Boys: Music History As It Ought To Be Taught.”

Gregorian chants developed into something called organum, which was all the rage of the ninth to 12th centuries. In its simples form, this consisted of singing the same Gregorian tune as the monk beside you at the interval of a perfect fourth or fifth.* This is harder to do than it sounds, and requires the kind of concentration that monks are especially good at.

* Barber’s footnote reads, “It’s not worth explaining why fourths and fifths are called perfect. Just take my word for it.”

Parallel organum later evolved into “free organum,” although it still frequently used parallel fourths or fifths between the two voices. It’s quite a distinctive sound. Here’s an example.

By 1600 ( early Baroque Era) the sound of parallel motion had started to sound old fashioned. Even in instrumental music, which doesn’t have the technical difficulties writing for voices have with parallel motion, composers avoided the use of parallel fifths and octaves. When they were used, they were sometimes used to symbolize something rustic or old fashioned, such as in Beethoven’s 6th (“Pastoral Symphony”).

It’s not until the 20th century when composers began to start using parallel motion with more frequency. It’s now a sound that is ubiquitous in many styles of music. I find it interesting that a musical sound can go from 5 centuries of extensive use to 3 centuries of avoidance, to being used frequently again. Not to mention musical styles other than “western European art music” that use parallel motion all the time. Regardless of your stylistic interests, both the use and avoidance of parallel fifths is something that is worth learning about. The distinctive sound of parallel fifths still has an ability to elicit a powerful reaction on us.

Music Theory Puzzle – Spot the Parallel Fifths in Bach Chorale

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It’s been a while since I put out a music theory puzzle. Here is an excerpt from a chorale by J.S. Bach, “Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein” (“”Oh God, look down from heaven”). This particular chorale contains (*gasp*) parallel fifths. Take a look and see if you can spot them. The answer after the break.

Composer Russell Steinberg wrote about Bach’s use of unconventional techniques like parallel fifths.

The risky choices require much more imagination. They introduce elements of chaos and instability into the chorale that require other extreme choices to balance the whole. Not surprisingly, Bach does not choose to play it safe. Instead, he careens around the fringes of tonal coherence. His riskier choices require ever more imaginative responses in an intricate balancing act that erupts in surprise and a hypersensitive awareness of connections between the voices. Bach’s chorales expose possibilities within tonality that are not immediately obvious, all by pushing the system to its breaking point. If the conventional voice leading the textbooks advocate produces a dozen solutions, Bach’s unconventional tendencies expose hundreds of new choices. These choices bend the system and astonish the ear, but still work within the tonal framework, and ultimately support and strengthen its foundations. They revitalize the chorales with the excitement of discovering new possibilities and new beauty in tonality.

Did you spot the parallel fifths yet? Continue on to see the answer.

Continue reading “Music Theory Puzzle – Spot the Parallel Fifths in Bach Chorale” →

J.S. Bach Crab Canon

~ wilktone ~ 2 Comments

Here’s a neat video showing one of J.S. Bach’s “crab” canons. The melody of this piece in retrograde produces a very clever canon. This video by YouTube user Jos Leys shows how this works very clearly, including showing how the melodies line up on a mobius strip.

Even though it’s a short piece, it’s really amazing that Bach was able to compose a melody that created harmonious counterpoint when played in retrograde like this.

Just to warm up myself to work on a composition project I decided to try writing an 8 measure crab canon myself. You’ve got to keep in mind the harmonic motion must work in retrograde as well as keeping track of the intervals and melodic motion. As I wrote the first measure I went to the end and filled in the bottom part’s final measure and worked a couple of measures this way. Then I worked on composing the bottom part for the first couple of measures and filled in the top part towards the end, modifying the melodies as I needed to in order to make the harmonic and melodic motion fit the rules of baroque counterpoint. The middle four measures were the most challenging for me. I wanted to get away from being completely diatonic here and it took me a little work to get everything to work out.

The results, well, not quite as good as Bach’s. Here is what I came up with and a MIDI realization. Try it out yourself as an exercise and see how you do.

Charlie Banacos on Jazz Pedagogy

~ wilktone ~ 1 Comment

If you’re like me, you’re probably not familiar with Charlie Banacos. An influential jazz educator, he withdrew from performing in favor of focusing on his teaching. He stated:

Music for me is like religion. In every religion there are the preachers who are touring all over the world to preach about religion, and the monks, who sit in a basement, practice for themselves, and teach others. I am the monk.

My first exposure to the work of Banacos comes from David Carlos Valdez’s excellent blog, Casa Valdez Studios. A couple of months ago Valdez posted some information and links about Charlie Banacos. Included in his post is a link to a dissertation by Lefteris Kordis called “Top Speed and in All Keys”: Charlie Banacos’s Pedagogy of Jazz Improvisation. Kordis goes over the different types of exercises Banacos would assign to his students.

The exercises cover nine facts of technique and musicianship–which I have organized in Sections A – I. In Section A, three popular ear-training exercises plus a meditation practice are presented. These exercises are useful for the development of various aural skills, such as relative pitch, perfect pitch, and intonation. In Section B, ten prominent exercises for instrumentalists/vocalists are listed, which focus on enriching improvisation skills, expanding melodic, harmonic, and temporal vocabulary, and improving technique. Section C includes a list of names of voicing exercises for chording instruments, such as piano and guitar.

Banacos taught composition to a variety of instrumentalists and singers. In Section D are some composition exercises he assigned, some of them based on Joseph Schillinger’s System of Musical Composition. Section E features four prominent exercises for rhythm, and Section F, three exercises for sight-reading/sight-singing. Banacos’s explanations for practicing the assigned repertoire, as well as for overcoming technical limitations, are listed in Section G. Some of the exercises included in this section were intended to further enhance instrumental technique. Section H illustrates Banacos’s approach to building repertoire, which consists of jazz standards as well as classical piano works.

I haven’t gotten through the whole paper yet, but it looks excellent and should be valuable for teachers and players alike. While I’m at it, please go visit Casa Valdez Studios for an excellent blog for jazz musicians and saxophonists.

Playing Outside the Changes – “Free At Last” by Dave Frank

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I came across this very interesting video master class by pianist Dave Frank on playing outside the changes. He describes his master class:

In this advanced master class will explore various ways of improvising melodic lines that go outside the chord changes. We’ll use a basic 1-4-5 blues progression and look at 4 different ways to approach this more advanced way of playing. The general concept of playing lines outside the changes is to suspend the underlying chord progression as a basis for linear improvisation for a period of time, improvising during the suspended measures using a superimposed concept, mode or progression.

In his video Frank goes through three basic techniques you can use to play outside the changes, superimposing a short melodic pattern transposed to different pitch levels a second or third apart, using different modes selected for the amount of harmonic tension over a particular chord progression, and using particular scales, such as whole tone or diminished scales, that are intentionally ambiguous.

It’s a very detailed introduction to playing outside of the changes and there’s a lot of good stuff in there. It’s inspired me to go back and start working more on this aspect of my own improvisation. Take 40 minutes to watch Frank’s video and try some of these ideas out.

Golden Triangle Overture for Trombone Octet

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I composed Golden Triangle Overture a couple of years ago for the Mississippi State University Trombone Choir, under the direction of my friend Dr. Richard Human. Over my winter break I got the urge to put together a demo recording of it to post here. I’m playing all 8 parts on tenor trombone, even though there is one alto trombone part and two bass trombone parts, because I don’t own those instruments.