Hello once again,
this time let's take a close look at the
basic concept of
Polytonal pivoting. First, as always, lets
examine the theory that we'll need
to apply to make this work. Right away we
need to understand that every note
has 3 basic identities:
1. It's harmonic value. This would
be how it relates to the direct tonal
condition of the key that it represents.
2. It's intervallic value, this
would mean the place that it holds and
represents in any tonal condition.
3. It's non-harmonic value, this
would be how it relates as a passing tone
to a
given tonality.
With this information we
can determine what and how we wish to
create or imply a
tonality to be affected. This can get
pretty complicated here so let's start
slow. This can and will be demonstrated in
chromatic and Diatonic forms, but
just to keep grey matter from being
splashed off your ceiling let's start with
a
diatonic figure. And as you know by now I
have no favourite keys but we'll use C
major just to avoid sharps (#) and flats (
b ) C D E F G A B C. Now the whole
idea is to be able to introduce new
tonalities be it harmonic, non harmonic,
symmetrical, composite, etc. But based on
one notes relationship to the melodic
device that would be being used. Lets take
an easy one, the 2nd or in this case
D. D is a consistent interval first off,
so lets find another key that D is
also a consistent interval. Immediately A
minor comes to mind because D is the
4th interval of A minor, and we already
know (I hope) that the 4th interval and
the 2nd are the 2 true consistent or
"perfect intervals," because they
don't alter unless we approach it modally,
this means that we can
substitute any of the harmonic intervals of A minor in place of D while
playing or writing improvised lines
Example:
C A C E / E F G A B C.
This C major has a A minor triad built
into it at the 2nd interval you will note
that the scale became symmetrical, however
it remained diatonically correct
let's go a little deeper. Lets keep that
same idea going lets take just for fun
the 7th or B major and take one of the 5
non harmonic tones that belong to it
like F#, now lets build a triad based off
that like F# A# C# and add this to our
previous melodic construction and now we
have:
C A C E F G A F# A# C# C,
as the structure to work from. Now at this
point we almost have a 12 tone
structure to work out of also this means
that we can begin to use modal ideas
(inversions) or more harmonically based
ideas (triads, quiads, arpeggios, etc).
I think I better stop right here and let
this sink in.
This little exercise should keep you busy
working out the possibilities of
each note for a LONG LONG LONG time. You
should work this against ALL OF THE
FOLLOWING: modes, scales, chords ,
arpeggios ,etc. If you find this kind of
hard at first consider yourself normal.
Once you get the hang of this you'll be
rewarded with a MUCH greater understanding
of your instrument, harmony and
melody, and most importantly yourself and
the musician in you! Scott Henderson
just smokes with this stuff as well as
Larry Coryell, and the great keyboardist
McCoy Tyne. Ritchie Kozton has a real nice
way of doing this also. Here's
something to trip on, I've heard and
watched the amazing Frank Marino do this
stuff using this technique in some jazz
based turn-arounds in blues tunes (that's
why I call him one of the fathers of
progressive / fusion guitar) and once he
told me that he had no idea of what it was
that he was doing. Which just goes
to show, if you live the moment and play
that se cond as truthfully as possible,
you can rise above technique. But
unfortunately we all can't be like Frank,
so for the rest of us earthmen I leave you
with this tip:
ALWAYS REMEMBER THE 3
BASIC IDENTITIES OF EACH NOTE!
Well I think that should get us started.
As always if you get stumped or
you just wanna say hi, I'm always at
www.mikhalcaldwell.com and remember if
you
need to hear some of this stuff in use,
there are examples at
www.mp3.com/mikhalcaldwell. Till next time
C# or you'll Bb!
